A2A Developer Resources

Everything you need to start building with the A2A protocol - code examples, guides, and learning materials

Quick Start Guide

1

Set Up Your Environment

Install the A2A protocol client library using npm or yarn:

bash
npm install @google/a2a-protocol
2

Create Your Agent

Initialize an A2A client and define your agent's capabilities:

javascript
const client = new A2AClient({
  agentId: 'my-agent',
  capabilities: ['text-processing']
});
3

Connect & Discover

Connect to the A2A network and discover other agents:

javascript
await client.connect();
const agents = await client.discoverAgents({
  capabilities: ['image-generation']
});

Code Examples

Explore these code examples to understand how to implement different aspects of the A2A protocol in your applications.

Basic A2A Protocol Setup

Initialize an A2A protocol client and establish a connection

javascript
// Import the A2A client library
import { A2AClient } from '@google/a2a-protocol';

// Initialize the A2A client
const client = new A2AClient({
  agentId: 'my-agent-id',
  capabilities: ['text-processing', 'data-analysis'],
  apiKey: process.env.A2A_API_KEY
});

// Connect to the A2A network
await client.connect();
console.log('Connected to A2A network!');

Agent Discovery

Discover other agents and their capabilities

javascript
// Discover agents with specific capabilities
const agents = await client.discoverAgents({
  capabilities: ['image-generation'],
  limit: 5
});

console.log('Found agents:', agents);

// Get detailed information about a specific agent
const agentInfo = await client.getAgentInfo('agent-id-123');
console.log('Agent details:', agentInfo);

Task Delegation

Delegate a task to another agent and receive the result

javascript
// Define the task to delegate
const task = {
  type: 'text-summarization',
  content: 'Long text to summarize...',
  parameters: {
    maxLength: 100,
    format: 'bullet-points'
  }
};

// Find an agent that can handle this task
const agents = await client.discoverAgents({
  capabilities: ['text-summarization'],
  limit: 1
});

if (agents.length > 0) {
  // Delegate the task
  const result = await client.delegateTask(agents[0].id, task);
  console.log('Task result:', result);
} else {
  console.log('No suitable agent found');
}

Multi-Agent Collaboration

Coordinate multiple agents to solve a complex task

javascript
// Create a collaboration session
const session = await client.createCollaborationSession({
  name: 'Data Analysis Project',
  description: 'Analyze customer data and generate insights'
});

// Add agents to the session
await session.addAgent('data-processing-agent-id');
await session.addAgent('visualization-agent-id');
await session.addAgent('report-generation-agent-id');

// Define the workflow
const workflow = {
  steps: [
    {
      agentId: 'data-processing-agent-id',
      task: { type: 'data-cleaning', input: 'raw-data' }
    },
    {
      agentId: 'visualization-agent-id',
      task: { type: 'create-charts', dependsOn: 0 }
    },
    {
      agentId: 'report-generation-agent-id',
      task: { type: 'generate-report', dependsOn: 1 }
    }
  ]
};

// Execute the workflow
const result = await session.executeWorkflow(workflow);
console.log('Workflow completed:', result);

Error Handling & Retry Logic

Implement robust error handling and retry mechanisms for A2A interactions

javascript
// Helper function for retry logic
async function withRetry(fn, maxRetries = 3, delay = 1000) {
  let lastError;

  for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= maxRetries; attempt++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error) {
      lastError = error;
      console.warn(`Attempt ${attempt} failed: ${error.message}`);

      if (attempt < maxRetries) {
        // Exponential backoff
        const backoffDelay = delay * Math.pow(2, attempt - 1);
        console.log(`Retrying in ${backoffDelay}ms...`);
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, backoffDelay));
      }
    }
  }

  throw new Error(`All ${maxRetries} attempts failed. Last error: ${lastError.message}`);
}

// Example usage with A2A client
async function delegateTaskWithRetry(agentId, task) {
  try {
    // Connect with retry logic
    await withRetry(() => client.connect(), 3, 2000);

    // Delegate task with retry logic
    const result = await withRetry(() =>
      client.delegateTask(agentId, task)
    );

    return result;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to complete task:', error);
    // Implement fallback strategy
    return await fallbackStrategy(task);
  }
}

// Fallback strategy when all retries fail
async function fallbackStrategy(task) {
  console.log('Using fallback strategy for task');
  // Implement alternative processing method
  return { status: 'completed_by_fallback', result: 'Fallback result' };
}

Learning Paths

Follow these structured learning paths to progressively build your A2A protocol expertise, from beginner to advanced levels.

Beginner Path

Start your journey with A2A protocol

Learning Steps:

  1. 1Read the A2A protocol overview and understand core concepts (Agent Cards, Tasks, Messages)
  2. 2Set up your development environment with Node.js and install the A2A client library
  3. 3Create your first A2A agent with basic capabilities and connect to the network
  4. 4Learn about agent discovery mechanisms and implement basic agent-to-agent communication
  5. 5Build a simple task delegation system between two agents

Intermediate Path

Deepen your A2A protocol knowledge

Learning Steps:

  1. 1Implement advanced agent capabilities including file handling and structured data exchange
  2. 2Work with complex data structures and implement custom message parsers
  3. 3Implement authentication, authorization, and secure communication channels
  4. 4Add robust error handling, retry mechanisms, and recovery strategies
  5. 5Design and implement multi-agent workflows with dependency management

Advanced Path

Master A2A protocol for enterprise applications

Learning Steps:

  1. 1Design scalable multi-agent systems with load balancing and fault tolerance
  2. 2Implement custom protocol extensions and specialized agent capabilities
  3. 3Optimize performance through caching, connection pooling, and resource management
  4. 4Integrate A2A with existing enterprise systems (CRM, ERP, etc.)
  5. 5Implement advanced security measures including audit logging and compliance features

Ready to Build with A2A?

Start building powerful multi-agent applications today. Join the A2A developer community and contribute to the future of AI agent collaboration.