---
id: "huyenchip-agents"
title: "Agents"
creator: "Chip Huyen"
creator_url: "https://huyenchip.com/2025/01/07/agents.html"
url: "https://huyenchip.com/2025/01/07/agents.html"
level: "intermediate"
level_max: null
category: "agents"
subcategory: "agent-design-patterns"
region: "West"
license: "closed"
license_scope: "linked-resource"
models: ["any"]
source_date: "2025-01-07"
date_added: "2026-10-18"
---

[Agents and harnesses](/agents/index.md)

# Agents

by [Chip Huyen](https://huyenchip.com/2025/01/07/agents.html)

[Read the original →](https://huyenchip.com/2025/01/07/agents.html)

Long-form essay on tools, planning, failure modes and evaluating agents.

The essay examines how agents use tools and planning, along with the challenges of evaluating them. It is a practical bridge between introductory definitions and decisions about a working system.

Level: [Intermediate](/levels/index.md#intermediate)
Models: any
Category: [Agents and harnesses](/agents/index.md)
Tags: [design-patterns](/tags/design-patterns/index.md)
Source date: 2025-01-07
Added: 2026-10-18
Last verified: 2026-10-18
Status: ok
Prerequisites: Assumes basic LLM familiarity or the ability to read examples and configure a workflow.
Subcategory: [agent design patterns](/agents/agent-design-patterns/index.md)
Region: West
Original language: en
Access: free
Resource reuse: closed: No general open-reuse grant established from the inspected page. Closed is the conservative index bucket, not a legal finding; the resource is publicly readable. [Facet definitions](/about/index.md#facets)

Summary in our own words. Rights remain with the original creator. [Credit and correction policy](/about/index.md#credit-policy).

[Plain-text Markdown copy](/agents/agent-design-patterns/huyenchip-agents/index.md)