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Agents dynamically transfer control to each other based on context.

Overview

The adaptive network pattern enables decentralized orchestration where agents autonomously decide when to hand off tasks to other specialists. Unlike the supervisor pattern, there’s no central coordinator—agents evaluate tasks and route them directly to peers.

When to Use

The adaptive network pattern is ideal when:
  • Tasks naturally flow between domains.
  • You need dynamic routing based on conversation context.
  • Agents should autonomously decide when to hand off.
  • Sequential expertise is required.
  • You want lower latency than supervisor aggregation.

Good Fit Examples

Architecture

Key Characteristics

Dynamic Delegation

Agents assess incoming tasks and route them to the most suitable peer when the task falls outside their scope.

Context Preservation

Conversation history travels with handoffs—users don’t repeat information.

Decentralized Control

No central supervisor. Each agent is aware of other agents and can directly initiate transfers.

Sequential Workflows

Tasks typically flow through agents sequentially rather than in parallel.

Execution Flow

Supervisor vs. Adaptive Network

Configuration

For details, see Orchestration Configuration.

Example: Employee Buddy

A “Smart Employee Buddy” where agents handle different domains and hand off as needed.

Conversation Example

Benefits

Best Practices

Clear Handoff Rules

Define explicit conditions for when agents should hand off:

Prevent Circular Handoffs

Set maximum handoff limits and avoid circular routing:

Graceful Fallbacks

Handle cases where no agent can help: