# AX-SYS-10: Expose only the tools the agent needs

> Tools and capabilities · intermediate · AX-SYS-10

Scope tools by domain and give each one a clear, single purpose with structured results. Do not overwhelm an agent with hundreds of operations.

## Why

Scoping tools by domain improves reliability; dumping 300 operations on one agent degrades it (Speakeasy Toolability). Anthropic's production guidance is explicit: build a few thoughtful tools targeting specific high-impact workflows. Tools occupy space in the context window — every tool listed is a choice the model must evaluate, and a cluttered toolset degrades selection accuracy and increases the chance of misdirected calls.

## Do

Provide domain-scoped toolsets.

## Don't

Ship one mega-toolset for every agent.

## Artifact

Config artifact: expose domain-scoped toolsets (for example `orders`, `billing`) rather than one toolset of 300 operations. Gate which set an agent receives by its scopes.

## Citations

1. [Speakeasy — Designing Agent Experience](https://www.speakeasy.com/blog/agent-experience-introduction) — Toolability: scoping tools by domain and giving each a clear single purpose improves agent reliability; exposing too many operations degrades selection accuracy
2. [Anthropic — Building Effective AI Agents](https://www.anthropic.com/research/building-effective-agents) — Build a few thoughtful tools targeting specific high-impact workflows; a large, poorly-scoped toolset degrades agent decision quality and increases latency
3. [Anthropic — Writing Effective Tools for AI Agents](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/writing-tools-for-agents) — Tools are prominent in Claude's context window; developers should be conscious about how they design tools to maximize context efficiency and minimize misdirected calls

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Source: Agent Experience Principles (axprinciples.com)