| You want to… | Publish as… |
|---|---|
| Reuse your workflow inside other workflows, or give an agent a new capability | A Tool |
| Share your workflow with someone who doesn’t use Runchat (a client, a teammate) | An App |
Tools
A Tool is a reusable node that lives inside Runchat, alongside Agent, Create, and Code. Once published, you can drag it into any other workflow and use it as a single node, even though a whole mini workflow is running underneath. The key thing about Tools is that they compound. A Tool you publish today becomes part of a bigger workflow tomorrow. That bigger workflow can itself become a Tool. Over time you end up with a library of capabilities specific to how you work. Your own published Tools are also available to the chat agent. If the description is good, the agent will reach for them on its own when relevant. For step-by-step publishing, see Publishing Tools. For how agents call them, see Agent Tools.Apps
Tools are for people who use Runchat. Apps are for everyone else. Publishing as an App gives your workflow a clean shareable interface, just the inputs you exposed and the outputs they care about, no canvas. You can share the URL with anyone, embed the App in a Notion page, or use it as the front-end for a workflow you sell or distribute. Apps are driven by published parameters. A parameter that’s been published shows up in the App view. Anything else stays hidden. For full details, see App View.Libraries
Libraries are folders of Tools that you’ve installed into your editor. Once a folder is installed:- Tools in it appear in the node picker
- The chat agent can use them on your behalf
- Your team gets the same access if the library is shared
Next steps
- Publishing Tools: step-by-step guide to publishing a workflow as a Tool
- Agent Tools: how the chat agent decides when to call a Tool
- App View: publish a workflow as a shareable web app