JIT tools (configure tools from the input bar)

With JIT tools, you can activate and configure tools directly from the conversation input bar when you need them—without editing the agent in the builder. These settings are conversation‑scoped (ephemeral) and do not change the saved agent configuration for everyone.

When to use JIT tools

One‑off or time‑boxed tasks where you don't want to modify the shared agent
Least‑privilege usage: enable only the tool(s) needed for the current question
Faster iteration: avoid a trip to the agent builder for ad‑hoc work

How to add a tool from the input bar

In a conversation, open the input bar tool picker
Search for the tool you need (e.g., "Notion") and click Configure
Complete any required authentication/permissions
Confirm the configuration. The tool becomes available to the agent for this conversation

Tip: Be explicit in your prompt about how the tool should be used (scope, sources, timeframe, and expected output).

What happens under the hood (scope & persistence)

Conversation‑scoped: enabled tools apply to this conversation only
No change to the saved agent: your agent's builder configuration remains intact
Same credentials and permissions model as when added in the builder

What tools work well JIT

Retrieval/Search (RAG) for contextual answers from your data sources → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/understanding-retrieval-augmented-generation-rag-and-the-search-method-in-dust
Web Search & Browse for up‑to‑date public information → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/web-navigation
Structured lookups (Table Queries / Extract Data) when you need exact numbers or bulk extraction → see sections in the RAG guide above
Running another agent as a tool for a focused sub‑task (e.g., drafting, translation, summarization) → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/tools

Best practices

Keep scope narrow: specify exact sources or repositories when relevant
Prefer structured methods (Table Queries, Extract Data) for quantitative tasks
Start a new conversation if you want a clean context before enabling tools

Related docs

Tools overview → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/tools
Data sources overview → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/what-are-data-sources
Conversation files & dynamic tools → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/folders-copy
Web Search & Browse → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/web-navigation
RAG overview/guidance → https://docs.dust.tt/docs/understanding-retrieval-augmented-generation-rag-and-the-search-method-in-dust