Learn how to combine connected-system tools with Send Visual tools so the AI Assistant can retrieve live information or complete actions, then present the result in a structured visual when that makes the response easier to understand.
A connected-system tool and a Send Visual tool do different jobs:
- A connected-system tool retrieves live information or completes an action in a connected system such as Workday or SuccessFactors.
- A Send Visual tool presents information in a structured format such as a card, list, chart, map, or organization chart.
A visual doesn't retrieve information from a connected system on its own. The assistant must first use the appropriate tool to get the information.
How the flow works
A typical conversation follows this path:
| Step | What happens |
| 1. Employee asks | The employee asks a question or makes a request, such as "How much annual leave do I have left?" or "Show my team." |
| 2. Assistant selects a tool | The AI Assistant uses an attached Workday, SuccessFactors, or other connected-system tool to retrieve information or complete an approved action. |
| 3. Tool returns a response | The tool returns the information the assistant needs. You can shape the response to include only the relevant fields. |
| 4. Assistant replies | The assistant responds with text, a visual, or both, depending on the scenario and the instructions you've provided. |
Not every tool response needs a visual. Use a visual when structured presentation makes information easier to scan, compare, or act on. Keep simple confirmations and yes/no answers as text.
Before you begin
You need:
- Applaud visuals
- Visuals enabled on the agent
- Instructions that tell the assistant when to use visuals
- The connected-system tools the agent needs, created, tested, and activated
- The Experience Designer or Tenant Administrator role.
Attach the tools the agent needs
For the AI Assistant to retrieve live information and present it visually, the agent usually needs both types of tools:
| Capability | Attach | Purpose |
| Retrieve or act | Connected-system tools, such as Workday or SuccessFactors tools | Retrieve live information or complete an approved action. |
| Present | The Send Visual tools you need, such as Card, List, Chart, Map, or Organization Chart | Present the result as a structured visual. |
You need both for a complete tool-to-visual flow:
- Without the connected-system tool, the assistant can't retrieve the live information.
- Without a Send Visual tool, the assistant can still use the connected-system tool, but the result is returned as text rather than a visual.
Shape the tool response
Large or complex tool responses can make it harder for the assistant to create a useful visual. Shape the response so it contains only the information the assistant needs.
For example, a leave-balance tool might return:
- Remaining balance
- Pending requests
- Next booked leave
- Leave type.
Use clear field names and remove technical IDs or other information the employee doesn't need to see.
For more information, see Shape a tool response.
Guide the assistant to use visuals
Your instructions should describe:
- The employee scenario.
- When the assistant should retrieve live information.
- When it should present that information as a visual.
For example:
When the employee requests their leave balance, retrieve the current balance and send a Card showing the remaining days and the next booked leave.
Other examples:
When the employee asks who reports to a manager, retrieve the team and send an Organization Chart.
When the employee compares numeric values, retrieve the figures and send a Chart.
Avoid instructions that:
- Treat the visual as the system that retrieves the information.
- Require a visual for every tool response.
- Expose tool names or technical schemas to employees.
Example: show an employee's leave balance
An employee asks:
"How much annual leave do I have left?"
The assistant:
- Uses the attached leave-balance tool to retrieve current information from the connected HR system.
- Receives a shaped response containing fields such as remaining balance and next booked leave.
- Uses a Send Visual — Card or Send Visual — Chart tool when the agent has one attached and the instructions call for a visual.
- Returns a short conversational response with the visual.
In Applaud's employee portal and the mobile app, the visual is interactive. In Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Outlook email, it appears as a static image.
Choose the right visual
Use the visual that best matches the information you're presenting.
| Tool result | Prefer |
| One summary or status | Card |
| Several related items or tasks | List |
| Options to compare | Carousel |
| Numbers or trends | Chart |
| Locations | Map |
| Manager and direct reports | Organization Chart |
| Simple confirmation or one-sentence answer | Text only |
Best practices
- Keep retrieval and presentation separate. The connected-system tool gets the information; the Send Visual tool presents it.
- Shape tool responses so the assistant receives clean, relevant fields.
- Attach only the Send Visual tools the scenario needs.
- Don't require a visual when text is clearer.
- Test the experience in the employee portal or the mobile app first, then check how the same visual appears in static channels.
- Remember that a tool response doesn't automatically produce a visual. The assistant needs an appropriate Send Visual tool and instructions for when to use it.