Tool Switching in Composer

Updated May 25, 2026

Tool switching is an AI interface design pattern that enables users to activate, deactivate, or switch between different AI capabilities (like Code Interpreter, Web Search, Image Generation, or DALL·E) directly within the composer input area. This UX pattern provides visual indicators, such as chips, badges, or dropdown menus, showing which tools are currently active and allowing users to toggle capabilities before or during conversation. Users can activate multiple tools simultaneously, see tool-specific input modifications (like language selectors for code tools), and understand how tool selection affects AI behavior. The pattern makes tool selection discoverable and explicit, helping users understand what capabilities are available and how to compose queries that leverage specific tools. This pattern is essential for multi-modal AI assistants where different tools enable different types of interactions.

Use Case

Essential for multi-capability AI assistants, developer tools, and creative platforms where users need to explicitly select which AI tools to use for their queries.

Examples in Wild

ChatGPT ComposerClaudePerplexityGoogle Gemini

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Pattern Description:

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