A Survey on Agent Workflow -- Status and Future

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Yu, Chaojia, Cheng, Zihan, Cui, Hanwen, Gao, Yishuo, Luo, Zexu, Wang, Yijin, Zheng, Hangbin, Zhao, Yong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Yu, Chaojia
Cheng, Zihan
Cui, Hanwen
Gao, Yishuo
Luo, Zexu
Wang, Yijin
Zheng, Hangbin
Zhao, Yong
author_facet Yu, Chaojia
Cheng, Zihan
Cui, Hanwen
Gao, Yishuo
Luo, Zexu
Wang, Yijin
Zheng, Hangbin
Zhao, Yong
contents In the age of large language models (LLMs), autonomous agents have emerged as a powerful paradigm for achieving general intelligence. These agents dynamically leverage tools, memory, and reasoning capabilities to accomplish user-defined goals. As agent systems grow in complexity, agent workflows-structured orchestration frameworks-have become central to enabling scalable, controllable, and secure AI behaviors. This survey provides a comprehensive review of agent workflow systems, spanning academic frameworks and industrial implementations. We classify existing systems along two key dimensions: functional capabilities (e.g., planning, multi-agent collaboration, external API integration) and architectural features (e.g., agent roles, orchestration flows, specification languages). By comparing over 20 representative systems, we highlight common patterns, potential technical challenges, and emerging trends. We further address concerns related to workflow optimization strategies and security. Finally, we outline open problems such as standardization and multimodal integration, offering insights for future research at the intersection of agent design, workflow infrastructure, and safe automation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_01186
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Survey on Agent Workflow -- Status and Future
Yu, Chaojia
Cheng, Zihan
Cui, Hanwen
Gao, Yishuo
Luo, Zexu
Wang, Yijin
Zheng, Hangbin
Zhao, Yong
Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interaction
In the age of large language models (LLMs), autonomous agents have emerged as a powerful paradigm for achieving general intelligence. These agents dynamically leverage tools, memory, and reasoning capabilities to accomplish user-defined goals. As agent systems grow in complexity, agent workflows-structured orchestration frameworks-have become central to enabling scalable, controllable, and secure AI behaviors. This survey provides a comprehensive review of agent workflow systems, spanning academic frameworks and industrial implementations. We classify existing systems along two key dimensions: functional capabilities (e.g., planning, multi-agent collaboration, external API integration) and architectural features (e.g., agent roles, orchestration flows, specification languages). By comparing over 20 representative systems, we highlight common patterns, potential technical challenges, and emerging trends. We further address concerns related to workflow optimization strategies and security. Finally, we outline open problems such as standardization and multimodal integration, offering insights for future research at the intersection of agent design, workflow infrastructure, and safe automation.
title A Survey on Agent Workflow -- Status and Future
topic Artificial Intelligence
Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.01186