AI Agents & Applications · intermediate · concept 251 of 311 · Updated Nov 4, 2026
Agentic Workflows & Patterns
Agentic workflows are the common shapes of AI automation: prompt chaining, routing, parallel work, an orchestrator with workers, and an evaluator that checks and retries. Fixed workflows are predictable and cheap; true agents decide their own next step. The usual advice from those who ship them is to begin with the simplest pattern that works, and add autonomy only when it pays.
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Key terms
Prompt chainingRoutingOrchestrator-workerEvaluator-optimizerAgentic loop
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Where you meet it in the real world
Document pipelines, support triage, research assistants, code review
Guides and articles