How to configure Capitão to check product stock in real time

To configure Papo's Capitão (https://papo.global/) to check product stock in real time, create a custom HTTP Tool. It connects the assistant to your inventory management system endpoint (ERP, WMS, or e-commerce) and lets the AI interpret the customer's question, send the product code to the API, and return availability during the WhatsApp conversation.

With this setup, Capitão is no longer just an assistant that answers questions and starts performing practical query actions. The customer can ask “Do you have sneaker X in size 42?” and receive an automatic answer like “Yes, we have 3 units in stock,” without human intervention. This reduces wait time, avoids frustration, and frees the team for more complex negotiations.

Configuration summary

How stock checking with Capitão works

The flow is a cycle that connects the customer's question to a concrete action:

1. The customer asks about availability: They send something like “Do you have model X in blue?”.
2. Capitão understands the intent: Based on the instructions and descriptions of the configured Tools, it identifies that it should check stock.
3. The Tool is triggered: The assistant sends the product code (extracted from the conversation) to your external system's endpoint.
4. The system returns the quantity: The API returns a result, such as { "available": true, "quantity": 5 }.
5. Capitão replies to the customer: The AI uses this return to formulate a natural and complete response on WhatsApp.

This entire process happens in real time, without a human agent needing to open another system to check manually.

Prerequisites for using a custom HTTP Tool

Before configuring, it is important to have:

• A created Capitão assistant on the Papo platform, with name and description defined.
• An external system with an available API, such as an ERP, WMS, or e-commerce platform that exposes stock checking.
• The endpoint URL that will be called to get product availability.
• Authentication credentials, such as an API key or access token, to keep the request secure.
• Knowledge of APIs and HTTP requests, since configuring custom Tools is advanced.

If you do not have an API in your system or do not know which parameters it accepts, the technical details should be validated with the development team or the vendor's documentation.

Native vs. custom Tools for stock

Papo offers two types of Tools for Capitão:

To check stock in real time, the most common path is the custom HTTP Tool, because the data is usually in the company's own system. There is no automatic native integration for any ERP or WMS; each system needs to be connected through the corresponding endpoint.

Configuring the custom Tool for stock checking

The conceptual process to enable this automation follows a clear logic, without needing to memorize screen or button names:

1. Access the assistant settings: In the Papo dashboard, open the Capitão configuration area where Tools are managed.
2. Create a custom HTTP Tool: Choose the option that allows connecting to an external system via API.
3. Fill in the request details: Enter the endpoint URL, the HTTP method (GET to fetch data), and authentication headers, such as Authorization: Bearer your_secret_key.
4. Define how the product code will be sent: The Tool can use data from the conversation to make the action dynamic. So, when the customer provides the product, Capitão sends that value in the key expected by the API (for example, ?sku=XYZ).
5. Connect the assistant to the WhatsApp inbox: Enable Capitão in the desired inbox so the query works during service.

Remember that using custom Tools may consume AI credits from your account, depending on how often they are triggered.

Who is this configuration for?

• E-commerces and online stores that need to quickly answer about product availability.
• Retailers with physical stock that serve via WhatsApp and want to automate the query.
• Distributors and wholesalers that manage large catalogs and want to speed up customer service.
• Companies that already have a stock API and seek to integrate service without developing a chatbot from scratch.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a stock API to use this feature?

Yes. The custom HTTP Tool connects to an external endpoint. If your inventory system does not offer an API, you will need to develop an intermediate layer or use a solution that already exposes this data.

Can I check the stock of multiple products in a single question?

It depends on your API's capability. If the endpoint accepts multiple codes at once, Capitão can send the list and interpret the return. Otherwise, it will make individual queries for each product mentioned.

Can Capitão reserve or write off stock automatically?

No. The custom Tool described here is only for querying. For actions such as reservation or write-off, you would need to configure endpoints that accept POST/PUT methods and program the appropriate logic, which requires more advanced development.

Is stock checking secure?

Yes, as long as you use token or API key authentication in the request headers. Traffic between Capitão and your system is done via HTTPS, keeping data protected.

Does this configuration have an additional cost?

Creating custom Tools is available on the Papo platform, but using these tools may consume AI credits. Details about credit consumption are available in your account dashboard.

Read also

• How to optimize the Knowledge Base to improve Capitão's RAG search
• How to train the Prompt and AI with real conversation examples

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