Building Reliable Agent Workflows
From Idea to Workflow
Design for Failure
Reliable agents assume that tools fail, data is incomplete, and plans can become invalid. Good workflow design includes retries, fallbacks, checkpoints, and clear stop conditions.
Workflow Design Process
-
1
Step 1: Define the outcome and acceptance criteria.
-
2
Step 2: Map the workflow into stages.
-
3
Step 3: Identify tools, memory, and human checkpoints.
-
4
Step 4: Add fallback paths for likely failures.
-
5
Step 5: Test the workflow end to end.
Error Handling Patterns
Common patterns include retrying transient failures, asking clarifying questions when requirements are ambiguous, escalating uncertain cases to humans, and aborting when the system detects a policy violation.
Recovery Principle
The best recovery strategy is often to return to a known-safe state before trying again.
What is a good response to a transient tool failure?
Transient failures are often recoverable with retries or alternative paths.
Correct answer: Retry or use a fallback path
What should an agent do when requirements are ambiguous?
Clarification reduces incorrect execution.
Correct answer: Ask a clarifying question.
Failure Modes and Responses
| Failure Mode | Typical Response |
|---|---|
| Tool timeout | Retry or fallback |
| Ambiguous instruction | Ask a clarifying question |
| Policy violation | Stop and escalate |
| Bad data | Validate and reject |
Why are checkpoints useful in long workflows?
Checkpoints create opportunities to verify progress and reduce harm.
Correct answer: They allow validation before committing to risky steps