Choose Your Path
Find the right starting point based on what you're trying to accomplish. Some components are available today as OSS; the rest will be released as OSS soon.
Decision Tree
Paths Explained
Path 1: Build a Standalone Agent
Start here if: You want to build a single AI agent that can answer questions, use tools, and maintain conversation history.
Use: strands-base-agent
You'll get:
- Working AI agent with CLI and HTTP interfaces
- MCP tool integration
- Session management
- A2A protocol compliance
- Observability built-in
Next steps:
- Strands Base Agent Quickstart
- Adding MCP Tools
- foundry-strands-agent package — sessions, MCP, A2A
Path 2: Build Multi-Agent Workflows Coming soon
Start here if: You need to orchestrate multiple agents, implement human-in-the-loop patterns, or build complex workflows with durable execution.
Will use: temporal-workflow-worker-starter + temporal-workflow-api-starter
You'll get:
- Workflow orchestration with Temporal
- Human-in-the-loop patterns (approvals, feedback loops)
- Durable execution (survives failures)
- API gateway for workflow management
Docs coming soon — track status on the Temporal Workflow Worker Starter and Temporal Workflow API Starter pages.
Path 3: Add AI to Existing Backend Coming soon
Start here if: You have an existing application and want to add AI agent capabilities.
Will use: base-python-api as reference
You'll get:
- FastAPI integration patterns
- Auth integration patterns
- Agent communication patterns
- CORS and middleware setup
Docs coming soon — track status on the Base Python API page.
Path 4: Build a Chat Interface Coming soon
Start here if: You need a frontend for users to interact with AI agents.
Will use: base-react-ui
You'll get:
- React chat interface
- OIDC authentication
- Dark mode support
- TypeScript throughout
Docs coming soon — track status on the Base React UI page.
Quick Reference Table
| I want to... | Start with | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Get any agent running | Strands Base Agent Quickstart | Available now |
| Build a custom agent | strands-base-agent | Available now |
| Orchestrate multiple agents | temporal-workflow-worker-starter | Coming soon |
| Add AI to my backend | base-python-api | Coming soon |
| Build a chat UI | base-react-ui | Coming soon |
Planning a Larger Change?
Once you've picked a baseline, anything beyond a quick edit is worth scoping first. See Spec-Driven Extensions with OpenSpec for a lightweight propose-then-implement workflow that pairs well with these baselines — especially when you're handing work to a coding agent.
Still Not Sure?
If you're not sure which path to take:
-
Start with the Strands Base Agent Quickstart — it takes 5 minutes and gives you a feel for how Foundry works.
-
Read Core Concepts — understanding A2A and MCP will help you see how the pieces fit together.
-
Ask the team — open an issue on the relevant repo describing your use case.