Agent Architectures & Patterns

Not all agents are built the same. Understanding the common patterns helps you design the right agent for each job.

Pattern 1: The Single-Purpose Agent

The simplest and most reliable type. It does one thing extremely well.

Example: An email drafting agent

• •Input: Key points you want to make
• •Process: Drafts the email using your writing style and templates
• •Output: A ready-to-send email
• •Tools: Access to your email templates and tone guide

When to use: For tasks where consistency and reliability matter more than flexibility.

Pattern 2: The Router Agent

An agent that receives requests and routes them to the right specialist.

Example: A customer support router

1. 1.Customer sends a message
2. 2.Router agent classifies the intent (billing question, technical issue, general inquiry)
3. 3.Routes to the specialized agent for that category
4. 4.Specialized agent handles the response

When to use: When you have multiple types of requests that need different handling.

Pattern 3: The Chain-of-Thought Agent

An agent that breaks complex tasks into steps and executes them sequentially.

Example: A market research agent

1. 1."Research competitor X" triggers the chain
2. 2.Step 1: Search the web for recent news about competitor X
3. 3.Step 2: Find their latest product announcements
4. 4.Step 3: Look up their recent job postings (reveals strategy)
5. 5.Step 4: Check social media sentiment
6. 6.Step 5: Compile all findings into a structured report

When to use: For complex tasks that require multiple information sources or processing steps.

Pattern 4: The Reactive Agent

An agent that monitors a condition and acts when triggered.

Example: An inventory monitoring agent

• •Monitors: Stock levels in your inventory system
• •Trigger: When any item falls below reorder threshold
• •Action: Generates a purchase order, notifies the purchasing manager
• •Follow-up: Checks if order was placed, sends reminder if not

When to use: For monitoring and alerting workflows.

Pattern 5: The Collaborative Agent Team

Multiple agents working together, each with a specialized role.

Example: A content production team

• •Research Agent: Gathers information on a topic
• •Writer Agent: Creates the first draft using the research
• •Editor Agent: Reviews for quality, grammar, and tone
• •SEO Agent: Optimizes for search engines
• •Publisher Agent: Formats and schedules for publication

Each agent passes its output to the next. A human approves at key checkpoints.

When to use: For complex workflows where different skills are needed at different stages.

Choosing the Right Pattern

The Human-in-the-Loop Principle

The best agent architectures include human checkpoints:

• •Review before sending: Agent drafts, human approves
• •Escalation paths: Agent handles routine cases, escalates edge cases
• •Confidence thresholds: Agent acts autonomously when confident, asks for help when uncertain
• •Audit trails: Everything the agent does is logged for review

Start with more human oversight and reduce it as you build trust in the agent's performance.