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Overview

System tools are pre-built tools that run on Outspeed’s servers. They handle common conversation management tasks and require no implementation on your part - simply enable them in your session configuration.

System tools help agents manage conversation flow intelligently:

  • Server-side execution: No client-side implementation needed
  • Automatic decisions: Agents call tools based on conversation context
  • Override capabilities: Customize tool behavior with custom descriptions
  • Zero maintenance: Tools are maintained and updated by Outspeed

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Available System Tools

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Skip turn

Allows agents to intelligently skip their speaking turn when users aren’t directly addressing them.

Use Cases:

  • User is singing or humming
  • Background conversations
  • User talking to someone else
  • Self-talk or thinking aloud

👉 Learn about Skip Turn →

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End session

Enables agents to gracefully terminate conversations when users explicitly say goodbye.

Use Cases:

  • User says “goodbye”, “bye”, “farewell”
  • Clear conversation conclusion
  • Explicit requests to end the call

👉 Learn about End Session →

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Basic sonfiguration

Enable system tools in your session configuration:

const sessionConfig = {
  // rest of config...
  system_tools: [
    { name: "skip_turn", enabled: true },
    { name: "end_call", enabled: true }
  ],
};

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Override tool descriptions

You can customize how system tools behave by overriding their descriptions:

const sessionConfig = {
  // rest of config...
  system_tools: [
    {
      name: "skip_turn",
      enabled: true,
      description: "Skip turns more conservatively - only when user is clearly singing or talking to others",
      parameter_descriptions: {
        reason: "Specific reason for skipping (singing or talking to others only)",
      },
    },
    {
      name: "end_call", 
      enabled: true,
      description: "End calls only on very explicit goodbye phrases like 'goodbye' or 'bye'",
      parameter_descriptions: {
        farewell_message: "Brief, professional farewell message",
        reason: "Specific goodbye phrase that triggered the end",
      },
    }
  ],
};

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Best practices

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When to enable

  • Skip Turn: Recommended for most applications to handle natural conversation flow
  • End Session: Essential for applications where users initiate call termination

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Override examples

More Restrictive Skip Turn:

{
  name: "skip_turn",
  description: "Only skip when absolutely certain user is not addressing the agent",
  parameter_descriptions: {
    reason: "Very specific reason with high confidence",
  },
}

More Permissive End Session:

{
  name: "end_call",
  description: "End calls when users show any sign of wanting to conclude",
  parameter_descriptions: {
    farewell_message: "Warm, understanding farewell",
    reason: "Any indication user wants to end conversation",
  },
}

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Troubleshooting

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Tools not working

  1. Check configuration: Ensure tools are properly enabled
  2. Verify session: Confirm tools are included in session config
  3. Review logs: Check for error messages in session events

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Unexpected behavior

  1. Monitor context: Review conversation context when tools trigger
  2. Adjust descriptions: Override tool descriptions to fine-tune behavior
  3. System prompt: Ensure your system prompt doesn’t conflict with tool usage

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Performance impact

  • System tools have minimal performance impact
  • No client-side processing required
  • Server-side execution is optimized and fast