Agent Builder
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Agent Builder is a visual canvas for building multi-step agent workflows.
You can start from templates, drag and drop nodes for each step in your workflow, provide typed inputs and outputs, and preview runs using live data. When you're ready to deploy, embed the workflow into your site with ChatKit, or download the SDK code to run it yourself.
OpenAI is deprecating Agent Builder. Existing users can continue using it during the transition window, and the product is scheduled to shut down on November 30, 2026. ChatKit remains available. See the deprecations page for the current timeline.
This guide covers existing Agent Builder workflows during the transition window. For new agent applications, start with the Agents API. For an existing workflow, follow Migrate from Agent Builder.
Agents and workflows
To build useful agents, you create workflows for them. A workflow is a combination of agents, tools, and control-flow logic. A workflow encapsulates all steps and actions involved in handling your tasks or powering your chats, with working code you can deploy when you're ready.
Open Agent Builder
Follow these three main steps to build agents that handle tasks:
- Design a workflow in Agent Builder. This defines your agents and how they'll work.
- Publish your workflow. It's an object with an ID and versioning.
- Deploy your workflow. Pass the ID into your ChatKit integration, or download the Agents SDK code to deploy your workflow yourself.
Compose with nodes
In Agent Builder, insert and connect nodes to create your workflow. Each connection between nodes becomes a typed edge. Click a node to configure its inputs and outputs, observe the data contract between steps, and ensure downstream nodes receive the properties they expect.
Examples and templates
Agent Builder provides templates for common workflow patterns. Start with a template to see how nodes work together, or create a workflow without a template.
Here's a homework helper workflow. It uses agents to take questions, rephrase them for better answers, route them to other specialized agents, and return an answer.
Available nodes
Nodes are the building blocks for agents. To see all available nodes and their configuration options, see the node reference documentation.
Preview and debug
As you build, you can test your workflow by using the Preview feature. Here, you can interactively run your workflow, attach sample files, and observe the execution of each node.
Safety and risks
Building agent workflows comes with risks, like prompt injection and data leakage. See safety in building agents to learn about and help mitigate the risks of agent workflows.
Evaluate your workflow
Run trace graders inside of Agent Builder. In the top navigation, click Evaluate. Here, you can select a trace (or set of traces) and run custom graders to assess overall workflow performance.
Publish your workflow
Agent Builder saves your work automatically as you go. When you're happy with your workflow, publish it to create a new major version that acts as a snapshot. You can then use your workflow in ChatKit, an OpenAI framework for embedding chat experiences.
You can create new versions or specify an older version in your API calls.
Deploy in your product
When you're ready to implement the agent workflow you created, click Code in the top navigation. You have two options for implementing your workflow in production:
Existing hosted integration: Continue using ChatKit with your workflow ID during the transition window. See ChatKit for hosted integration details and custom server options.
Advanced integration: Export Agents SDK code for an existing SDK integration or use it as a reference when recreating the workflow with the Agents API. The migration guide explains the options and limitations. A custom ChatKit server connects your chat interface to the chosen backend.
Next steps
Review the migration options to plan how your application will run after the transition window.