DEFINITION
Tool scoping
Restricting agent access to specific tools per workflow state
Definition
The practice of limiting which tools an AI agent can access at each step of a workflow, reducing the solution space and preventing tool misuse. Tools are scoped by state (e.g., read-only in planning, edit in implementation) and enforced via protocol rather than prompts.
Examples in the Wild
- Example 1:Planning state: read-only tools only
- Example 2:Implementation state: scoped edit tools
- Example 3:Testing state: bash testing commands only
- Example 4:Preventing mega edits via tool restrictions