Agents

Agents are autonomous AI units that have their own LLM provider, can execute tools, and are themselves callable as tools. They enable sophisticated multi-agent architectures where specialized agents can be composed and orchestrated.

Agents build on the MCP Tools specification—each agent is automatically exposed as an invoke_<agent-id> tool that any MCP client can call.

Nx users: Scaffold with nx g @frontmcp/nx:agent my-agent --project my-app. See Agent Generator.

Why Agents?

In the Model Context Protocol, agents serve a distinct purpose from tools, resources, and prompts:

Aspect	Agent	Tool	Resource	Prompt
Purpose	Autonomous AI execution	Execute actions	Provide data	Provide templated instructions
Has LLM	Yes (own LLM provider)	No	No	No
Direction	Model or user triggers execution	Model triggers execution	Model pulls data	Model uses messages
Side effects	Yes (LLM calls, tool execution)	Yes (mutations, API calls)	No (read-only)	No (message generation)
Use case	Complex reasoning, multi-step tasks	Actions, integrations	Context loading	Conversation templates

Agents are ideal for:

Complex reasoning — tasks requiring multiple LLM calls and tool use
Specialized expertise — domain-specific agents (research, writing, coding)
Orchestration — coordinating multiple sub-agents for complex workflows
Isolation — agents with their own tools, resources, and providers

Creating Agents

Class Style (Default Behavior)

The simplest agent requires no execute() method. The default behavior automatically:

Runs the execution loop with the LLM
Connects tools and executes them as needed
Sends notifications on tool calls and output

import { Agent, AgentContext } from '@frontmcp/sdk';
import { z } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

@Agent({
  name: 'research-agent',
  description: 'Researches topics and compiles summaries',
  systemInstructions: 'You are a research assistant. Search for information and provide concise summaries.',
  inputSchema: {
    topic: z.string().describe('Topic to research'),
  },
  llm: {
    provider: 'openai',
    model: 'gpt-4o',
    apiKey: { env: 'OPENAI_API_KEY' },
  },
  tools: [WebSearchTool, SummarizeTool],
})
class ResearchAgent extends AgentContext {}  // No execute() needed!

Class Style (Custom Behavior)

Override execute() only when you need custom pre/post processing:

@Agent({
  name: 'custom-agent',
  description: 'Agent with custom logic',
  systemInstructions: 'You are a helpful assistant.',
  inputSchema: {
    query: z.string(),
  },
  llm: {
    provider: 'openai',
    model: 'gpt-4o',
    apiKey: { env: 'OPENAI_API_KEY' },
  },
})
class CustomAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute(input: { query: string }) {
    // Custom pre-processing
    this.notify('Starting custom processing...', 'info');

    // Call the default agent loop
    const result = await super.execute(input);

    // Custom post-processing
    return { ...result, customField: 'added' };
  }
}

Function Style

For simpler agents, use the functional builder:

import { agent } from '@frontmcp/sdk';
import { z } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

const EchoAgent = agent({
  name: 'echo-agent',
  description: 'Echoes back the input message',
  inputSchema: {
    message: z.string(),
  },
  llm: {
    provider: 'openai',
    model: 'gpt-4o-mini',
    apiKey: { env: 'OPENAI_API_KEY' },
  },
})(({ message }) => ({ echoed: `Echo: ${message}` }));

Registering Agents

Add agents to your app via the agents array:

import { App } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

@App({
  id: 'my-app',
  name: 'My Application',
  agents: [ResearchAgent, CalculatorAgent, WriterAgent],
})
class MyApp {}

Each agent is automatically exposed as a tool:

invoke_research-agent
invoke_calculator-agent
invoke_writer-agent

Loading from npm or Remote Servers

Mix local agents with those loaded from npm or proxied from remote servers:

import { App, Agent } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

@App({
  id: 'my-app',
  name: 'My Application',
  agents: [
    ResearchAgent,                                                  // Local class
    Agent.esm('@acme/agents@^1.0.0', 'writer'),                    // Single agent from npm
    Agent.remote('https://api.example.com/mcp', 'assistant'),      // Single agent from remote
  ],
})
class MyApp {}

Agent.esm() and Agent.remote() load individual agents. For loading entire apps, use App.esm() or App.remote().

Environment Availability

Restrict when an agent is discoverable and invocable using availableWhen:

@Agent({
  name: 'local-build-agent',
  llm: { provider: 'openai', model: 'gpt-4-turbo', apiKey: { env: 'OPENAI_API_KEY' } },
  availableWhen: { runtime: ['node'], deployment: ['standalone'] },
})
class LocalBuildAgent extends AgentContext { ... }

See Environment Awareness for the full reference.

LLM Configuration

Agents require an LLM configuration. FrontMCP provides native adapters for OpenAI and Anthropic SDKs with built-in retry logic, streaming support, and token tracking.

Built-in Providers (Shorthand)

The simplest way to configure an LLM — the SDK auto-creates the appropriate adapter:

# For OpenAI
npm install openai

# For Anthropic
npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk

@Agent({
  name: 'research-agent',
  llm: {
    provider: 'openai',
    model: 'gpt-4o',
    apiKey: { env: 'OPENAI_API_KEY' },
  },
  // ...
})
class ResearchAgent extends AgentContext {}

@Agent({
  name: 'claude-agent',
  llm: {
    provider: 'anthropic',
    model: 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514',
    apiKey: { env: 'ANTHROPIC_API_KEY' },
  },
  // ...
})
class ClaudeAgent extends AgentContext {}

OpenAI Adapter (Direct)

For full control, use OpenAIAdapter directly. Supports the Chat Completions API (default) and the Responses API:

import { OpenAIAdapter } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

// Chat Completions API (default)
const chatAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'gpt-4o',
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
});

// Responses API
const responsesAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'gpt-4o',
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY,
  api: 'responses',
});

// Pre-configured client
import OpenAI from 'openai';
const clientAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'gpt-4o',
  client: new OpenAI({ apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY }),
});

@Agent({
  name: 'research-agent',
  llm: { adapter: chatAdapter },
  // ...
})
class ResearchAgent extends AgentContext {}

OpenAI-Compatible Providers

Use baseUrl to connect to any OpenAI-compatible API (OpenRouter, Azure, Groq, Mistral, etc.):

import { OpenAIAdapter } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

// OpenRouter — access 100+ models
const openRouterAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'anthropic/claude-3-opus',
  apiKey: process.env.OPENROUTER_API_KEY,
  baseUrl: 'https://openrouter.ai/api/v1',
});

// Groq
const groqAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'llama-3.1-70b-versatile',
  apiKey: process.env.GROQ_API_KEY,
  baseUrl: 'https://api.groq.com/openai/v1',
});

// Azure OpenAI
const azureAdapter = new OpenAIAdapter({
  model: 'gpt-4o',
  apiKey: process.env.AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY,
  baseUrl: 'https://my-resource.openai.azure.com/openai/deployments/gpt-4o',
});

Anthropic Adapter (Direct)

import { AnthropicAdapter } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

const adapter = new AnthropicAdapter({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514',
  apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY,
});

// Or with pre-configured client
import Anthropic from '@anthropic-ai/sdk';
const clientAdapter = new AnthropicAdapter({
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-20250514',
  client: new Anthropic({ apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }),
});

@Agent({
  name: 'claude-agent',
  llm: { adapter },
  // ...
})
class ClaudeAgent extends AgentContext {}

Custom Adapter

Implement AgentLlmAdapter for any other provider:

import { AgentLlmAdapter, AgentCompletion, AgentPrompt, AgentToolDefinition } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

const myAdapter: AgentLlmAdapter = {
  async completion(prompt: AgentPrompt, tools?: AgentToolDefinition[]): Promise<AgentCompletion> {
    const response = await myLlmClient.chat({
      messages: prompt.messages,
      system: prompt.system,
      tools: tools?.map(t => ({ name: t.name, description: t.description })),
    });

    return {
      content: response.text,
      finishReason: response.hasToolCalls ? 'tool_calls' : 'stop',
      toolCalls: response.toolCalls,
    };
  },
};

@Agent({
  name: 'custom-agent',
  llm: { adapter: myAdapter },
})
class CustomAgent extends AgentContext {}

Agent-Scoped Components

Agents can have their own isolated tools, resources, prompts, and providers:

@Agent({
  name: 'isolated-agent',
  description: 'Agent with its own scope',

  // Agent-scoped tools (only this agent can use them)
  tools: [PrivateTool],

  // Agent-scoped resources
  resources: [AgentConfig],

  // Agent-scoped prompts
  prompts: [AgentInstructions],

  // Agent-scoped providers
  providers: [DatabaseService],

  llm: { ... },
})
class IsolatedAgent extends AgentContext { ... }

Swarm Configuration

Control agent visibility for multi-agent coordination:

@Agent({
  name: 'orchestrator-agent',
  description: 'Coordinates other agents',
  swarm: {
    canSeeOtherAgents: true,              // Can this agent invoke others?
    visibleAgents: ['worker-a', 'worker-b'], // Which agents can it see?
    isVisible: true,                      // Can other agents see this one?
    maxCallDepth: 3,                      // Max nested agent invocations
  },
  llm: { ... },
})
class OrchestratorAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute({ task }: { task: string }) {
    // Can invoke visible agents
    const result = await this.invokeAgent('worker-a', { data: task });
    return { orchestrated: result };
  }
}

Visibility Patterns

Orchestrator Pattern — A central agent coordinates specialized workers:

// Workers (can't see each other)
@Agent({ name: 'research-worker', swarm: { isVisible: true, canSeeOtherAgents: false }, ... })
class ResearchWorker extends AgentContext { ... }

@Agent({ name: 'writer-worker', swarm: { isVisible: true, canSeeOtherAgents: false }, ... })
class WriterWorker extends AgentContext { ... }

// Orchestrator (can see and invoke workers)
@Agent({
  name: 'orchestrator',
  swarm: { canSeeOtherAgents: true, visibleAgents: ['research-worker', 'writer-worker'] },
  ...
})
class Orchestrator extends AgentContext { ... }

Execution Configuration

Control agent execution behavior:

@Agent({
  name: 'long-running-agent',
  execution: {
    maxIterations: 10,          // Max tool call rounds (default: 10)
    timeout: 120000,            // Timeout in ms (default: 120000)
    enableStreaming: false,     // Stream responses
    enableNotifications: true,  // Send progress notifications
    enableAutoProgress: false,  // Auto progress during LLM calls (default: false)
    inheritParentTools: true,   // Include parent scope tools (default: true)
    useToolFlow: true,          // Execute tools through call-tool flow (default: true)
  },
  llm: { ... },
})
class LongRunningAgent extends AgentContext { ... }

Tool Execution Mode

By default, agents execute tools through the full call-tool flow, which includes:

Plugin hooks (caching, rate limiting, audit logging)
Authorization checks
Tool middleware and transformations

For performance-critical scenarios, you can disable flow execution:

@Agent({
  name: 'fast-agent',
  execution: {
    useToolFlow: false,  // Direct execution, bypasses plugins
  },
  llm: { ... },
})
class FastAgent extends AgentContext { ... }

Setting useToolFlow: false bypasses all plugin hooks and middleware. Only use this when you need maximum performance and don’t require plugin features.

Overriding Behavior

Customize agent behavior by overriding methods in AgentContext:

@Agent({ name: 'custom-agent', llm: { ... } })
class CustomAgent extends AgentContext {
  // Override LLM completion for custom logic
  protected override async completion(prompt, tools, options) {
    this.logger.info('Making LLM request...');
    const result = await super.completion(prompt, tools, options);
    this.logger.info(`LLM returned: ${result.finishReason}`);
    return result;
  }

  // Override tool execution for logging/caching
  protected override async executeTool(name: string, args: Record<string, unknown>) {
    this.logger.info(`Executing tool: ${name}`);
    return super.executeTool(name, args);
  }

  async execute(input: { query: string }) {
    return { result: '...' };
  }
}

Progress Notifications

Keep users informed during long operations using manual or automatic notifications.

Manual Notifications

Use this.notify() to send custom messages at specific points:

@Agent({ name: 'notifying-agent', llm: { ... } })
class NotifyingAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute({ task }: { task: string }) {
    await this.notify('Starting task...', 'info');

    // Step 1
    await this.notify('Gathering data...', 'info');
    const data = await this.gatherData();

    // Step 2
    await this.notify('Processing...', 'info');
    const result = await this.process(data);

    await this.notify('Complete!', 'info');
    return { result };
  }
}

Use this.progress() for progress bars when the client provides a progressToken:

@Agent({ name: 'progress-agent', llm: { ... } })
class ProgressAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute({ files }: { files: string[] }) {
    for (let i = 0; i < files.length; i++) {
      await this.progress(i + 1, files.length, `Processing ${files[i]}`);
      await this.processFile(files[i]);
    }
    return { processed: files.length };
  }
}

Automatic Progress (Opt-in)

Enable enableAutoProgress to automatically send progress notifications during the agent execution loop:

@Agent({
  name: 'auto-progress-agent',
  execution: {
    enableAutoProgress: true,  // Opt-in to automatic progress
  },
  llm: { ... },
})
class AutoProgressAgent extends AgentContext { }

When enabled, the agent automatically sends progress updates at these lifecycle points:

Event	Progress %	Message Example
LLM call start	0-80%	“Starting LLM call (iteration 1/10)“
LLM response received	varies	”LLM response received (500P + 200C tokens)“
Tools identified	-	”Identified 2 tool call(s): search, calculate”
Tool execution	varies	”Executing tool 1/2: search”
Completion	100%	“Agent completed”

Auto progress requires both enableAutoProgress: true and enableNotifications: true (the default). Progress notifications are only sent if the client includes a progressToken in the request’s _meta field.

Error Handling

Handle errors gracefully in agents:

import { AgentExecutionError, AgentTimeoutError } from '@frontmcp/sdk';

@Agent({ name: 'safe-agent', llm: { ... } })
class SafeAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute(input: { data: string }) {
    try {
      return await this.riskyOperation(input.data);
    } catch (error) {
      if (error instanceof ValidationError) {
        // Return error response with fail()
        this.fail(`Invalid input: ${error.message}`);
      }
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

Nested Agents

Agents can contain other agents, creating hierarchical structures:

@Agent({
  name: 'parent-agent',
  description: 'Parent with nested child agents',

  // Nested agents — registered as tools within this agent
  agents: [ChildAgentA, ChildAgentB],

  // Parent's own tools
  tools: [PlanningTool],

  llm: { ... },
})
class ParentAgent extends AgentContext {
  async execute({ task }: { task: string }) {
    // LLM can call: invoke_child-agent-a, invoke_child-agent-b, planning-tool
    return { result: '...' };
  }
}

Get Started

FrontMCP

Features

Extensibility

Testing

React SDK

Guides

Why Agents?

Creating Agents

Class Style (Default Behavior)

Class Style (Custom Behavior)

Function Style

Registering Agents

Loading from npm or Remote Servers

Environment Availability

LLM Configuration

Built-in Providers (Shorthand)

OpenAI Adapter (Direct)

OpenAI-Compatible Providers

Anthropic Adapter (Direct)

Custom Adapter

Agent-Scoped Components

Swarm Configuration

Visibility Patterns

Execution Configuration

Tool Execution Mode

Overriding Behavior

Progress Notifications

Manual Notifications

Automatic Progress (Opt-in)

Error Handling

Nested Agents

Get Started

FrontMCP

Features

Extensibility

Testing

React SDK

Guides

Documentation Index

​Why Agents?

​Creating Agents

​Class Style (Default Behavior)

​Class Style (Custom Behavior)

​Function Style

​Registering Agents

​Loading from npm or Remote Servers

​Environment Availability

​LLM Configuration

​Built-in Providers (Shorthand)

​OpenAI Adapter (Direct)

​OpenAI-Compatible Providers

​Anthropic Adapter (Direct)

​Custom Adapter

​Agent-Scoped Components

​Swarm Configuration

​Visibility Patterns

​Execution Configuration

​Tool Execution Mode

​Overriding Behavior

​Progress Notifications

​Manual Notifications

​Automatic Progress (Opt-in)

​Error Handling

​Nested Agents

Why Agents?

Creating Agents

Class Style (Default Behavior)

Class Style (Custom Behavior)

Function Style

Registering Agents

Loading from npm or Remote Servers

Environment Availability

LLM Configuration

Built-in Providers (Shorthand)

OpenAI Adapter (Direct)

OpenAI-Compatible Providers

Anthropic Adapter (Direct)

Custom Adapter

Agent-Scoped Components

Swarm Configuration

Visibility Patterns

Execution Configuration

Tool Execution Mode

Overriding Behavior

Progress Notifications

Manual Notifications

Automatic Progress (Opt-in)

Error Handling

Nested Agents