ActionOpenAIUpdated September 2026

How do I use OpenAI function calling?

Short answer: You can chat with tools in OpenAI by hand from its own interface, but it won’t repeat itself. On TinyCommand, add the OpenAI Chat with Tools action to a workflow, map its 5 inputs from any upstream app, and it runs automatically every time the trigger fires. No code, and a free tier to start.

Chat with Tools in OpenAI — start free All 16 OpenAI actions

Chat with Tools in OpenAI — start free

Inputs

The fields this action accepts.

Every field can be mapped from an upstream trigger, AI step, table row, or hard-coded literal.

Field	Type	Required	Description
Model model	options	Required	Model. Options: GPT-5, GPT-4.1, GPT-4o
User Message message	string	Required	User Message (required)
System Prompt system_prompt	string	Optional	System Prompt
Tools tools	array	Required	Array of tool definitions in OpenAI tools format. Each item: { type: 'function', function: { name, description, parameters } }
Tool Choice tool_choice	string	Optional	auto \| none \| required \| {"type":"function","function":{"name":"X"}}

Sample request

{
  "model": "{{trigger.model}}",
  "message": "{{trigger.message}}",
  "system_prompt": "{{trigger.system_prompt}}",
  "tools": "{{trigger.tools}}",
  "tool_choice": "auto | none | required | {\"type\":\"function\",\"function\":{\"name\":\"X\"}}"
}

Returns

{
  "id": "chatcmpl_abc",
  "choices": [
    {
      "message": {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": null,
        "tool_calls": [
          {
            "id": "call_abc",
            "type": "function",
            "function": {
              "name": "get_weather",
              "arguments": "{\"city\":\"Mumbai\"}"
            }
          }
        ]
      },
      "finish_reason": "tool_calls"
    }
  ]
}

Use these fields in downstream nodes for routing, logging, or error handling.

Triggered by

Apps that pair well as the trigger for Chat with Tools.

Any of these apps can fire this action as part of a workflow.

Google Sheets → OpenAI

2 Google Sheets triggers

HubSpot → OpenAI

18 HubSpot triggers

FAQ

Questions about Chat with Tools.

What does the Chat with Tools action do in OpenAI?

Chat completion with tool/function calling enabled. The model may return tool_calls instead of (or in addition to) text; you execute them and feed results back as tool messages for the next turn.

What inputs does Chat with Tools require?

Required: Model, User Message, Tools. Every input accepts a static value or a variable from any upstream node in your workflow.

Can I use dynamic inputs from earlier workflow nodes?

Yes. Any field on this action can pull values from upstream nodes, whether that's a form response, a trigger payload, an AI output, or a lookup result.

What happens if OpenAI returns an error?

The run history shows the failed step with its input and the error message OpenAI returned, so you can fix the input and run the workflow again. Automatic retries are built into HTTP steps only, where you can also set your own retry count and delay.

Does Chat with Tools support batch operations?

Run Chat with Tools inside a loop to process each item in an array. TinyCommand does not throttle calls for you, so for large arrays add a Delay step if you need to stay within OpenAI's rate limits.

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