Introduction
Advanced tool use transforms Claude from a simple function-calling agent into an intelligent orchestrator capable of working with hundreds of tools, processing massive datasets, and executing complex multi-step workflows. Anthropic's three beta features—Tool Search Tool, Programmatic Tool Calling, and Tool Use Examples—solve the fundamental bottlenecks preventing production-scale agent deployments.
Traditional tool calling hits three critical walls: context bloat from loading tool definitions (55K+ tokens for basic MCP setups), context pollution from intermediate results (50KB+ of expense data for simple budget checks), and inference overhead (19+ separate model calls for 20-tool workflows). Advanced tool use eliminates these bottlenecks with dynamic tool discovery, code-based orchestration, and example-driven parameter guidance.
This playbook provides production implementation patterns for building agents that scale to enterprise tool libraries, handle multi-step research workflows, and process large datasets without context exhaustion.
Related Playbooks:
- Multi-Agent Rate Limits - Coordinate tool calls across concurrent agents
- MCP Server Reliability - Build self-healing tool backends
- Cost Attribution System - Track token usage per feature
- Progressive Enhancement - Roll out advanced features safely