Understanding Context Burden Levels

Context burden levels tell your agent how much to involve the caller when using an API tool. Each level adds more friction, from a quiet background lookup to a full identity check first.

The Five Levels

Ambient (Level 0)

The agent may use the tool at any time on its own initiative, for background lookups and context. The caller doesn't need to ask.

Example: Looking up the caller's phone number in your customer system to see if they're an existing customer. The agent just knows — "Hi Sarah, thanks for calling back."

Conversational (Level 1)

The agent uses the tool whenever the conversation naturally relates to it. The caller doesn't need to ask explicitly.

Example: "Let me check our availability for you... I have openings at 10 and 2 on Tuesday."

Requested (Level 2)

The agent only uses the tool when the caller explicitly asks.

Example: The caller says "Can you check if my insurance is on file?" — then the agent looks it up.

Confirmed (Level 3)

The agent asks for confirmation before taking action.

Example: "I can move that appointment to Tuesday at 2pm with Dr. Smith. Shall I go ahead?"

Verified (Level 4)

The agent is instructed to verify the caller's identity before using the tool. Use it for sensitive operations.

Example: "Before I can access your account details, can you confirm your date of birth?"

Levels guide how the agent behaves during the call. They are instructions the agent follows, not a lock around the tool, so pair a Verified tool with a clear identity check spelled out in that tool's agent instructions.

Choosing the Right Level

• Read-only, non-sensitive operations → Ambient or Conversational
• Actions that modify data (rescheduling, cancelling) → Confirmed
• Sensitive data access (medical records, financial info) → Verified
• Caller-initiated lookups → Requested

Default Levels

When you pick an Action type for a tool, a sensible level is filled in for you:

• Look up or Check → Conversational
• Create or Notify → Requested
• Update or Remove → Confirmed

Google Calendar follows the same pattern: checking availability is Conversational, booking a new appointment is Requested, and rescheduling or cancelling one is Confirmed.

You can change the level for any tool from API Tools in the dashboard sidebar: open the tool and pick a level under Context burden.