Strands Agents Tools
A Python toolbox that equips Strands agents to operate files, systems, services, and multi-agent workflows.
- Source repo
- strands-agents/tools
- Stars
- ★ 1.3k
- Last updated
- 1d ago
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Primary language
- Python
- FA score
- 48/100 · Major gaps
At a glance
- How it runs
- Works with
- Universal · cross-platform
- Cost
- Free software; you pay for model usage
- Setup effort
- Medium · a few setup steps
- You'll need
- Typical use
- A Python developer building a Strands Agent that must inspect configuration, edit source files, and run project commands can combine
file_read,editor, andshell. - Not a fit if
- Windows users: shell, python_repl, and cron are documented as not working on Windows
- Teams deploying straight to production: all tools are labeled experimental and need an independent security review
- Source review
- 48/100 · Major gaps 1 safety controls not found
What does this agent do, and when should you use it?
Strands Agents Tools is a Python toolbox for Strands Agents, not a standalone deployable agent. Developers attach tools such as file_read, shell, http_request, and calculator to Agent(tools=[...]), then invoke them through agent.tool.<tool_name>(...). The collection spans local files, shell commands, HTTP, search, AWS, image and video work, memory, browser and desktop automation, and multi-agent coordination. swarm, use_agent, and graph cover collective work, nested agents, and deterministic DAG pipelines respectively; graph supports per-node model-provider configuration. It is delivered as a pip package, with many capabilities configured through environment variables, external API keys, or cloud credentials, and the repository labels all tools experimental.
A typical flow is to import functions from strands_tools, add them to an Agent, and let the agent call the matching agent.tool method. file_read, file_write, and editor read, write, and edit files; shell runs commands; http_request calls APIs; and Tavily or Exa tools search, extract, and crawl web content. It can also call AWS services through use_aws, connect to stdio, SSE, or streamable HTTP MCP servers through mcp_client, and load their remote tools. Depending on the enabled tool and configuration, results can be tool responses, changed files, retrieved content, images, videos, diagrams, or automation actions.
- A Python developer building a Strands Agent that must inspect configuration, edit source files, and run project commands can combine
file_read,editor, andshell. - A research agent that needs to search the web, extract page content, or crawl a site can use the Tavily or Exa tools with the relevant API key.
- A team operating on AWS can use
use_awsfor service operations or useretrieve,memory, andagent_core_memoryfor Bedrock-related capabilities. - A team that needs a fixed research-to-analysis-to-reporting pipeline can use
graphto create a deterministic multi-agent DAG with model configuration per node. - A developer that needs runtime access to external MCP services can use
mcp_clientto connect, list, call, or load remote tools after completing a security review.
How do you install or deploy this agent?
Install in a Python environment with pip install strands-agents-tools. For the optional capabilities listed in the README, install pip install "strands-agents-tools[mem0_memory, use_browser, rss, use_computer]". For development, run python3 -m venv .venv, activate the environment, then run pip install -e ".[dev]". Tavily requires TAVILY_API_KEY and Exa requires EXA_API_KEY; AWS, video, Slack, Bright Data, and memory backends require their respective documented credentials or environment variables.
How do you use this agent?
Import Agent from Strands and the tools you need, for example from strands import Agent and from strands_tools import file_read, file_write, editor; then create agent = Agent(tools=[file_read, file_write, editor]). A first invocation can be agent.tool.file_read(path="config.json"), or agent.tool.file_write(path="output.txt", content="Hello, world!"). Before using networked, cloud, or third-party features, configure the API key, AWS region, or connection parameters required by that tool. Some higher-risk tools request confirmation by default; BYPASS_TOOL_CONSENT and STRANDS_NON_INTERACTIVE can change that behavior.
What are this agent's strengths and limitations?
- Tools are attached to
Agentas selectable Python functions and tool providers, allowing deployments to enable only the operations they need. - It exposes concrete interfaces across files, commands, HTTP, browsers, desktops, images, video, and RSS rather than limiting an agent to text generation.
- It offers three distinct multi-agent execution patterns:
swarm, nesteduse_agent, and deterministic DAG-basedgraph. mcp_clientsupports stdio, SSE, and streamable HTTP; the multi-tenant Mem0 example binds user or agent identity to the tool instance.
- The repository explicitly labels all tools experimental and recommends an independent security review before production use.
- Shell execution, file writes, Python execution, AWS, browser and desktop automation, and dynamic MCP connections can have privileged or external side effects; dynamically loading remote MCP tools is specifically warned to risk malicious servers or untrusted code.
- Many capabilities depend on third-party API keys, AWS credentials, model providers, or optional dependencies, so installing the base package does not make every tool usable.
shell,python_repl, andcronare explicitly documented as not working on Windows.
How does this agent compare with similar options?
The README distinguishes the dynamic mcp_client from the Strands SDK's static MCP implementation: the former can connect to and load external server tools at runtime, while the latter uses preconfigured, trusted MCP servers.
Key facts side by side with the most closely related agents.
| Agent | Source review | Form / cost | Stars | Updated | Language | Full support on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strands Agents Tools This agent | 48 · Major gaps | Library / SDKFree + model costs | ★ 1.3k | 1d ago | Python | — |
| Chat On Steroids | 84 · Good | Desktop appFree + model costs | ★ 5.1k | today | TypeScript | ChatGPT |
| Carbon Code | 64 · Some gaps | CLIFree + model costs | ★ 199 | 2mo ago | TypeScript | OpenAI API |
| Code Assistant | 70 · Some gaps | Desktop appFree + model costs | ★ 186 | 1d ago | Rust | Claude.ai · OpenAI API · Claude API |
How does FollowAgents rate this agent?
Why each dimension lost points
Evidence shows: README explicitly warns tools are experimental and may grant agents powerful capabilities (executing code, accessing file system, calling AWS APIs, connecting to external servers, automating browsers and desktops), recommending independent security review before production use. pyproject.toml has version bounds on dependencies but no security audit or vulnerability scanning evidence. CI workflow (integration-test.yml) demonstrates security practices: collaborator check on pull_request_target and least-privilege permissions. However, no explicit user confirmation mechanism (python_repl mentions user confirmation but not verified in code), data flow transparency, sensitive data handling, rollback, or source attribution implementations found. Thus, most criteria scored low due to insufficient or partial evidence.
Evidence shows: README and pyproject.toml are consistent; tool list and dependencies match. Dependencies have version ranges but no availability guarantees. For failure messages, README mentions deprecated tools log warnings but no detailed error handling documentation. Thus, self-consistency and dependency availability scored 2, failure messages scored 1.
Evidence shows: README provides extensive tool list and use cases covering multiple scenarios (file ops, shell, API, memory, browser, etc.). Capability boundaries mentioned in security warnings but not detailed per tool. Trigger precision: tool names and parameters clearly described. Environment fit: README notes some tools don't work on Windows and provides optional dependencies. Thus, most criteria scored 2.
Evidence shows: README provides clear information architecture including tool table, installation instructions, deprecation guide. Naming stability: tool names stable but deprecated tools retained. Examples and FAQ: README provides code examples but no FAQ. Known limitations: README mentions experimental and security risks. License is Apache-2.0 but no version changelog. Maintenance responsibility: README mentions community-driven but no explicit maintainers. Thus, most criteria scored 2, versioning_changelog and maintenance_responsibility scored 1.
Evidence shows: README provides tool output formats and use cases, output usability good. Marginal value: toolset provides diverse functions but some deprecated, possibly reducing value. Cost-benefit: no performance or resource consumption info. Thus, output_usability and marginal_value scored 2, cost_benefit scored 1.
Evidence shows: Claims in README (e.g., feature list) lack specific evidence or test results. Cross-source corroboration: no external verification. Fact-inference separation: README separates feature descriptions from security warnings but doesn't explicitly distinguish facts from inferences. Thus, all criteria scored 1.
- Not found in source: rollback or recovery pathBack up first, or work on a git branch or snapshot, so its changes can be undone.
- The toolset is experimental and may grant agents powerful capabilities; independent security review is required before production use.
- No explicit user confirmation mechanism, data flow transparency, sensitive data handling, rollback, or source attribution implementations found.
- Dependency security lacks audit or vulnerability scanning evidence.
- Some tools are deprecated; be aware of behavior differences when migrating.
Recent releases
Latest entries from the project's GitHub Releases. Notes are quoted from upstream as written, not rewritten or tested by FollowAgents.
-
Release notes excerpt
v0.9.0 The Strands Harness SDK now ships with built-in tools for common agent tasks, such as web access, subagents, shell, files, and more. They work directly with your Strands agents and do not need a separate package. With these tools in the SDK, we're deprecating the strands-agents-tools package and the tools repository. Versions prior to v0.9.0 continue working but won't get updates after November 4th, 2026. Migration guide: https://strandsagents.com/docs/user-guide/migrate/strands-agents-tools/. …View on GitHub ↗ -
Release notes excerpt
v0.8.12 _Auto-drafted from commits in v0.8.11..v0.8.12, grouped by conventional-commit type. Edit on the release page after publish if you want a polished writeup; the canonical release notes live on the website._ 🚀 Features - feat: deprecate file_read, file_write, editor, graph, workflow, agent_graph, mongodb_memory, use_aws, and stop tools (#636) (6118020)View on GitHub ↗ -
Release notes excerpt
v0.8.11 _Auto-drafted from commits in v0.8.10..v0.8.11, grouped by conventional-commit type. Edit on the release page after publish if you want a polished writeup; the canonical release notes live on the website._ 🚀 Features - feat: deprecate swarm, use_agent, and use_llm (#633) (d036ff9) - feat: deprecate nova_reels, agent_core_memory, generate_image, generate_image_stability, image_reader, and elasticsearch_memory tools (#630) (c2c8e18) - feat: deprecate code_interpreter, browser, handoff_to_user, speak, load_tool, and use_computer tools (#629) (15968fb) 🐛 Fixes …View on GitHub ↗
FAQ
Can it run as a complete agent by itself?
strands.Agent; this repository supplies the tools an agent can call.Which features need credentials?
What are the Windows limitations?
shell, python_repl, and cron as unavailable on Windows.