> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://enterprise-docs.dify.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Dify Tools

> Manage tools that enable LLMs to interact with external services and APIs

Dify tools enable LLMs to interact with external services and APIs, so they can access real-time data and perform actions (e.g., web searches, database queries, or content processing).

Each tool has a clear interface: what inputs it accepts, what action it performs, and what output it returns. This helps LLMs decide when and how to call a tool based on user requests.

Use tools in:

* Workflow / Chatflow apps (as standalone [Tool nodes](/en/3.2.x/use/nodes/tools), or within [Agent nodes](/en/3.2.x/use/nodes/agent#tool-configuration))

* [Agent apps](/en/3.2.x/use/build/agent#extend-the-agent-with-dify-tools)

All your tools can be managed on the **Tools** page.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/dify-enterprise-docs/zvhvyUvEpyoIONBf/images/use-dify/workspace/dify-tools.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=zvhvyUvEpyoIONBf&q=85&s=235274567280022a12d1c6851fc65595" alt="Dify Tools" width="2938" height="1604" data-path="images/use-dify/workspace/dify-tools.png" />
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## Tool Types

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Plugin Tool">
    [Plugin](/en/3.2.x/use/workspace/plugins) tools are ready-to-use integrations provided by Dify and the community for common utilities and popular third-party services.

    In addition to built-in plugin tools (like CurrentTime) available out of the box, you can explore and install more from [Dify Marketplace](https://marketplace.dify.ai/).

    **Manage Authorization**

    Some plugin tools (e.g., Google and GitHub) require an API key or similar credentials before use.

    You can manage workspace-level credentials for these tools from the **Tools** or **Plugins** page, or directly within the tool settings inside an app or node.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Custom Tool">
    Integrate external services as custom tools using a standard OpenAPI (Swagger) specification. This is ideal for connecting Dify to internal systems or third-party services not available as plugins.

    Paste your OpenAPI schema, import it from a URL, or start from a provided example. Dify will parse the spec and generate the tool interface automatically.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Workflow Tool">
    Turn any workflow into a reusable tool. **Chatflows are not supported**.

    This allows you to encapsulate complex, multi-step logic into a single function that can be easily reused across different Dify apps.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/dify-enterprise-docs/zvhvyUvEpyoIONBf/images/use-dify/workspace/workflow-as-tool.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=zvhvyUvEpyoIONBf&q=85&s=cde323cddcf6a04178597b52204a8a67" alt="Workflow as Tool" width="870" height="848" data-path="images/use-dify/workspace/workflow-as-tool.png" />
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  </Tab>
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