Tools & retrieval
What is Agent Protocol?
An agent protocol is a contract for how hosts and tools exchange structured actions.
HTTP APIs, MCP, and vendor plugin schemas are all agent protocols. Pick one per integration surface.
Why it matters
Agent protocols define the contract between hosts and tools. Without a shared contract, every integration is bespoke code. With a protocol, tools are interchangeable and agents are composable.
HTTP APIs, MCP, and vendor plugin schemas are all agent protocols. The choice determines how portable your integrations are.
Key takeaways
- 1Protocols make tools interchangeable and agents composable.
- 2Choose one protocol per integration surface to avoid fragmentation.
Common mistakes
- ✕Supporting multiple protocols without a clear strategy, fragmenting the tool ecosystem.
- ✕Building custom protocols when MCP or standard HTTP would suffice.
Related terms
Concept neighborhood
Terms linked from Agent Protocol in the glossary graph.
- Agent Protocol
- MCP
- Function Calling
- Tool Calling