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

# Tool Router

> The bridge between you and your apps — how Aura picks and uses the right tool.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://cdn.youniverse.ai/blog-hero/docs/work-mode.jpg" alt="Glass briefcase releasing mail, calendar, document and chat tiles" />
</Frame>

The **Tool Router** is the bridge between you and your apps. It's the engine that powers [Work Mode](/chat/work-mode): you describe what you want in plain words, and the Tool Router figures out which app and which action gets it done.

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="You ask in plain words">
    *"Summarize this week's unread emails into a Doc and share it with my team."*
  </Step>

  <Step title="The Tool Router picks the tools">
    It reads your request, looks at your connected apps, and chooses the right actions — here: read Gmail, create a Google Doc, share it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Aura acts, step by step">
    Each action runs in order. You see every step as it happens, with a link to the result.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What it can reach

* More than **1,500 apps** — Gmail, Outlook, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Slack, calendars, CRMs, task boards and more
* **No-sign-in tools** like web search, weather and public data work instantly
* The [Browser Tool](/chat/browser-tool) covers websites that have no app connection

<Frame>
  <img src="https://cdn.youniverse.ai/blog-hero/docs/inbox.jpg" alt="Friendly glass robot sorting envelopes into trays" />
</Frame>

## Multi-step work, not just one command

The router can combine tools from several apps. Steps that depend on earlier results must wait for those results; independent work can run together. For example, it can read a spreadsheet, research the listed companies, create a report and place it in the requested folder.

Describe the **end state**, not a tool name. Include source, date range, account, output format, destination and exclusions. If you only want a draft, say **draft only — do not send**. If a connection or required detail is missing, resolve it before expecting the action to finish.

## Connected tools, public research and browser tasks

| Task | Appropriate capability |
| - | - |
| Read email or update an authenticated app | Your connected app and its granted permissions |
| Read a public URL, search current facts or look up public information | Public reading and search tools; Browser Tool is not required |
| Log into a website, click controls or fill a web form | Browser Tool, explicitly enabled in that chat |
| Analyze a large dataset or construct a complex downloadable file | Code execution / workbench where the task requires it |

The workbench is a working environment for calculations, transformations and file creation; it is not an extra app account or permission bypass.

## Where it's used

| Surface | Tool Router |
| - | - |
| Quick Chat | Optional — turn it on from the **+** menu |
| Project Chat | Always on, scoped to the project's knowledge |
| Work Mode | Always on — it *is* Work Mode's engine |

<Info>
  Account-based tools use the apps **you** have connected and the permissions you granted. Public tools can work without signing in. A connection does not grant access beyond your provider permissions. Name the account, recipients and destination clearly: an explicit instruction to send, edit or delete can perform a real action, not just produce a draft.
</Info>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is the Tool Router?">
    The bridge between you and your apps. It picks the right app and action for each request.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where is it used?">
    Work Mode and Project Chat.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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