Microsoft Agent Framework Core (version 1.0.1) is the foundational Python package for building, orchestrating, and deploying AI agents and multi-agent workflows. It provides core abstractions and implementations, serving as the stable and production-ready base for the broader Microsoft Agent Framework which also supports .NET. The framework offers enterprise-grade multi-agent orchestration, multi-provider model support, and cross-runtime interoperability. It maintains an active development and release cadence, with version 1.0.0 released in early April 2026 and subsequent patches.
pip install agent-frameworkVerified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
This quickstart demonstrates how to create and run a simple agent using the `agent-framework` with an OpenAI chat client. It requires setting the `OPENAI_API_KEY` environment variable. For Azure OpenAI, `AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT` and `AZURE_OPENAI_DEPLOYMENT_NAME` would be needed along with Azure credentials.
Run `pip install agent-framework` to get the metapackage, then update imports from `agent_framework.core.openai` to `agent_framework.openai` (or similar for other providers).
Replace `Message(text='your message')` with `Message(contents=[{'text': 'your message'}])` or similar structured content.Update references to the new, non-aliased class names as per official documentation.
For custom types in checkpoints, provide `allowed_checkpoint_types=['your_module:YourCustomClass']` during storage configuration.
Maintain external tracking of session IDs and use provider-specific methods for deletion, if available.
Implement robust memory management strategies like centralized event logs or derived state snapshots, and design explicit coordination mechanisms for multi-agent workflows.
Evaluate your workflow complexity before committing to a full framework; start with simpler solutions and introduce framework elements only where clear benefits in orchestration, state management, or multi-agent coordination are observed.