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Agents are the autonomous workers that power your agentic apps.
An agent is a specialized AI entity with:
  • A defined scope of responsibilities
  • Instructions that guide behavior
  • Access to tools for taking actions
  • Connected knowledge for context
The orchestrator routes user requests to the most appropriate agent based on their descriptions and capabilities.

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Quick Example

# Agent Definition
name: Support Agent
description: Handles customer support inquiries for order and product issues

model: gpt-4o
context_window: 50

scope: |
  - Order status inquiries
  - Product information
  - Return and refund requests
  - General support questions

instructions: |
  You are a helpful customer support agent.

  Guidelines:
  - Be concise and friendly
  - Always verify order numbers before providing details
  - Offer alternatives when items are unavailable
  - Escalate billing disputes to the billing team

tools:
  - get_order_status
  - search_products
  - initiate_return

knowledge:
  - product_catalog
  - support_faqs

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Agent Lifecycle

┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ Create │────▶ │ Configure│────▶│ Test │ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ │ │ │ ▼ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ Monitor │◀────│ Deploy │◀────│ Validate │ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
StepDescription
1. CreateDefine the agent’s identity, scope, and purpose.
2. ConfigureAdd instructions, connect tools, and link knowledge sources.
3. TestValidate behavior with test conversations and edge cases.
4. ValidateRun diagnostics to ensure all dependencies are properly configured.
5. DeployPublish the agent as part of your agentic app.
6. MonitorTrack performance, review conversations, and iterate.

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Example: Agent Types by Use Case

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Customer Service Agents

Handle inquiries, process requests, and resolve issues. 
scope: Order tracking, returns, product questions
tools: CRM lookup, order management, ticketing
knowledge: FAQs, product docs, policies

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Sales Agents

Qualify leads, answer questions, and guide purchases. 
scope: Product recommendations, pricing, checkout assistance
tools: Product search, cart management, payment processing
knowledge: Product catalog, pricing, promotions

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HR/Employee Agents

Support internal employees with HR and IT tasks. 
scope: Leave requests, benefits, IT support
tools: HR systems, ticket creation, knowledge search
knowledge: HR policies, IT guides, company wiki

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Process Agents

Execute business workflows and automate tasks. 
scope: Document processing, approvals, data entry
tools: Document extraction, workflow triggers, database updates
knowledge: Process documentation, compliance rules

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Key Concepts

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Agent Selection

The orchestrator selects agents based on:
  1. Description matching: How well the agent’s description matches user intent.
  2. Scope alignment: Whether the task falls within the agent’s defined scope.
  3. Tool availability: Whether the agent has tools needed for the task.
Write clear, specific descriptions to improve selection accuracy.

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Agent Handoffs

Agents can transfer control to other agents when:
  • The task falls outside their scope.
  • A specialized agent is better suited.
  • The user explicitly requests a different capability.
Handoffs preserve conversation context so users don’t need to repeat information.

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Stateless Execution

Each agent interaction is stateless by default. Agents receive:
  • The conversation history (within context window).
  • User profile data (if configured).
  • Tool and knowledge access.
They do not retain memory between conversations unless explicitly designed to do so.