Connect Tools They Use
Tools give employees the ability to take action on real systems. Without tools, employees can only think and write. With tools, they can send emails, search the web, generate images, and connect to your favorite apps.
TL;DR
Tools define what an employee is ABLE TO do. Tools belong to the team, not individual employees. When you connect Gmail to your Marketing team, every member of that team can use it automatically. This is the opposite of skills and duties, which are personal to each employee. They fall into four categories: System tools (built-in platform capabilities), Utilities (standalone features like web search and image generation), Apps (external services you connect via one-click authorization like Gmail and Slack), and Integrations (custom connections like MCP servers, webhooks, and API endpoints). Every team comes pre-loaded with the common business tools so you have nothing to set up on day one.
Tools are team-shared, not per-employee
This is the most important thing to understand about tools, and it is what makes them different from skills and duties.
| Capability | Owned by | Shared with | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tools | The team | Every member of the team automatically | Tools are infrastructure. Connecting Gmail once should give every member access. You should never have to think "which employee gets which tool" |
| Skills | Each employee | Nobody | Skills are identity. A copywriter and a data analyst should not share the same playbooks |
| Duties | Each employee | Nobody | Duties are identity. Each role has its own standards to uphold |
| Persona | Each employee | Nobody | Each employee has their own voice and character |
What this means in practice. When you enable HubSpot for your Sales team, every salesperson on the team can use it. When you disconnect Slack, nobody on the team can post to Slack. There is no "give Gmail to Alex but not to Sam." If they are on the same team, they share the same toolkit.
Solo employees still get the experience. When you hire an individual, they live on the Bench team by default. The Bench gets the universal app set (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Notion, Slack, etc.) so a solo hire is never empty-handed.
What every team starts with
Every new team is provisioned with three layers automatically. You do nothing.
| Layer | What it includes | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | Internal platform tools every team uses to manage itself | Task management, skill management, schedule, work journal, approvals |
| Utilities | Standalone capabilities that work without external setup | Web search, image generation, web scraper, browser controller, computer controller |
| Default apps | The common business tools most teams need | Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, GitHub |
Specialized teams get extras. A Marketing team also starts with LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Buffer, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Google Analytics, Google Ads, Canva, and WordPress. A Sales team also starts with HubSpot, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Pipedrive, Calendly, Zoom, Intercom, Stripe, and DocuSign.
All app tools are pre-loaded but disabled until you click Connect. They show up in the tool list ready to authorize, but you are never charged for an unconnected integration.
How It Works
Tools are organized into four categories, each displayed in its own section of the Tools tab.
| Category | What it includes | Setup needed |
|---|---|---|
| System | Internal platform tools the employee uses to manage itself: task management, skill management, schedule management, work journal, approvals, and more | None. Auto-assigned to every employee |
| Utilities | Standalone capabilities that work without connecting external accounts: web search, image generation, code interpreter, browser controller, computer controller | None for most. Browser and computer controller need the desktop companion app |
| Apps | External services you connect via one-click authorization: Gmail, Slack, Google Docs, HubSpot, Notion, and hundreds more | Click "Connect" and authorize with your account |
| Integrations | Custom external connections you set up: MCP servers, A2A agents, webhooks, API endpoints | Configure the connection URL and credentials |
The employee decides which tools to use based on the task at hand. You do not need to tell them.
Progressive trust. If an app tool is not connected yet, the employee still delivers value. They write the output to their Drive as a fallback (email drafts, social post drafts, reports) and mention the tool connection once. Connecting a tool grants permission. The employee uses it directly on the next interaction.
Linked skills. Some tools come with linked skills. When you add a tool, the system may suggest adding related skills that help the employee use the tool effectively. The reverse works too.
Where to Find It
The Tools tab lives in two places because tools are shared across the team. Both surfaces show the exact same data, edited from one place takes effect everywhere.
| Surface | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Team page → Tools tab | The natural home. You see the team's shared toolkit, manage connections, and add new tools |
| Employee page → Tools tab | Quick access when you are already chatting with a specific member. Toggling here affects the whole team because the team owns the tools |
To open it from either place:
- Go to your Workspace
- Click any team in the sidebar (or any employee on that team)
- Open the Tools tab
You will see tools organized into sections: Apps, Utilities, Integrations, and a collapsible Foundational section at the bottom for system tools.
What You Can Do
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| View available tools | Open the Tools tab from a team or any employee on the team. Tools are grouped by category: Apps, Utilities, Integrations, Foundational |
| Connect an app | Click Connect on any app tool card. You are redirected to the app's authorization screen. One connection covers the whole team |
| Disconnect an app | Open a connected app's detail drawer and click Disconnect |
| Enable or disable a tool | Toggle tools on or off for the team. Every member is affected because tools are team-shared |
| Check connection status | Connected apps show a green "Connected" status. Unconnected apps show a "Connect" button |
| See linked skills | Tool cards show linked skill badges. Click a badge to navigate to that skill |
| Add an MCP server | Click the add button in the Integrations section and provide the server URL |
| Add a webhook | Click the add button in the Integrations section and configure the webhook endpoint |
| Add an A2A agent | Click the add button in the Integrations section and provide the agent URL |
| View tool details | Click any tool card to open the detail drawer with full info, custom instructions, and training options |
| Set custom instructions | Open a tool's detail drawer and add instructions that guide how the team uses that specific tool |
How to Connect an App
- Open the Tools tab from your team page (or any employee on that team)
- Find the app you want in the Apps section (e.g., Gmail, Slack, Notion)
- Click Connect on the app card
- You are redirected to the app's authorization screen. Approve the requested permissions
- After authorizing, you are redirected back. The tool shows "Connected" with a green status
- Done. Every member of the team can now use it. One connection per team, no per-member setup
How Integrations Work
Integrations let you connect custom external services:
| Type | What it does | How to add |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Server | Connects to a Model Context Protocol server that exposes custom tools | Provide the server URL. The system discovers available tools automatically |
| A2A Agent | Connects to an Agent-to-Agent protocol endpoint | Provide the agent URL. The employee can delegate tasks to external agents |
| Webhook | Sends data to an external URL when triggered | Provide the webhook URL and configure the payload format |
Tips and Tricks
- Start with web search and image generation. Both are utility tools that work out of the box with no setup
- Connect apps when ready. Employees produce drafts in their Drive without connections. Connect a tool when you trust the employee to act directly
- Check linked skills. When you add a tool, the system may suggest adding linked skills. Add them for the tool to work fully. Same in reverse
- One connection, the whole team. Connect an app once and every member of the team can use it. No per-person setup
- Use the desktop app for browser and computer control. These utility tools require the companion app installed on your machine
- Custom instructions guide tool usage. Open a tool's detail drawer and add custom instructions to control how the team uses that specific tool
Good to Know
- Skills vs. Duties vs. Tools. Skills define the process (HOW TO). Duties set the standards (WHAT TO). Tools give the ability to act (ABLE TO). Skills and duties are personal to each employee. Tools are shared by the team
- One-click authorization. App connections handle the authorization flow, token refresh, and API execution. You can revoke access anytime
- Drive fallback. If an app is not connected, the employee writes equivalent output to their Drive (email drafts, social posts, reports). This builds trust before you grant access
- Foundational tools cannot be removed. You can disable them (with a warning), but the Remove option is hidden
- Employee self-management. Employees can add tools from the catalog and initiate app connections during conversation. The new tool lands on the team, not just the employee that asked
- Two surfaces, one source of truth. The Tools tab on the team page and the Tools tab on each employee page show the same data. Editing in one place updates both
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are tools shared across the team instead of per-employee? A: Tools are infrastructure, not identity. When you grant your sales team access to HubSpot, you should not have to think about which salesperson gets it. Skills and duties stay personal because they shape how each individual works. Tools just get the job done.
Q: I disabled a tool from one employee's tab. Why did it disable for the whole team? A: Both the employee tab and the team tab edit the same team-owned tool. The employee tab is a quick-access shortcut, not a separate setting. To disable a tool for one specific person, that is not currently supported because tools belong to teams, not individuals.
Q: My solo employee is on the Bench. Where are their tools? A: On the Bench team. The Bench is a real team that holds your unassigned employees and ships with the universal app set (Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Notion, Slack, etc.). Your solo employee inherits all of it automatically.
Q: I moved an employee to a new team. Did their tools come with them? A: No. Tools belong to the team, not the employee. The moved employee inherits the destination team's tools instead. If the new team is empty, you need to connect the apps you need on that team.
Q: What if an app is not connected? A: The employee writes equivalent output to their Drive as a fallback (drafts, reports) and suggests connecting the tool once per conversation. They never nag about it.
Q: Can I limit what a tool does? A: Yes. Open the tool's detail drawer and add custom instructions that guide how the team uses it. For app tools, the authorization scopes determine what actions are available.
Q: Do browser and computer control work immediately? A: No. They require the desktop companion app installed on your machine. They are disabled by default. Enable them after installing the app.
Q: What is the difference between Apps and Integrations? A: Apps are pre-built connections to popular services (Gmail, Slack, etc.) that you authorize with one click. Integrations are custom connections you configure yourself (MCP servers, webhooks, A2A agents) for services not in the app catalog.