> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.open.cx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Actions

> Let the AI do real work in your systems mid-conversation — look up orders, file tickets, update accounts, trigger workflows — instead of only replying with text.

A customer asks "where's my order?". The AI calls your order-lookup endpoint, reads the status from the response, and replies with the real tracking number. That's an **action** — an HTTP call the AI decides to make, authored by you in the [OpenCX dashboard](https://platform.open.cx/actions).

<Tip>
  Ready to build? Skip to **[Build an action](/actions/build-an-action)**.
</Tip>

## Core Capabilities

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="The AI decides when to call" icon="robot">
    Actions are not keyword-triggered. The AI reads the action's **name** and **description** to decide whether the customer's request matches, then fills in parameters from the conversation. Write the description like you'd write a Jira ticket for a teammate — "look up the order status and return tracking details for a given order ID."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scoped to who's asking" icon="user-shield">
    Each action can be restricted to one or more contact segments. A refund action visible only to VIP customers, an internal-account-tools action visible only to staff contacts — all filtered on the server before the AI sees the tool list.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Works on every channel" icon="grid-2">
    Once an action is enabled on a channel, it's available there — widget, email, SMS, WhatsApp, phone, Slack. No per-channel re-authoring.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Author one at a time or bulk from OpenAPI" icon="file-import">
    Build an action from the dashboard form, or upload an OpenAPI spec and generate one action per operation. CI pipelines can push spec changes automatically. See [OpenAPI import](/actions/openapi-import).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Where Actions Fit

OpenCX exposes three kinds of tools to the AI. This doc set covers the first.

| Kind                    | Who authors it                                                                         | Lives where                         |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **HTTP actions**        | You, in the [OpenCX dashboard](https://platform.open.cx/actions)                       | This doc set                        |
| **Integration actions** | Built in per integration (e.g. [Shopify AI Actions](/integrations/shopify/ai-actions)) | Under the relevant integration page |
| **System actions**      | Built-in capabilities (human handoff, send email, collect input, auto-resolve)         | No configuration — always available |

## Next Step

<Card title="Build your first action" icon="plug" href="/actions/build-an-action">
  Name, endpoint, parameters, test, enable on a channel.
</Card>

***

## Related Documentation

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build An Action" icon="plug" href="/actions/build-an-action">
    Dashboard form, fields, test button, channel enablement.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="shield-halved" href="/actions/authentication">
    Global variables, per-user headers, automatic context headers.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Execution" icon="diagram-project" href="/actions/execution">
    How a call runs — timeout, retries, response handling.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/actions/troubleshooting">
    Import failures, 401s, test-passes-prod-fails, AI not calling.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>