Use a Tool Template
Templates are like pre-assembled furniture — you still pick the color, but you don't have to figure out which screw goes where. Each template is a custom tool that's already filled in for a popular service, so you only have to add your own sign-in details and adjust a few settings.
Image: The templates gallery showing tool cards organized by category with search and filters
Before you start
- A clear idea of which service you want your agent to talk to (Slack, Google Sheets, a project tracker, etc.).
- A saved credential (sign-in details) for that service. If you don't have one yet, set it up first in Credentials.
- A few minutes to review and test the template before saving.
Step-by-step
- From the Custom Tools page, click Templates to open the gallery.
- Use the search box or the category filter to narrow down (Monitoring and Analytics, Productivity, Project Tracking, Communication, Storage).
- Click a template card that matches what you want your agent to do.
- The manual creation wizard opens with the configuration pre-filled — the web address, request method, and parameters are already set.
- Pick your credential (your private password that lets Nirvai connect to the service for you) from the dropdown.
- Adjust anything else you'd like — the name, the description, default values for parameters. Templates are a starting point, not a locked configuration.
- Move to the test page and run a real test (see Test a Custom Tool).
- Click Save.
Image: A template card showing name, description, method badge, and auth type
What a template gives you (and what you still provide)
| The template fills in | You provide |
|---|---|
| The service's web address Nirvai will call | Your own credential for that service |
| The request method (GET, POST, etc.) | Sample values when you test the tool |
| The list of parameters and their types | Any tweaks to the name, description, or defaults |
| A starter description and usage notes | Your own caveats or special instructions (optional) |
Image: The manual wizard with fields pre-filled from a template
Everything in the template is editable. Rename it, rewrite the description in your own words, or remove parameters you don't need before you save.
Customizing after installing
Once the tool is saved, it behaves exactly like a tool you built from scratch — you can open it from the Custom Tools page and:
- Rename it or rewrite its description.
- Add, remove, or rename parameters.
- Change default values.
- Attach a sample output (image, pdf, markdown, json, or file) so you can preview the kind of response it returns.
- Add caveats that the agent should read before calling it.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| I can't find a template for the service I want | Use the search box with a different word, or build the tool manually (see Create a Custom Tool Manually). |
| The credential dropdown is empty | You haven't connected that service yet — set up the credential first in Credentials. |
| The test fails right after installing the template | Open the tool, double-check that the right credential is selected, then re-run the test. Common causes are the wrong credential or a missing required parameter. |
| I changed the template and want to start over | Delete the tool and install the template again — the original is always available in the gallery. |
What's next
After this, continue to Test a Custom Tool to verify your new tool actually works before handing it to an agent.