Shell

What is the Shell tool?

The Shell tool is a built-in capability in the Agno framework that allows AI agents to run shell commands and scripts. When added to an agent in Agno Builder, the agent can autonomously decide when to invoke this tool based on the user's request.

This is a free tool — no API key or external account is needed. It works out of the box when you add it to any agent.

How to use Shell in Agno Builder

1. 1

   Create an agent

   Drag an Agent node onto the canvas in Agno Builder, or use one of the built-in templates.

2. 2

   Enable Shell

   Click the agent, go to the Tools tab, and toggle on "Shell" from the dev category.

3. 3

   Test in chat

   Open the chat panel and send a message. The agent will automatically use Shell when relevant.

4. 4

   Export Python code

   Click File > Export Python to get clean, runnable code with the correct imports for Shell.

Python code example

This is the code Agno Builder exports when you use Shell:

from agno.agent import Agent
from agno.models.openai import OpenAIChat
from agno.tools.shell import ShellTools

agent = Agent(
    name="Shell Agent",
    model=OpenAIChat(id="gpt-4o"),
    tools=[ShellTools()],
    instructions=["Use the shell tool to help the user."],
    markdown=True,
)

agent.print_response("List all Python files in the current directory")

Install with: pip install agno