---
title: Client-side tools
tags: [tools, javascript, agents]
date: 2025-01-21
authors: [ao-anam]
---

# Client-side tools

Client tools let your avatar trigger actions in your app. When a user asks to navigate somewhere or perform an action, the avatar can do it directly. This creates a voice-driven user experience where the AI guides users through your application.

The complete example code is available at [examples/client-tools-nextjs](https://github.com/anam-org/anam-cookbook/tree/main/examples/client-tools-nextjs).

## What you'll build

A Next.js application with multiple pages where the avatar can navigate users based on voice commands. When a user says "show me the pricing page", the avatar responds and navigates to `/pricing`. The avatar persists in a fixed overlay, so the session stays active as users move between pages.

## Prerequisites

- Node.js 18+
- An Anam account ([sign up at lab.anam.ai](https://lab.anam.ai))
- Your API key from the Anam Lab dashboard

## Project setup

Let's scaffold a Next.js app and install the Anam SDK.

```bash
pnpm create next-app@latest client-tools
cd client-tools
pnpm add @anam-ai/js-sdk
```

Create an `.env.local` file with your API key.

```bash
ANAM_API_KEY=your_anam_api_key_here
```

## Setting up the persona

First, let's create a basic persona config. This defines the avatar's appearance, voice, and personality.

```typescript
// src/config/persona.ts

export const personaConfig = {
  name: "Website Assistant",
  avatarId: "edf6fdcb-acab-44b8-b974-ded72665ee26",
  voiceId: "6bfbe25a-979d-40f3-a92b-5394170af54b",
  systemPrompt: `You are a helpful assistant for our company website.
Keep your responses brief and conversational.`,
  llmId: "0934d97d-0c3a-4f33-91b0-5e136a0ef466",
};
```

This gives us a working avatar that can have conversations. But right now it can only talk. It can't actually do anything in our app.

## Adding a client tool

Client tools let the avatar trigger actions in your frontend. We define them using a JSON schema that tells the LLM what the tool does and what parameters it accepts.

Let's create a `navigate_to_page` tool:

```typescript
const navigateTool = {
  type: "client",
  name: "navigate_to_page",
  description:
    "Navigate to a specific page when the user asks to see pricing, features, contact information, or wants to go to a different section of the site.",
  parameters: {
    type: "object",
    properties: {
      page: {
        type: "string",
        description: "The page to navigate to",
        enum: ["home", "pricing", "features", "contact"],
      },
    },
    required: ["page"],
  },
};
```

The tool definition has four parts:

- **type** - Must be `"client"` for tools that trigger events in your app
- **name** - A unique identifier the LLM uses to call the tool
- **description** - Tells the LLM when to use this tool. Be specific about the triggers.
- **parameters** - A JSON schema defining what arguments the tool accepts

Using `enum` for the page parameter constrains the LLM to only generate valid page names. This prevents unexpected values and simplifies your handler code.

Now add it to the persona config:

```typescript
export const personaConfig = {
  name: "Website Assistant",
  avatarId: "edf6fdcb-acab-44b8-b974-ded72665ee26",
  voiceId: "6bfbe25a-979d-40f3-a92b-5394170af54b",
  systemPrompt: `You are a helpful assistant for our company website.
Keep your responses brief and conversational.`,
  llmId: "0934d97d-0c3a-4f33-91b0-5e136a0ef466",
  tools: [navigateTool],
};
```

## Updating the system prompt

There's one more step. The LLM knows the tool exists (from the schema), but it doesn't know when to use it. You need to tell it in the system prompt.

Update the system prompt to mention the tool and the available pages:

```typescript
// src/config/persona.ts

export const personaConfig = {
  name: "Website Assistant",
  avatarId: "edf6fdcb-acab-44b8-b974-ded72665ee26",
  voiceId: "6bfbe25a-979d-40f3-a92b-5394170af54b",
  systemPrompt: `You are a helpful assistant for our company website.
You can navigate users to different pages when they ask to see specific content.
Available pages: home, pricing, features, contact.
When a user asks to see a page, use the navigate_to_page tool.
Keep your responses brief and conversational.`,
  llmId: "0934d97d-0c3a-4f33-91b0-5e136a0ef466",
  tools: [
    {
      type: "client",
      name: "navigate_to_page",
      description:
        "Navigate to a specific page when the user asks to see pricing, features, contact information, or wants to go to a different section of the site.",
      parameters: {
        type: "object",
        properties: {
          page: {
            type: "string",
            description: "The page to navigate to",
            enum: ["home", "pricing", "features", "contact"],
          },
        },
        required: ["page"],
      },
    },
  ],
};
```

The system prompt tells the LLM:
1. That it can navigate users (capability)
2. What pages are available (context)
3. When to use the tool (instruction)

Without this, the LLM might not realize it should use the tool when a user asks "take me to pricing".

## Session token API route

The API route creates a session token with the persona config, including the inline tools.

```typescript
// src/app/api/session-token/route.ts

import { NextResponse } from "next/server";
import { personaConfig } from "@/config/persona";

export async function POST() {
  const apiKey = process.env.ANAM_API_KEY;

  if (!apiKey) {
    return NextResponse.json(
      { error: "ANAM_API_KEY is not configured" },
      { status: 500 }
    );
  }

  try {
    const response = await fetch("https://api.anam.ai/v1/auth/session-token", {
      method: "POST",
      headers: {
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
        Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
      },
      body: JSON.stringify({ personaConfig }),
    });

    if (!response.ok) {
      const error = await response.text();
      console.error("Anam API error:", error);
      return NextResponse.json(
        { error: "Failed to get session token" },
        { status: response.status }
      );
    }

    const data = await response.json();
    return NextResponse.json({ sessionToken: data.sessionToken });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error fetching session token:", error);
    return NextResponse.json(
      { error: "Failed to get session token" },
      { status: 500 }
    );
  }
}
```

The `tools` array in `personaConfig` gets sent to Anam when creating the session. This inline approach means you don't need to pre-create tools in Anam Lab.

## Architecture overview

Here's the challenge: if you put the avatar component on each page, the session closes when users navigate because the component unmounts. We need the avatar to persist across page changes.

The solution is a provider pattern:

1. **AnamProvider** - A context provider at the root that manages session state
2. **AvatarOverlay** - A fixed-position component in the layout that never unmounts
3. **Pages** - Just content, no avatar component

This way, navigation happens inside the provider's tree, so the session stays active.

## Building the provider

Let's create a context provider that manages the Anam session. It holds the client reference, connection state, and tool event handlers.

```typescript
// src/providers/AnamProvider.tsx

"use client";

import {
  createContext,
  useContext,
  useRef,
  useState,
  useCallback,
  useEffect,
  type ReactNode,
} from "react";
import { useRouter } from "next/navigation";
import {
  createClient,
  AnamEvent,
  ConnectionClosedCode,
} from "@anam-ai/js-sdk";
import type { AnamClient, ClientToolEvent } from "@anam-ai/js-sdk";

type ConnectionState = "idle" | "connecting" | "connected" | "error";

interface AnamContextValue {
  connectionState: ConnectionState;
  error: string | null;
  lastToolCall: string | null;
  startSession: () => Promise<void>;
  stopSession: () => void;
}

const AnamContext = createContext<AnamContextValue | null>(null);

export function useAnam() {
  const context = useContext(AnamContext);
  if (!context) {
    throw new Error("useAnam must be used within an AnamProvider");
  }
  return context;
}
```

The context exposes connection state and session controls. Any component in the tree can use `useAnam()` to check if the avatar is connected or to start/stop sessions.

### Page validation

We need a whitelist to validate navigation targets:

```typescript
const VALID_PAGES = ["home", "pricing", "features", "contact"] as const;
type ValidPage = (typeof VALID_PAGES)[number];

function isValidPage(page: string): page is ValidPage {
  return VALID_PAGES.includes(page as ValidPage);
}
```

### Session token fetcher

```typescript
async function fetchSessionToken(): Promise<string> {
  const response = await fetch("/api/session-token", { method: "POST" });
  if (!response.ok) {
    const data = await response.json();
    throw new Error(data.error || "Failed to get session token");
  }
  const { sessionToken } = await response.json();
  return sessionToken;
}
```

### The provider component

```typescript
interface AnamProviderProps {
  children: ReactNode;
}

export function AnamProvider({ children }: AnamProviderProps) {
  const router = useRouter();
  const [connectionState, setConnectionState] =
    useState<ConnectionState>("idle");
  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
  const [lastToolCall, setLastToolCall] = useState<string | null>(null);
  const clientRef = useRef<AnamClient | null>(null);

  const handleToolEvent = useCallback(
    (event: ClientToolEvent) => {
      const { eventName, eventData } = event;

      if (eventName === "navigate_to_page") {
        const page = eventData.page as string;

        if (!isValidPage(page)) {
          console.error("Invalid page:", page);
          return;
        }

        setLastToolCall(`Navigating to ${page}...`);

        // Navigate after a brief delay so the user sees the feedback
        setTimeout(() => {
          const path = page === "home" ? "/" : `/${page}`;
          router.push(path);
          // Clear the tool call message after navigation
          setTimeout(() => setLastToolCall(null), 1000);
        }, 500);
      }
    },
    [router]
  );
```

The tool event handler validates the page against our whitelist, shows feedback, then navigates using Next.js router. The `router.push()` happens inside the provider, so the session stays alive.

### Session management

```typescript
  const startSession = useCallback(async () => {
    setConnectionState("connecting");
    setError(null);
    setLastToolCall(null);

    try {
      const sessionToken = await fetchSessionToken();
      const client = createClient(sessionToken);
      clientRef.current = client;

      client.addListener(AnamEvent.CONNECTION_ESTABLISHED, () => {
        setConnectionState("connected");
      });

      client.addListener(
        AnamEvent.CLIENT_TOOL_EVENT_RECEIVED,
        handleToolEvent
      );

      client.addListener(AnamEvent.CONNECTION_CLOSED, (reason, details) => {
        if (reason !== ConnectionClosedCode.NORMAL) {
          setError(details || `Connection closed: ${reason}`);
          setConnectionState("error");
        } else {
          setConnectionState("idle");
        }
      });

      await client.streamToVideoElement("avatar-video");
    } catch (err) {
      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : "Failed to start session");
      setConnectionState("error");
    }
  }, [handleToolEvent]);

  const stopSession = useCallback(() => {
    if (clientRef.current) {
      clientRef.current.stopStreaming();
      clientRef.current = null;
    }
    setConnectionState("idle");
    setLastToolCall(null);
  }, []);

  // Cleanup on unmount (only when the entire app unmounts, not on navigation)
  useEffect(() => {
    return () => {
      if (clientRef.current) {
        clientRef.current.stopStreaming();
      }
    };
  }, []);

  return (
    <AnamContext.Provider
      value={{
        connectionState,
        error,
        lastToolCall,
        startSession,
        stopSession,
      }}
    >
      {children}
    </AnamContext.Provider>
  );
}
```

The cleanup effect only runs when the provider unmounts, which happens when the entire app closes, not during page navigation.

## Building the avatar overlay

The overlay is a fixed-position component that stays visible as users navigate. It consumes the context to display connection state and controls.

```typescript
// src/components/AvatarOverlay.tsx

"use client";

import { useAnam } from "@/providers/AnamProvider";

export function AvatarOverlay() {
  const { connectionState, error, lastToolCall, startSession, stopSession } =
    useAnam();

  return (
    <div className="fixed bottom-4 right-4 z-50 flex flex-col gap-2 items-end">
      {/* Tool call feedback */}
      {lastToolCall && (
        <div className="px-4 py-2 bg-green-100 text-green-800 rounded-lg text-sm shadow-lg">
          {lastToolCall}
        </div>
      )}

      {/* Avatar container */}
      <div className="w-80 bg-black rounded-lg overflow-hidden shadow-xl">
        <div className="relative aspect-[3/2]">
          <video
            id="avatar-video"
            autoPlay
            playsInline
            className="w-full h-full object-cover"
          />

          {connectionState === "idle" && (
            <div className="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center bg-gray-900">
              <button
                onClick={startSession}
                className="px-6 py-3 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700 transition-colors font-medium"
              >
                Start conversation
              </button>
            </div>
          )}

          {connectionState === "connecting" && (
            <div className="absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center bg-gray-900">
              <div className="text-white">Connecting...</div>
            </div>
          )}

          {connectionState === "error" && (
            <div className="absolute inset-0 flex flex-col items-center justify-center bg-gray-900 gap-4 p-4">
              <div className="text-red-400 text-sm text-center">{error}</div>
              <button
                onClick={startSession}
                className="px-4 py-2 bg-blue-600 text-white rounded-lg hover:bg-blue-700 transition-colors"
              >
                Try again
              </button>
            </div>
          )}

          {connectionState === "connected" && (
            <button
              onClick={stopSession}
              className="absolute top-2 right-2 px-3 py-1.5 bg-red-600 text-white text-sm rounded hover:bg-red-700 transition-colors"
            >
              End
            </button>
          )}
        </div>

        {connectionState === "connected" && (
          <p className="text-gray-400 text-xs text-center py-2 px-4">
            Try: &quot;Show me the pricing page&quot;
          </p>
        )}
      </div>
    </div>
  );
}
```

The overlay renders different states:
- **idle** - Shows a button to start the conversation
- **connecting** - Shows a loading indicator
- **connected** - Shows the avatar video with an end button
- **error** - Shows the error message with a retry button

## Wiring up the layout

The layout wraps the entire app with the provider and includes the overlay.

```typescript
// src/app/layout.tsx

import type { Metadata } from "next";
import "./globals.css";
import { AnamProvider } from "@/providers/AnamProvider";
import { AvatarOverlay } from "@/components/AvatarOverlay";

export const metadata: Metadata = {
  title: "Client Tools Demo",
  description: "Demonstrate client-side tools with Anam avatars",
};

export default function RootLayout({
  children,
}: Readonly<{
  children: React.ReactNode;
}>) {
  return (
    <html lang="en">
      <body className="bg-gray-100 min-h-screen">
        <AnamProvider>
          {children}
          <AvatarOverlay />
        </AnamProvider>
      </body>
    </html>
  );
}
```

The `AvatarOverlay` sits outside `{children}`, so it never unmounts during navigation. When users click links or the avatar navigates them, only the page content changes.

## Creating the pages

Now the pages are simple. They just contain content, no avatar logic.

```typescript
// src/app/page.tsx

import Link from "next/link";

export default function Home() {
  return (
    <main className="p-8">
      <div className="max-w-4xl mx-auto">
        <nav className="flex gap-4 mb-8 text-sm">
          <Link href="/" className="text-blue-600 font-medium">
            Home
          </Link>
          <Link href="/pricing" className="text-gray-600 hover:text-gray-900">
            Pricing
          </Link>
          <Link href="/features" className="text-gray-600 hover:text-gray-900">
            Features
          </Link>
          <Link href="/contact" className="text-gray-600 hover:text-gray-900">
            Contact
          </Link>
        </nav>

        <div className="space-y-4">
          <h1 className="text-3xl font-bold text-gray-900">
            Welcome to Our Site
          </h1>
          <p className="text-gray-600">
            This demo shows how Anam avatars can control your application using
            client-side tools. The avatar can navigate between pages based on
            voice commands.
          </p>
          <p className="text-gray-600">
            Ask the avatar to show you the pricing page, features, or contact
            information. The avatar stays active as you navigate between pages.
          </p>
        </div>
      </div>
    </main>
  );
}
```

Create similar pages for `/pricing`, `/features`, and `/contact`. The example repository has all four pages.

## Running the app

```bash
pnpm dev
```

Open [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000), start a conversation, and try saying "Show me the pricing page" or "Take me to features". The avatar will respond and navigate you to the requested page. Notice that the session stays active as you move between pages.

## Writing good tool descriptions

The description tells the LLM when to use the tool. Be specific about the triggers:

```typescript
// Too vague - LLM won't know when to use it
description: "Navigate to a page"

// Specific triggers - LLM understands when to call it
description: "Navigate to a specific page when the user asks to see pricing, features, contact information, or wants to go to a different section of the site."
```
