Agents and tool use under control
Control an agent’s actions and keep its state outside the conversation.
Reviewed: 2026-10-03
Source-based teaching example · Fictional data
Narration: Microsoft Mark · locally synthesized

00:00:00.000 — What you will learn

Control an agent’s actions and keep its state outside the conversation.

Visual description:
Control an agent’s actions and keep its state outside the conversation.

00:00:07.167 — The idea

Check proposed actions before execution. Count every call, including parallel proposals. Store approvals and pending actions in reliable application state, not only in a shortened chat summary.

Visual description:
Check proposed actions before execution. Count every call, including parallel proposals. Store approvals and pending actions in reliable application state, not only in a shortened chat summary.

00:00:23.583 — One useful term

Agent state. The application’s record of the task, decisions and pending effects.

Visual description:
The application’s record of the task, decisions and pending effects.

00:00:32.708 — A worked example

A training webpage asks the agent to publish. The application has no publish tool and stops at its read-only research limit. Repeated lookups use the same recorded operation identity.

Visual description:
A training webpage asks the agent to publish. The application has no publish tool and stops at its read-only research limit. Repeated lookups use the same recorded operation identity.

00:00:47.792 — Your turn to think

Can a shortened chat summary safely replace the permission record? Pause and decide before continuing.

Visual description:
Can a shortened chat summary safely replace the permission record?
Pause the video if you need more time.

00:01:05.125 — Why this answer works

No. Summaries can lose details. The application must preserve controlling state and prevent new actions after cancellation.

Visual description:
No. Summaries can lose details. The application must preserve controlling state and prevent new actions after cancellation.

00:01:16.792 — Check 1

Enforce the total call limit.

Visual description:
Enforce the total call limit.

00:01:21.625 — Check 2

Keep approvals outside chat summaries.

Visual description:
Keep approvals outside chat summaries.

00:01:27.042 — Check 3

Test cancellation and repeated actions.

Visual description:
Test cancellation and repeated actions.

00:01:32.583 — Now try a different case

Open the lesson and try its different practice case. Use every check in the full task. Watching alone does not mark the lesson complete.

Visual description:
Open the lesson
Try the new case
Check and revise
The full task and its requirements are in the linked lesson.