Lesson 1053 of 2116
Async Task Handoff: Agents That Wait for External Events
Some agent tasks require waiting (approval, response, processing). Async handoff patterns let agents pause and resume cleanly.
Lesson map
What this lesson covers
Learning path
The main moves in order
- 1The premise
- 2async agents
- 3task handoff
- 4long-duration
Concept cluster
Terms to connect while reading
Section 1
The premise
Synchronous agent execution doesn't fit tasks requiring waiting; async patterns enable long-duration agents.
What AI does well here
- Use durable execution frameworks (Workflow, Temporal) for tasks spanning hours/days
- Design state checkpoints that survive process restart
- Build clear handoff signals (what triggers resume?)
- Test resumption from various failure modes
What AI cannot do
- Run hour-long agents synchronously without infrastructure
- Substitute polling for proper event-driven design
- Eliminate the operational complexity of stateful systems
Key terms in this lesson
End-of-lesson quiz
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