Agent building blocks
Configure agents with instructions, tools, guardrails, and handoffs to support multi-step workflows in JavaScript or TypeScript.
OpenAI Agents SDK
A lightweight JavaScript/TypeScript framework for building multi-agent workflows and voice agents. It supports sandboxed agents, handoffs, tools, tracing, and realtime agent patterns.
Overview
OpenAI Agents SDK (JavaScript/TypeScript) is a lightweight framework for building multi-agent workflows in JavaScript and TypeScript. The repository describes it as provider-agnostic, supporting OpenAI APIs and more.
The SDK is organized around agents, tools, guardrails, handoffs, sessions, tracing, sandbox agents, and realtime agents. The README also points to examples and documentation for learning the API and running different workflows, including sandboxed work that can inspect files, run commands, and apply patches.
Core capabilities
Sandbox workflow support
Use sandbox agents with a filesystem workspace and sandbox environment for longer-running tasks that need file access or command execution.
Agent delegation
Delegate work between agents by using agents as tools or handoffs when a task needs to be split into specialized steps.
Tool-based actions
Add tools that let agents take actions, including functions, MCP, and hosted tools.
Tracing and debugging
Track agent runs with built-in tracing so workflows can be viewed, debugged, and optimized.
Realtime voice agents
Build voice agents with Realtime Agents, which the README describes as having full features.
Practical use cases
Multi-agent task orchestration
Build an agent that uses instructions, tools, and handoffs to complete a structured task across multiple steps.
Repository-aware automation
Use sandbox agents for workflows that need repository access, command execution, or patch application while keeping workspace state across the run.
Voice agent development
Create a voice-enabled agent with Realtime Agents when the workflow needs realtime interaction rather than a text-only exchange.
Workflow debugging and optimization
Add tracing to inspect agent behavior, then use that visibility to debug and refine workflows over time.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lightweight framework for multi-agent workflows in JavaScript/TypeScript.
- Provider-agnostic, with support for OpenAI APIs and more.
- Includes sandbox agents for longer-running tasks with file and command access.
- Built-in tracing helps with debugging and optimization.
- Covers both standard agents and realtime voice agents.
Cons
- Sandbox agents are marked as beta in the README.
- Cloudflare Workers support is experimental and requires `nodejs_compat`.
FAQ
How do you get started with the SDK?
The README says the SDK is installed with `npm install @openai/agents zod`. It also notes that you need an `OPENAI_API_KEY` environment variable to run the examples shown in the README.
What kind of workflows is it designed for?
The README describes the package as a JavaScript/TypeScript SDK for multi-agent workflows, with support for regular agents and sandbox agents. It also says the SDK is provider-agnostic and supports OpenAI APIs and more.
Which runtimes does it support?
Supported environments listed in the README are Node.js 22 or later, Deno, and Bun. Cloudflare Workers are noted as experimental with `nodejs_compat` enabled.
Does it support voice or realtime use cases?
Yes. The README highlights Realtime Agents for building voice agents with full features, and the repository topics include `realtime-api` and `openai-api`.
Is there a separate product price for the SDK?
The repo is an open source project with an MIT license. The GitHub pricing page shows GitHub itself has a free tier and paid plans, but it does not provide separate pricing for this SDK.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer Tool
- Language
- JavaScript / TypeScript
- Source domain
- github.com
- License
- MIT
- Supported runtimes
- Node.js 22+, Deno, Bun; Cloudflare Workers experimental
- Pricing
- Open source; no separate product pricing listed in the source
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