Advanced tool use features enable dynamic tool discovery, programmatic calling, and usage examples¶
Insight: Anthropic released three beta features for tool management: Tool Search Tool (dynamically discover tools on-demand rather than loading all definitions upfront), Programmatic Tool Calling (invoke tools through code execution, reducing context window impact), and Tool Use Examples (concrete patterns beyond JSON schema documentation). These address three core bottlenecks: token consumption from tool definitions, context pollution from intermediate results, and parameter errors from ambiguous schemas. Best practice: layer features strategically by identifying the primary constraint.
Detail: For Tool Search, keep 3-5 most-used tools always loaded while deferring others. Clear, descriptive names and documentation improve discovery; system prompts should guide Claude about available capabilities.