Spec / 004-05 · pattern 05 of 06
Multi-Agent System
A multi-agent system is a workflow with roles and handoffs. Extra agents are only useful when the contracts are real.
Goal → specialist A ∥ specialist B → combined output
Station 01 of 04 · Goal
task
- intake
- agent
- output
- packet on the wire
intake
Goal
The team goal.
Goal.
Shape
The type is the contract. If you cannot write it, you do not have this pattern yet.
type Handoff = {
from: AgentId;
artifact: "search_hits" | "draft" | "review";
body: unknown;
};
type MultiAgent = {
specialists: Agent[];
merge: (handoffs: Handoff[]) => Artifact;
};When to use it
Use when distinct skills produce distinct artifacts that need isolation.
Not this
Not a crowd of nicknames in one transcript. If both specialists only chat, you still have one agent.
Risks
- 01
Theater: many names, one chat.
- 02
Lost state between handoffs.
Agents that use this pattern
51 agents · page 1 of 3
Showing 1–24 of 51