autogen README

The project's README from github.com/microsoft/autogen. As one markdown file: README.md.

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AutoGen Maintenance Mode

AutoGen is a framework for creating multi-agent AI applications that can act autonomously or work alongside humans.

[!CAUTION] ⚠️ Maintenance Mode

AutoGen is now in maintenance mode. It will not receive new features or enhancements and is community managed going forward.

New users should start with Microsoft Agent Framework. Existing users are encouraged to migrate using the AutoGen → Microsoft Agent Framework migration guide.

Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) is the enterprise‑ready successor to AutoGen. Microsoft Agent FrameworkAF in now available as a production-ready release: stable APIs, and a commitment to long-term support. Whether you're building a single assistant or orchestrating a fleet of specialized agents, Microsoft Agent Framework 1.0 gives you enterprise-grade multi-agent orchestration, multi-provider model support, and cross-runtime interoperability via A2A and MCP.

Installation

AutoGen requires Python 3.10 or later.

# Install AgentChat and OpenAI client from Extensions
pip install -U "autogen-agentchat" "autogen-ext[openai]"

The current stable version can be found in the releases. If you are upgrading from AutoGen v0.2, please refer to the Migration Guide for detailed instructions on how to update your code and configurations.

# Install AutoGen Studio for no-code GUI
pip install -U "autogenstudio"

Quickstart

The following samples call OpenAI API, so you first need to create an account and export your key as export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-...".

Hello World

Create an assistant agent using OpenAI's GPT-4o model. See other supported models.

import asyncio
from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient

async def main() -> None:
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(model="gpt-4.1")
    agent = AssistantAgent("assistant", model_client=model_client)
    print(await agent.run(task="Say 'Hello World!'"))
    await model_client.close()

asyncio.run(main())

MCP Server

Create a web browsing assistant agent that uses the Playwright MCP server.

# First run `npm install -g @playwright/mcp@latest` to install the MCP server.
import asyncio
from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_agentchat.ui import Console
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StdioServerParams


async def main() -> None:
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(model="gpt-4.1")
    server_params = StdioServerParams(
        command="npx",
        args=[
            "@playwright/mcp@latest",
            "--headless",
        ],
    )
    async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as mcp:
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            "web_browsing_assistant",
            model_client=model_client,
            workbench=mcp, # For multiple MCP servers, put them in a list.
            model_client_stream=True,
            max_tool_iterations=10,
        )
        await Console(agent.run_stream(task="Find out how many contributors for the microsoft/autogen repository"))


asyncio.run(main())

Warning: Only connect to trusted MCP servers as they may execute commands in your local environment or expose sensitive information.

Multi-Agent Orchestration

You can use AgentTool to create a basic multi-agent orchestration setup.

import asyncio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_agentchat.tools import AgentTool
from autogen_agentchat.ui import Console
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient


async def main() -> None:
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(model="gpt-4.1")

    math_agent = AssistantAgent(
        "math_expert",
        model_client=model_client,
        system_message="You are a math expert.",
        description="A math expert assistant.",
        model_client_stream=True,
    )
    math_agent_tool = AgentTool(math_agent, return_value_as_last_message=True)

    chemistry_agent = AssistantAgent(
        "chemistry_expert",
        model_client=model_client,
        system_message="You are a chemistry expert.",
        description="A chemistry expert assistant.",
        model_client_stream=True,
    )
    chemistry_agent_tool = AgentTool(chemistry_agent, return_value_as_last_message=True)

    agent = AssistantAgent(
        "assistant",
        system_message="You are a general assistant. Use expert tools when needed.",
        model_client=model_client,
        model_client_stream=True,
        tools=[math_agent_tool, chemistry_agent_tool],
        max_tool_iterations=10,
    )
    await Console(agent.run_stream(task="What is the integral of x^2?"))
    await Console(agent.run_stream(task="What is the molecular weight of water?"))


asyncio.run(main())

For more advanced multi-agent orchestrations and workflows, read AgentChat documentation.

AutoGen Studio

Use AutoGen Studio to prototype and run multi-agent workflows without writing code.

Caution: AutoGen Studio is meant to help you rapidly prototype multi-agent workflows and demonstrate an example of end user interfaces built with AutoGen. It is not meant to be a production-ready app. Developers are encouraged to use the AutoGen framework to build their own applications, implementing authentication, security and other features required for deployed applications. See the security note for more details.

# Run AutoGen Studio on http://localhost:8080
autogenstudio ui --port 8080 --appdir ./my-app

Why AutoGen?

AutoGen Landing

Pioneered in Microsoft Research, AutoGen opened the door to experimental multi-agent orchestration patterns that inspired the community. While AutoGen is now in maintenance mode, existing users can continue to use the framework with the architecture described below. For new projects, we recommend Microsoft Agent Framework, which builds on the lessons learned from AutoGen with enterprise-grade support.

The autogen framework uses a layered and extensible design. Layers have clearly divided responsibilities and build on top of layers below. This design enables you to use the framework at different levels of abstraction, from high-level APIs to low-level components.

The ecosystem also supports two essential developer tools:

AutoGen Studio Screenshot

You can use the AutoGen framework and developer tools to create applications for your domain. For example, Magentic-One is a state-of-the-art multi-agent team built using AgentChat API and Extensions API that can handle a variety of tasks that require web browsing, code execution, and file handling.

For community support, visit our Discord server or GitHub Discussions. Note that AutoGen is now community-managed and responses may be limited.

Where to go next?

Starting a new project? Head to Microsoft Agent Framework for the latest multi-agent capabilities with long-term support.

Existing AutoGen user? Use the migration guide to transition, or refer to the resources below for current AutoGen documentation.

Python .NET Studio
Installation Installation Install Install
Quickstart Quickstart Quickstart Usage
Tutorial Tutorial Tutorial Usage
API Reference API API API
Packages PyPi autogen-core
PyPi autogen-agentchat
PyPi autogen-ext
NuGet Contracts
NuGet Core
NuGet Core.Grpc
NuGet RuntimeGateway.Grpc
PyPi autogenstudio

Interested in contributing? See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines. As AutoGen is in maintenance mode, contributions are limited to bug fixes, security patches, and documentation improvements. For feature development, consider contributing to Microsoft Agent Framework.

Have questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for answers to common queries. Community support is available through GitHub Discussions and the Discord server, though response times may vary as AutoGen is now community-managed. For actively supported tooling, see Microsoft Agent Framework.

Microsoft and any contributors grant you a license to the Microsoft documentation and other content in this repository under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License, see the LICENSE file, and grant you a license to any code in the repository under the MIT License, see the LICENSE-CODE file.

Microsoft, Windows, Microsoft Azure, and/or other Microsoft products and services referenced in the

autogen (microsoft/autogen)

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61.5K ·GitHub
What is this?AutoGen is a Microsoft framework for building multi-agent AI applications where agents can act autonomously or work alongside humans.
Is it a framework I write code against, or a ready-made app?It is a layered Python (and .NET) framework: a low-level Core API for message passing and event-driven agents, a simpler AgentChat API for rapid prototyping, and an Extensions API for integrating LLM clients and tools.
How do I get started with it?Install it as a Python package (Python 3.10+ required) and follow the Installation and Quickstart guides, or use AutoGen Studio for a no-code way to prototype multi-agent workflows.
Do I need an OpenAI API key to run the examples?Yes, the quickstart samples call the OpenAI API, so you need an OpenAI account and must export your key as an environment variable before running them.
Is AutoGen still being actively developed?No, AutoGen is now in maintenance mode: it will not get new features, only bug fixes and security patches, and Microsoft recommends new projects use the Microsoft Agent Framework instead.
What is AutoGen Studio?AutoGen Studio is a no-code GUI for rapidly prototyping and running multi-agent workflows, though it is not meant for production deployments.
What is AutoGen Bench?AutoGen Bench is a companion benchmarking suite for evaluating the performance of agents built with the framework.
Can agents use MCP servers?Yes, AutoGen can connect agents to MCP servers (for example a Playwright MCP server for web browsing), though you should only connect to trusted servers since they can execute commands locally.
What is Magentic-One?Magentic-One is a state-of-the-art multi-agent team built on AutoGen's AgentChat and Extensions APIs that can handle tasks requiring web browsing, code execution, and file handling.
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