Enable default pinned tools eg: “File Search, mcp servers etc,,” tool in chat UI (configurable by admin)

[JordiHigueraDT]

Motivation / Problem Statement

Non-technical users expect that clicking the “attach file” (paperclip / add file) icon will immediately offer a file-search dropdown option, as in previous versions. With newer versions, this dropdown option only appears if the user explicitly selects the file search tool from the tools menu.
This leads to confusion: users think the functionality has disappeared (especially “not very IT affine” users).

Desired Behavior / Proposal

1. Admin-configurable pinned tools

   • In librechat.yaml, allow admins to configure which tools (e.g. File Search, Web Search, Code Interpreter) are pinned by default in the UI.
   • This should support either global default (for all endpoints) or per-endpoint defaults eg via model specs option.

2. Optional editable pin state

• Optionally, allow the admin to control whether end users can pin / unpin tools themselves (i.e. a “lock pin state” mode).
• In locked mode, users see the preset pins and cannot change them; in unlocked mode they can customize.

3. Backward compatibility / fallback

• If the config is missing or the admin hasn’t explicitly set pins, fall back to the current UI (i.e. no pinned tools).

Log term vision (wish)

Unified file upload / search UI

• Over time, unify file handling so the user sees one upload interface (no need to choose “file search” vs “upload image, as text etc..” : similar to how ChatGPT’s interface abstracts that complexity.
• Under the hood, this unified interface would map to file search / RAG / file tools as needed.
• This reduces UI friction and cognitive load.

[Alan-Billi]

Having tools pinned by default for all users based on the configuration of librechat.yaml would be amazing (including enabling MCP Servers plugins) !

[HankBoon]

I absolutely agree with OP. There should be definitly a way auto enable those features!

[kai-konitzer]

+1
I can confirm that having to specifically find "file search" under one of the icons to enable file search and only then being able to upload files leads to confusion / is very unintuitive for many. Especially when having file search disabled and dragging in a file, you will be offered no options regarding how to upload the file. Loving the proposal / fix suggestion here!

[JordiHigueraDT]

This has been fixed actually via "Model Specs". Check them out :)

[jcbartle]

Morning, @JordiHigueraDT. I'm not seeing anything in the model specs documentation related to pinned or auto-enabled tools. Can you elaborate on this?

[dustinhealy]

Documentation has now been in added in LibreChat-AI/librechat.ai#453.

[jcbartle]

Awesome - thanks, @dustinhealy! We're using custom endpoints and not model specs, so this doesn't help us, but appreciate the quick response. I do hope this functionality will come to custom endpoints at some point.

[mansiibm]

+1 for endpoints to have file_search and execute code pinned 😄