I've built everything from chatbots to complex agent systems, and I've noticed that regardless of the framework, a few core AI agent patterns keep coming up. Here are 20 you should know before 2026.
Interactive guide at ai-agentic-patterns.vercel.app
The 20 Patterns
A quick overview of each (see site for detailed flows & examples):
1. Prompt Chaining [beginner]
Break tasks into smaller steps, passing validated output to the next. Like an assembly line.
2. Routing [intermediate]
Direct input to the right agent based on request type. Think: receptionist for requests.
3. Parallelization [intermediate]
Run subtasks or data in parallel, then combine results.
4. Reflection [intermediate]
Generate, critique, revise, and repeat. Improves quality via feedback cycles.
5. Tool Use [beginner]
Select and use external tools/APIs as needed. Like checking the pantry mid-recipe.
6. Planning [intermediate]
Lay out a plan (steps, dependencies) before acting.
7. Multi-Agent Collaboration [advanced]
Specialized agents tackle subtasks, coordinated by a manager with shared memory.
8. Memory Management [intermediate]
Organize info as short-term, episodic, or long-term; prune outdated context.
9. Learning & Adaptation [intermediate]
Use feedback to update prompts, policies, or strategies.
10. Goal Setting & Monitoring [advanced]
Set & track goals; adapt if off-course.
11. Exception Handling & Recovery [advanced]
Robust error-catching, retries, and fallback paths.
12. Human-in-the-Loop [beginner]
Humans review or take over at intervention points.
13. Retrieval (RAG) [beginner]
Index docs and fetch relevant info on-demand.
14. Inter-Agent Communication [experimental]
Agents talk via structured messages with protocols & IDs. Mostly research.
15. Resource-Aware Optimization [advanced]
Smartly allocate cheap/fast or powerful/slow models based on task needs.
16. Reasoning Techniques [advanced]
Advanced logic patterns (CoT, ToT, debate). Rarely needed, still experimental.
17. Evaluation & Monitoring [advanced]
Continuously check accuracy, cost, and drift. Quality gates before deploy.
18. Guardrails & Safety [advanced]
Scan input/output for risks & apply controls (PII, harmful content, etc.)
19. Prioritization [advanced]
Score and reorder tasks by value and urgency.
20. Exploration & Discovery [advanced]
Broad knowledge search, pattern finding, research assistants.
See the full interactive guide for diagrams, deeper details, and real-world examples:
Full guide → ai-agentic-patterns.vercel.app
Hope these help you design better agents for the years ahead.