ActionOpenAIUpdated May 2026

How do I use OpenAI function calling?

Short answer: Drop the "OpenAI → Chat with Tools" action anywhere in your workflow, map the inputs from upstream nodes, and publish.

Use this action All 16 OpenAI actions

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 workflow pauses on the failed node, the error message is captured in the run log, and you can retry the run with one click. Auto-retry policies are configurable per workflow with exponential backoff up to 5 attempts.

Does Chat with Tools support batch operations?

Yes. Run Chat with Tools inside a Loop node to process arrays. Tiny Command handles OpenAI's rate limits automatically so you don't have to throttle manually.

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