Creativity · Agent Protocol
Agent Pipeline Pattern
The pipeline pattern is the simplest multi-agent composition: agent A's output feeds agent B, whose output feeds agent C. Unlike autonomous agent teams, the sequence is fixed — no negotiation, no delegation. Used when the workflow is well-known and you want predictable cost, latency, and debuggability.
Protocol facts
- Sponsor
- Community pattern
- Status
- stable
- Interop with
- LangGraph, LangChain LCEL, prefect, Airflow
Frequently asked questions
Pipeline vs. autonomous agent?
Pipeline = fixed graph, you know the steps. Autonomous agent = the LLM decides what tools to call next. Pipelines are cheaper and more reliable; autonomous agents handle open-ended work but cost more and fail more opaquely.
How do I handle errors?
Each pipeline stage should have explicit error handling: retry on transient failure, escalate to human on permanent failure, or route to a 'fallback' stage. Log each stage's input/output for replay debugging.
Can I mix pipeline and autonomous patterns?
Yes — the common hybrid is a pipeline where one or more stages is itself an autonomous agent (e.g., 'extraction → autonomous research agent → summarization'). You get deterministic structure for the overall flow and LLM flexibility inside bounded sub-tasks.
Sources
- LangChain LCEL pipelines — accessed 2026-04-20
- Prefect docs — accessed 2026-04-20