Authentication of Agent Custom Tool does not «bubble up» when agent is invoked from Agent Chat Component in a Retool App

💬 Agents
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1

Setup

  • configure an agent with a Custom Tool which uses an OpenAPI defined resource query with OAuth authentication configured
  • create a Retool App and add the Agent Chat component to trigger the agent

Expected behavior

  • the user triggers the agent via the Agent Chat Component in the Retool App
  • if the agent decides to use the custom tool where the resource query is used, and the user needs to re-authenticate this «bubbles up» into the conversation and the user can re-authenticate and gets redirected back to the app to continue his conversation

-> this seems to be a supported flow and is described here: Agent access to API with custom authentication - #2 by kent by @kent

Actual behavior

  • the agent returns a log message indicating the need for re-authentication
  • the button to trigger the re-authentication is never visible in the Chat Interface and there is no way to proceed
  • the agent chat component is stuck in a «in progress state»

Authentication in App
Authentication in App2226×1406 195 KB

Last Agent Log Entry:

{
            "agentRunId": "0197bf40-c02b-707f-a683-af86be7fae48",
            "parentRunId": "0197bf40-c02b-707f-a683-af86be7fae48",
            "rootRunId": "0197bf40-c02b-707f-a683-af86be7fae48",
            "spanType": "TOOL_WAITING_FOR_AUTH",
            "timestamp": 1751260392763,
            "iteration": 0,
            "id": "0197bf40-edaa-77ff-b2ee-585da8d7e265",
            "toolData": {
                "toolId": "a73609ca-4f37-4906-9f8c-30b83dc25480",
                "toolName": "findAsset********",
                "toolExecutionId": "747b8743-14f4-4435-bc4c-507516b3d684",
                "toolDescription": "Search for an asset **********",
                "toolType": "function",
                "toolHandlerId": "c51202d3-3068-497a-a79d-1ce8fd6ab13d",
                "toolSnapshot": {
                    "type": "function",
                    "snapshot": [
                        {
                            "uuid": "3916b0c0-d458-4833-8876-7c7f1e671483",
                            "pluginId": "params",
                            "blockType": "webhook",
                            "resourceName": "webhook",
                            "incomingOnSuccessEdges": []
                        },
                        {
                            "uuid": "ec66ff88-4be1-4f8c-82a9-258a1a6cb232",
                            "pluginId": "query1",
                            "blockType": "default",
                            "resourceName": "e74c6339-ba74-49d2-b649-0abd3a8cdf36",
                            "incomingOnSuccessEdges": [
                                "3916b0c0-d458-4833-8876-7c7f1e671483"
                            ]
                        },
                        {
                            "uuid": "60d6485b-a371-4543-ae00-653b38390e1a",
                            "pluginId": "response1",
                            "blockType": "webhookReturn",
                            "resourceName": "JavascriptQuery",
                            "incomingOnSuccessEdges": [
                                "ec66ff88-4be1-4f8c-82a9-258a1a6cb232"
                            ]
                        }
                    ]
                },
                "isPredefinedTool": false,
                "toolUseReasoning": "The user wants to *********",
                "toolUseReasoningSummary": "Searched **********"
            }
        }

For comparison

  • the same described flow works when triggering the agent from the Agents Section of Retool

Authentication in Agents Section
Authentication in Agents Section2370×1328 215 KB

Environment

  • Retool Cloud

Extra Info

  • the resource is an OpenAPI resource, has 4 different environments and an auth verification endpoint enabled (I use the default environment in the app, the same which is used by the Agent Section, i'll post a separate thread about support to switch environments for agents)
  • the app used is a multipage app
  • the Retool App was initially in draft mode, but also publishing didn't change the behavior
3

Hello @pascalu,

Apologies fore the issue and than you for reporting this!

We have created an internal ticket with the engineering team and are working on achieving parity so that an auth button will appear in the component the same way it does in the Agents Section of Retool.

Will keep you posted on any news I hear from the team on the ticket! :+1: