# Books

### What is a Book? <a href="#learning-books-1" id="learning-books-1"></a>

A **book** is a set of related automation procedures *(actions)* that can extend an agent’s capabilities. Think of it as a toolkit that teaches your agent **new skills**.

### Different Uses for Books

Each book contains procedures related to a specific **workflow** or **integration**. Examples of workflow-focused books are Document Processing or [Secure File Transfer Protocol *(SFTP)*](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/books/reference/sftp). Integration books, like Microsoft Excel or [Salesforce](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/books/reference/salesforce), connect the agent with external platforms, APIs, and services.

#### Example

For instance, the [HTTP](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/books/reference/http) book contains procedures for making HyperText Transfer Protocol *(HTTP)* requests in Kognitos. Installing the book will enable the agent [to delete a url](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/reference/http#to-delete-a-url), [to head a url](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/reference/http#to-head-a-url), [to post a payload to a url](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/reference/http#to-post-payload-to-a-url), etc.

{% @mermaid/diagram content="flowchart LR
subgraph HTTPBook\["**HTTP Book**"]
direction TB
Action1\["to delete a url"]
Action2\["to head a url"]
Action3\["to post payload to a url"]
Action4\["to retrieve a url"]
end" %}

### Features & Benefits

Books are **modular** and **flexible**. You can add or remove them at any time, allowing agents to evolve, take on new responsibilities, and support new workflows as needed.

#### Connections

Some books require [**connections**](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/books/connections) *(such as credentials or API keys)* to interact with external platforms. Connections are secure and allow agents to interact with multiple systems seamlessly.

#### Versioning

Books are [**versioned**](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/all-books#versions), so your automations remain stable even as new features are introduced. Updates can enhance functionality without breaking existing workflows.

#### Many Possibilities

A single book may contain multiple actions, and when combined with other books, the agent’s skills grow exponentially. You can add various books to build powerful automation chains. For example:

> *Excel + Document Processing + Slack* → Parse invoices, update spreadsheets, and notify your team.

{% @mermaid/diagram content="graph TD
AGENT\[Agent]
AUTOS\[Workflow: Automate Invoice Updates]

```
AGENT --> Book1[Book: Excel]
AGENT --> Book2[Book: Document Processing]
AGENT --> Book3[Book: Slack]

Book1 --> A1[Action: Update Spreadsheet]
Book2 --> A2[Action: Parse Invoice]
Book3 --> A3[Action: Send Notification]

A1 --> AUTOS
A2 --> AUTOS
A3 --> AUTOS


%% Styling for automations
style A1 fill:#F2FB90,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
style A2 fill:#F2FB90,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
style A3 fill:#F2FB90,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px,color:#000

%% Outer containers
style AUTOS fill:#f5f5f5,stroke:#666,stroke-width:1px,color:#000
style AGENT fill:#fafafa,stroke:#444,stroke-width:1.5px,color:#000
```

" %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Explore our entire collection of pre-built books in [**All Books**](https://docs.kognitos.com/legacy/legacy-experience/books/all-books).
{% endhint %}