# Abilities

**Abilities** are tools an agent can invoke during a live conversation. While [AI Instructions](/agents/agent-overview/ai-instructions.md) define what the agent says, abilities define what it can *do* — show a calendar, transfer a call, surface a video, send an email, or call an external API.

Not every agent type supports abilities. Chat and Voice agents have the richest toolsets; Email and Text agents operate on static content and do not have real-time tool access.

## Abilities by agent type

| Ability                        | Chat | Voice | Email | Text |
| ------------------------------ | :--: | :---: | :---: | :--: |
| Show calendar                  |   ✅  |   ✅   |   —   |   —  |
| Show media (video, PDF, image) |   ✅  |   —   |   —   |   —  |
| Send email                     |   ✅  |   —   |   —   |   —  |
| Transfer (cold or warm)        |   —  |   ✅   |   —   |   —  |
| API request                    |   —  |   ✅   |   —   |   —  |

***

## Chat agent abilities

Chat agents can show calendars, surface media (video, PDF, image), and send emails during a live conversation. Calendar booking is enabled by default; media display and email sending are opt-in.

See [Chat Agents](/agents/chat-agents.md) for setup instructions.

***

## Voice agent abilities

Voice agents support calendar booking, call transfers (cold and warm), and external API requests — all without leaving the phone call.

Voice agent abilities are configured on the **Abilities** tab of the Voice Agent Editor.

See [Voice Agents](/agents/voice-agents.md) for setup instructions.

***

## FAQ

### How does the agent decide when to use an ability?

Agents use their [AI Instructions](/agents/agent-overview/ai-instructions.md) as the primary guide. You specify the conditions under which each tool should be used — "show the calendar when the lead is ready to book" or "transfer to sales when the lead is qualified and asking to speak with someone." The model reasons about whether those conditions are met at each point in the conversation.

### Can I give one chat agent multiple calendars?

Yes. Upload each calendar as a separate asset, give them distinct names, and write instructions that specify which calendar to use for which scenario (e.g., "use the Sales calendar for prospects, the Support calendar for existing customers").

### Can a voice agent transfer to a specific rep by name?

Yes. Configure multiple named transfer destinations in the Abilities tab and instruct the agent on which destination to use in which context.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.spara.com/agents/agent-overview/abilities.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.