Combining File-Based Retrieval and Function Calls in the Assistants API

Below is some guidance based on our documentation and experiences with the Assistants API integrations—but note that there isn’t (yet) an officially published, end‐to‐end example JSON that combines both retrieval (file–backed knowledge) and functions (tool calls) without issues.

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What’s Known

• Retrieval Setup:
  When you load files (e.g. your knowledgebase JSON) into the Assistant, it “retrieves” useful context to help answer user questions. We’ve seen this work well on its own. Your setup that cleans non–UTF8 characters and loads the file is in line with our examples.

• Function Setup:
  Similarly, function tools (like the sample get_stock_price or your own buyProduct tool) are defined in the Assistant’s configuration. In isolation they work as expected.

• The Conflict:
  Many developers have reported that once a function is added, retrieval stops working and errors such as “Run failed — Sorry, something went wrong.” occur. This appears to be rooted in the way the state and execution chain are handled when both types of tools are active.

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Recommendations & Troubleshooting

1. Review Assistant JSON Configuration:
   Make sure your Assistant config properly separates file uploads (for retrieval) from your function definitions. For instance, your JSON should include a dedicated field (or key) for specifying files and another for functions. Any misconfiguration may lead to state conflicts.

2. Order of Operations:
   Depending on your use case, you might need to structure your conversational flow so that the retrieval happens in one “turn” (or as an initial context) and then subsequent messages can trigger functions. In other words, instruct the assistant to “think” and answer using the file content first, and only later consider calling functions.

3. Test in Isolation First:
   If you haven’t already, try testing the retrieval and function calls separately before combining them. Once confirmed working independently, gradually merge them—this can help isolate what part of the combined flow causes the failure.

4. Check Environment Variables & API Setups:
   Since backend routes (like in /app/api/assistant/route.ts from our guides) handle state streaming and thread management, ensure that your environment (for example, your ASSISTANT_ID) is correctly set and that your assistant configuration matches the expectations for streaming responses.

5. Iterative Debugging:
   Look at the logs when you get the “Run failed” error. They might provide clues on whether the issue is due to a misconfiguration in function definitions or if the requested tool call wasn’t correctly mapped.

6. Community & Updates:
   Because this combination can get a bit finicky, we recommend checking the Discord channel or GitHub discussions (linked in the docs) for any community–shared workarounds or updated examples.

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Final Note

Currently, the combination of retrieval and function tools is still relatively new territory for many developers. While several people have experimented with it, the best practices are evolving. We are actively working to improve the interoperability of these features. If you’re comfortable sharing non–production configurations, the community might be able to offer further insights.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a canned “Assistant JSON” that we can share here which officially demonstrates this combined setup. We encourage you to double–check the configuration keys and experiment with ordering the operations as described above.

Let us know if you have further questions or if you run into specific issues in your configuration—happy to dive deeper into any particular piece of the setup.