Tools Overview
Tools are built-in capabilities that the Cortask agent can call during a run. When you send a message, the agent decides which tools to invoke to fulfill your request -- reading files, running shell commands, searching the web, and more.
Permission System
Certain tools perform actions that modify your system or execute arbitrary code. Before the agent can proceed with these, it sends a permission request to the UI and waits for your approval.
Permission types:
| Type | Triggers |
|---|---|
file_write | Writing or overwriting a file in the workspace |
file_delete | Deleting a file or directory |
bash | Executing a shell command |
other | Any other sensitive operation |
If you do not respond within 60 seconds, the permission is automatically denied.
Concurrency
The agent can execute up to 5 tools in parallel within a single turn. This allows it to, for example, read multiple files or run several searches simultaneously without waiting for each one to finish sequentially.
Result Truncation
Tool results stored in conversation history are truncated to 1,500 characters. This keeps context windows manageable across long multi-turn conversations. The full result is still available to the agent within the turn it was produced.
Some tools apply their own output limits independently:
bash-- 50,000 charactersweb_fetch-- 100,000 charactersbrowser-- 50,000 characters