Messages between agents
When agents and services talk, they need an agreed format. Communication protocols define the message shape, who can send what, and how results flow back. Without one, integrations become brittle glue code.
What a protocol specifies
- Message format structured fields for requests and responses
- Roles who is a client, who is a server, who can call what
- Capabilities how a server advertises the tools it offers
- Errors a consistent way to report and recover from failures
A typical exchange
A client agent connects to a server, asks what capabilities exist, then sends a request and reads a structured response.
Why standardize
A shared protocol lets one agent use tools built by anyone who speaks it, without custom adapters per integration. This is the value behind emerging standards for connecting models to external tools and data. Standard error handling also makes failures predictable instead of surprising.
Key idea
A communication protocol fixes the message format, roles, and error handling so agents can discover and use tools from any compatible service.