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Tool Selection

Administrators can customise which tools are available to Claude per environment. This helps enforce governance policies and reduce risk in production workbooks.

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Default Tool Set

The Deno server registers tools in src/tools/index.ts, including:
  • Data access (read_values, read_format)
  • Data writing (write_values, write_format)
  • Structural changes (add_rows, remove_columns, add_sheets, etc.)
  • Formula management (drag_formula)
  • Chart creation (create_chart)
  • VBA operations (vba_read, vba_create, vba_update)
By default, all tools are active unless explicitly filtered.

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Configuring Allowed Tools

  • UI Level – In the task pane, toggle tools on/off before sending a prompt. These selections are sent in activeTools and respected for the entire request.
  • Backend Level – Modify tools/index.ts to remove tools from the exported tools array. The orchestrator won’t expose disabled tools to Claude.
  • Environment Overrides – Use environment variables or configuration files (e.g., a JSON allowlist) to dynamically include/exclude tools when the server starts. Extend getToolByName to check this allowlist.

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Auto-Approval Lists

  • toolsNotRequiringApproval in the UI marks specific tools as safe for auto-approval (typically read-only operations).
  • Administrators should review and adjust this list for each environment. For example, allow auto-approval of read_values in production but require manual review for write_values.

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Disabling Experimental Features

  • To disable VBA functionality, remove the VBATool, VBAReadTool, and VBAUpdateTool entries from the tool registry and hide related UI toggles.
  • Similarly, you can remove create_chart if chart modifications are not allowed.

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Testing Tool Configurations

  • After updating the tool set, run deno task test to ensure no unit tests rely on removed tools.
  • In Excel, use the Tool Availability panel (within settings) to confirm that the expected tools appear for selection.
  • Monitor Langfuse traces after rollout to confirm that disallowed tools are no longer requested.
Careful tool selection balances productivity with control, ensuring Claude only executes operations appropriate for your organisation.