Sequencing Agent Tasks

Task sequencing defines the order in which agent operations execute. Proper sequencing ensures data flows correctly, dependencies are satisfied, and resources are used efficiently. Like a recipe, each step builds on the previous one.

Sequencing Strategies

📋

Linear Chains

Simple step-by-step execution for straightforward tasks

🌳

Branching Flows

Conditional paths based on intermediate results

🔄

Loop Patterns

Repeat steps until conditions are met

⚡

Fan-Out/Fan-In

Split work across parallel tasks, then merge results

Interactive: Workflow Execution

Watch a typical agent workflow execute step-by-step. Each task depends on the previous one.

📥

Receive Request

User query parsed

🎯

Plan Tasks

Execution plan ready

⚙️

Execute Tools

Data gathered

🧩

Synthesize

Response generated

✅

Deliver Result

Complete

Best Practices

✅

Define Clear Dependencies

Explicitly state which tasks depend on others to avoid race conditions

✅

Pass Data Forward

Each task should receive outputs from previous steps it depends on

✅

Handle Task Failures

Implement retry logic, timeouts, and fallback strategies

✅

Monitor Progress

Track which tasks are running, complete, or failed for debugging

💡 Key Insight

Sequencing is about dependencies, not just order. A task can start as soon as its dependencies are met—it doesn't need to wait for unrelated tasks. Good orchestration maximizes parallelism while respecting dependencies, reducing total execution time without breaking correctness.

Orchestration Basics

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