multi_agent_patterns

Start by defining clear roles and system messages for each agent, then choose an interaction pattern such as orchestrator, pipeline, specialist, or debate based on your workflow. Assign only the tools each agent needs and establish handoff triggers between agents.

Use multi-agent when context limits are exceeded, tasks require different expertise domains, parallel processing is needed, or workflows are complex. Simple tasks are better handled by a single agent to avoid coordination overhead.

The orchestrator pattern uses a central controller that routes tasks to specialized agents like coders and testers. The pipeline pattern processes data sequentially through fixed stages such as parse, process, and output.

Set maximum turn limits and token budgets to control cost and termination. Define clear handoff trigger phrases, add a human-in-the-loop approval mechanism for critical decisions, and monitor turn-taking between agents.

Common patterns include direct agent-to-agent messaging, broadcast from an orchestrator to all agents, pub/sub topic-based messaging, synchronous request/response, and asynchronous event-driven queues. Choose based on whether coordination needs to be centralized or decoupled.