---
type: "Glossary term"
title: "Tool retrieval"
description: "Selecting a small candidate set from a large inventory at inference time."
tags: [glossary]
generated: { by: human:crpage, at: 2026-07-09T09:44:00Z }
aliases: "tool retrieval"
status: stable
---

# Definition
Selecting a small candidate set of tools from a large inventory **at inference time** — narrowing the search space and improving freshness. Necessary but insufficient for trustworthy action.

# Used in this bundle
Appears in: [discovery-and-retrieval](../stack/discovery-and-retrieval.md), [gorilla](../research/gorilla.md).

# Related terms
[tool discovery](tool-discovery.md).