---
title: Agents
description: Introduction to agents
author: luisquintanilla
ms.author: luquinta
ms.date: 12/10/2025
ms.topic: concept-article
---

# Agents

This article introduces the core concepts behind agents, why they matter, and how they fit into workflows, setting you up to get started building agents in .NET.

## What are agents?

**Agents are systems that accomplish objectives.**


Agents become more capable when equipped with the following:

- **Reasoning and decision-making**: Powered by LLMs, search algorithms, or planning and decision-making systems.
- **Tool usage**: Access to Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, code execution, and external APIs.
- **Context awareness**: Informed by chat history, threads, vector stores, enterprise data, or knowledge graphs.

These capabilities allow agents to operate more autonomously, adaptively, and intelligently.

## What are workflows?

As objectives grow in complexity, they need to be broken down into manageable steps. That's where workflows come in.

**Workflows define the sequence of steps required to achieve an objective.**

Imagine you're launching a new feature on your business website. If it's a simple update, you might go from idea to production in a few hours. But for more complex initiatives, the process might include:

- Requirement gathering
- Design and architecture
- Implementation
- Testing
- Deployment

A few important observations:

- Each step might contain subtasks.
- Different specialists might own different phases.
- Progress isn’t always linear. Bugs found during testing might send you back to implementation.
- Success depends on planning, orchestration, and communication across stakeholders.

### Agents + workflows = agentic workflows

Workflows don't require agents, but agents can supercharge them.

When agents are equipped with reasoning, tools, and context, they can optimize workflows.

This is the foundation of multi-agent systems, where agents collaborate within workflows to achieve complex goals.

### Workflow orchestration

Agentic workflows can be orchestrated in a variety of ways. The following are a few of the most common:

- [Sequential](#sequential)
- [Concurrent](#concurrent)
- [Handoff](#handoff)
- [Group chat](#group-chat)
- [Magentic](#magentic)

#### Sequential

Agents process tasks one after another, passing results forward.


#### Concurrent

Agents work in parallel, each handling different aspects of the task.


#### Handoff

Responsibility shifts from one agent to another based on conditions or outcomes.


#### Group chat

Agents collaborate in a shared conversation, exchanging insights in real-time.


#### Magentic

A lead agent directs other agents.

## How can I get started building agents in .NET?

The building blocks in <xref:Microsoft.Extensions.AI> and <xref:Microsoft.Extensions.VectorData> supply the foundations for agents by providing modular components for AI models, tools, and data.

These components serve as the foundation for Microsoft Agent Framework. For more information, see [Microsoft Agent Framework](/agent-framework/overview/agent-framework-overview).
