Strands Agents Tools

0.4.1 · active · verified Sat Apr 11

Strands Agents Tools is a collection of specialized tools designed for use with Strands Agents. It provides functionalities like web search, code interpretation, and data interaction for Large Language Models. The library maintains a frequent release cadence, often with minor version updates addressing bug fixes, security enhancements, and new tool capabilities. The current version is 0.4.1.

Warnings

breaking In version 0.4.0, the `exa_search` tool's API changed significantly. The `neural` and `keyword` search types were removed, and the `deep` search mode was introduced as the primary comprehensive search option.
Fix: Update your `exa_search` calls to use the `deep` search mode. For example, `agent("Do a deep search on quantum computing breakthrough")`.
gotcha Many tools within `strands-agents-tools` (e.g., `exa_search`, `selenium_browser`, `mongodb_atlas`) require additional optional dependencies to be installed. The core `strands-agents-tools` package does not include these by default.
Fix: Install the package with the desired optional dependency group, e.g., `pip install strands-agents-tools[exa]` or `pip install strands-agents-tools[selenium]`. Consult the project's `pyproject.toml` or documentation for available groups.
gotcha Most tools require corresponding API keys or credentials to be set as environment variables (e.g., `EXA_API_KEY`, `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`). Without these, tools will fail to initialize or execute.
Fix: Set the required environment variables with your API keys before initializing tools or agents. Refer to the specific tool's documentation for the exact variable names.
gotcha While the tools are imported from `strands_tools`, the `Agent` class itself, commonly used to orchestrate these tools, is typically provided by the `strands_sdk` library, which needs to be installed separately.
Fix: Ensure you have `strands-sdk` installed (`pip install strands-sdk`) and import `Agent` from `strands_sdk` (e.g., `from strands_sdk import Agent`).
gotcha Version 0.4.1 introduced namespace validation and fixes for Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) vulnerabilities in Elasticsearch and MongoDB memory tools. Older versions might be susceptible to security risks if not properly configured.
Fix: Upgrade to version 0.4.1 or higher to benefit from enhanced security measures for Elasticsearch and MongoDB tools.

Install

pip install strands-agents-tools Install core library

Imports

load_tools
```
from strands_tools import load_tools
```
exa_search
```
from strands_tools import exa_search
```

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to load a specific tool (exa_search) from `strands_tools` and integrate it with an `Agent` from `strands_sdk`. It highlights the need to install optional dependencies for specific tools and set environment variables for authentication. Remember to install `strands-sdk` (`pip install strands-sdk`) and any optional dependencies like `strands-agents-tools[exa]`.

import os
from strands_sdk import Agent # Note: strands-sdk is often used in conjunction with strands-agents-tools
from strands_tools import load_tools

# To use tools like exa_search, install its optional dependency:
# pip install strands-agents-tools[exa]
# and set the corresponding API key as an environment variable.
# Example: os.environ['EXA_API_KEY'] = 'your-exa-api-key'

os.environ['EXA_API_KEY'] = os.environ.get('EXA_API_KEY', 'YOUR_EXA_API_KEY_HERE')

try:
    # Load specific tools by name
    # bypass_tool_consent=True is often useful for quickstarts
    tools = load_tools(tool_names=["exa_search"], bypass_tool_consent=True)

    # Initialize the agent with the loaded tools
    # The Agent class typically comes from strands_sdk, install with: pip install strands-sdk
    agent = Agent(tools=tools)

    # Use the agent with a query
    response = agent("Perform a deep search on recent developments in quantum computing.")
    print(f"Agent Response: {response}")

except ImportError as e:
    print(f"Could not load tools or agent: {e}. Ensure all necessary optional dependencies (e.g., '[exa]') and 'strands-sdk' are installed.")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An error occurred during agent execution: {e}")

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