Tool
A simple function.
tool
typed in, typed out
does one thing
no judgment
examples
retrieve docs
for a question
create a ticket
in the tracker
Agent
A model with instructions and tools.
agent
tool
tool
model + instructions
picks its tools, in its order
judgment, so not deterministic
examples
docs agent
, answers with the retrieve tool
reply writer
, drafts the answer, cites the page
Step
A piece of business logic.
step
code
tool
agent
typed in, typed out
wraps code, a tool, an agent, or a workflow
testable on its own
examples
research
: two agents in parallel
send reply
: the reply writer, then the send message tool
Workflow
A graph of steps.
workflow
step
rule
step
then, branch, parallel
can wait for a person
is itself a step
examples
bug triage
: report, research, classify, branch
inbound questions
: classify, research, brief, expert