Multi-Agent and Knowledge

Build a multi-agent customer support system with a supervisor that routes conversations to specialist agents. Then create a knowledge base and connect it so your agents can answer questions grounded in your documentation. By the end, you know how to:

Create a supervisor with handoff rules
Define specialist agents with distinct capabilities
Configure context passing between agents
Handle escalation and error scenarios
Create a knowledge base and ingest documents
Connect a knowledge base to an agent as a tool
Test RAG-powered responses

Prerequisites

Completed Add structured steps to an agent
A project open in Studio
Understanding of agents, tools, and flows
Documents to upload (PDF, DOCX, TXT, or Markdown files) for the knowledge base section

What You’ll Build

A retail customer support system with:

Retail_Supervisor — Routes customer queries to the right specialist.
Order_Tracker — Handles order status and shipping inquiries.
Returns_Agent — Processes returns and refund requests.
Product_Advisor — Answers product questions and gives recommendations.
A knowledge base — Powers agents with document-based search for accurate, grounded answers.

Build a Supervisor

Step 1: Create the order tracking agent

Create agents/order_tracker.agent.abl:

AGENT: Order_Tracker
GOAL: "Help customers track their orders and get shipping updates"

PERSONA: |
  Efficient and reassuring customer service specialist.
  Provides clear, specific information about order status.
  Proactively offers tracking links and estimated delivery dates.

LIMITATIONS:
  - Cannot modify orders after they ship
  - Cannot process refunds (routes to Returns_Agent)
  - Cannot change shipping addresses on shipped orders

TOOLS:
  lookup_order(order_id: string) -> {status: string, items: array, tracking_number: string, estimated_delivery: string}
    description: "Look up order details by order ID"

  get_tracking(tracking_number: string) -> {carrier: string, status: string, location: string, events: array}
    description: "Get real-time tracking information"

GATHER:
  order_id:
    prompt: "What is your order number?"
    type: string
    required: true

INSTRUCTIONS: |
  1. Ask for the order number if not provided
  2. Look up the order using lookup_order
  3. If the order has a tracking number, get tracking details
  4. Present the current status, location, and estimated delivery
  5. If the customer wants a refund, let them know you will
     connect them with the returns team

HANDOFF:
  - TO: Returns_Agent
    WHEN: intent.category == "refund" OR intent.category == "return"
    CONTEXT:
      pass: [order_id, order_status, customer_id]
      summary: "Customer wants to return or get a refund"
    RETURN: false

COMPLETE:
  - WHEN: order_status_provided == true
    RESPOND: "Is there anything else I can help you with regarding your order?"

This agent defines its own HANDOFF rule. If a customer asks about a return during an order tracking conversation, the agent hands off to the Returns_Agent with the relevant context.

Step 2: Create the returns agent

Create agents/returns_agent.agent.abl:

AGENT: Returns_Agent
GOAL: "Process return and refund requests efficiently and fairly"

PERSONA: |
  Empathetic and solution-oriented returns specialist.
  Explains the return process clearly. Handles frustrated
  customers with patience and understanding.

LIMITATIONS:
  - Cannot override the 30-day return window
  - Cannot process returns for items marked as final sale
  - Cannot issue refunds exceeding the original purchase price

TOOLS:
  check_return_eligibility(order_id: string, item_id: string) -> {eligible: boolean, reason: string, return_window_ends: string}
    description: "Check if an item is eligible for return"

  initiate_return(order_id: string, item_id: string, reason: string) -> {return_id: string, label_url: string, instructions: string}
    description: "Create a return request and generate shipping label"

  check_refund_status(return_id: string) -> {status: string, amount: number, estimated_date: string}
    description: "Check the status of a pending refund"

FLOW:
  steps:
    - identify_item
    - check_eligibility
    - process_return
    - provide_instructions

  identify_item:
    REASONING: false
    GATHER:
      - order_id: required
        prompt: "What is your order number?"
      - item_description: required
        prompt: "Which item would you like to return?"
    THEN: check_eligibility

  check_eligibility:
    REASONING: false
    CALL: check_return_eligibility(order_id, item_id)
    ON_SUCCESS:
      RESPOND: "Good news -- your item is eligible for return. The return window closes on {{return_window_ends}}."
      THEN: process_return
    ON_FAIL:
      RESPOND: "Unfortunately, this item is not eligible for return. Reason: {{reason}}"
      THEN: COMPLETE

  process_return:
    REASONING: false
    GATHER:
      - return_reason: required
        prompt: "Can you tell me why you are returning this item?"
    CALL: initiate_return(order_id, item_id, return_reason)
    ON_SUCCESS:
      RESPOND: |
        Your return has been initiated!

        Return ID: {{return_id}}
        Shipping label: {{label_url}}
      THEN: provide_instructions
    ON_FAIL:
      RESPOND: "There was an issue creating the return. Let me connect you with a specialist."
      THEN: COMPLETE

  provide_instructions:
    REASONING: false
    RESPOND: |
      Here is what to do next:

      {{instructions}}

      Your refund will be processed within 5-7 business days
      after we receive the item.
    THEN: COMPLETE

COMPLETE:
  - WHEN: return_initiated == true
    RESPOND: "Your return is all set. Is there anything else I can help with?"

Step 3: Create the product advisor agent

Create agents/product_advisor.agent.abl:

AGENT: Product_Advisor
GOAL: "Help customers find products, compare options, and make informed purchase decisions"

PERSONA: |
  Knowledgeable and enthusiastic product specialist.
  Gives honest, balanced recommendations. Never pushes
  unnecessary upsells. Focuses on what the customer needs.

TOOLS:
  search_products(query: string, category: string, max_price: number) -> {products: array}
    description: "Search the product catalog"

  get_product_details(product_id: string) -> {name: string, description: string, price: number, specs: object, reviews_summary: object}
    description: "Get detailed product information"

  compare_products(product_ids: array) -> {comparison: object}
    description: "Compare two or more products side by side"

INSTRUCTIONS: |
  1. Understand what the customer is looking for
  2. Search for matching products
  3. Present the top options with key details
  4. Offer to compare products if the customer is undecided
  5. Provide honest pros and cons for each option

COMPLETE:
  - WHEN: customer_found_product == true
    RESPOND: "Great choice! Is there anything else you would like to know?"

Step 4: Create the supervisor

Create supervisor.agent.abl at the project root:

SUPERVISOR: Retail_Supervisor
GOAL: "Route customers to the right specialist for order tracking, returns, or product questions"

PERSONA: |
  Professional and helpful retail assistant.
  Friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable.
  Routes requests to the right specialist quickly.

LIMITATIONS:
  - Cannot process orders or payments directly
  - Cannot access customer financial information
  - Cannot override pricing or return policies

TEMPLATES:
  welcome:
    DEFAULT: |
      Welcome to our store! I can help you with:
      - Track an order or check shipping status
      - Process a return or check refund status
      - Find products or get recommendations
      What can I help you with today?

ON_START:
  RESPOND: TEMPLATE(welcome)

MEMORY:
  session:
    - current_intent
    - customer_id
    - routing_history
    - handoff_count

HANDOFF:
  - TO: Order_Tracker
    WHEN: intent.category == "order_inquiry" OR intent.category == "shipping" OR intent.category == "delivery"
    CONTEXT:
      pass: [customer_id, order_id, session_context]
      summary: "Customer wants to track or check on an order"
    RETURN: false

  - TO: Returns_Agent
    WHEN: intent.category == "return" OR intent.category == "refund" OR intent.category == "exchange"
    CONTEXT:
      pass: [customer_id, order_id, session_context]
      summary: "Customer wants to return an item or check refund status"
    RETURN: false

  - TO: Product_Advisor
    WHEN: intent.category == "browse" OR intent.category == "search" OR intent.category == "recommend" OR intent.category == "compare"
    CONTEXT:
      pass: [customer_id, search_context]
      summary: "Customer looking for products or recommendations"
    RETURN: false

ESCALATE:
  triggers:
    - WHEN: handoff_count >= 3
      REASON: "Customer bounced between too many agents"
      PRIORITY: high
      TAGS: [ux_failure]

    - WHEN: user.frustration_detected == true
      REASON: "Customer showing signs of frustration"
      PRIORITY: high
      TAGS: [sentiment, retention]

  context_for_human:
    - customer_id
    - conversation_history
    - routing_history
    - last_intent

ON_ERROR:
  routing_failure:
    RESPOND: "I'm having trouble understanding your request. Let me connect you with someone who can help."
    RETRY: 1
    THEN: ESCALATE

COMPLETE:
  - WHEN: handoff_successful == true
    RESPOND: "I've connected you with the right specialist."

  - WHEN: user.session_ended == true
    RESPOND: "Thank you for shopping with us!"

Step 5: Understand the supervisor structure

The supervisor is the orchestration layer. Here is what each section does: SUPERVISOR — Declares this as a supervisor (not an agent). Supervisors route conversations; they do not handle domain tasks directly. TEMPLATES — Reusable message templates. TEMPLATE(welcome) references the named template. ON_START — Runs when a new session begins. Sends the welcome message before the user types anything. MEMORY — Session variables the supervisor tracks across the conversation. HANDOFF — Routing rules ordered by priority. Each rule specifies:

TO — The target agent
WHEN — The condition that triggers the handoff
CONTEXT — What data to pass to the target agent
- pass — List of session variables to include
- summary — A natural language description for the receiving agent
RETURN — Whether control returns to the supervisor after the agent finishes

ESCALATE — Conditions that trigger escalation to a human agent. ON_ERROR — Error handling for routing failures.

Add Delegation & Routing

Step 6: Configure context passing

The CONTEXT block controls what information flows between agents. Here is a more detailed example:

  - TO: Order_Tracker
    WHEN: intent.category == "order_inquiry"
    CONTEXT:
      pass: [customer_id, order_id, session_context]
      summary: "Customer wants to track order"
    RETURN: true
    ON_RETURN: "await_next_request"

When RETURN: true, the conversation returns to the supervisor after the specialist agent finishes. ON_RETURN specifies what the supervisor does next. With RETURN: false, the specialist agent handles the rest of the session.

Step 7: Test the orchestration flow

Open the Chat panel and start a conversation:

Hi, I'd like to check on my order

The supervisor routes to Order_Tracker. The agent asks for the order number and provides status updates. Try switching contexts:

Actually, I want to return one of the items

The order tracker hands off to the returns agent, passing the order context along. Start a new session and try:

I'm looking for a good laptop for programming

The supervisor routes directly to Product_Advisor.

Step 8: Review the orchestration trace

Open the Traces panel to see the multi-agent flow:

Supervisor receives message — Intent classification happens
Handoff decision — The matching HANDOFF rule fires
Context transfer — Session variables pass to the target agent
Agent execution — The specialist agent handles the conversation
Return or complete — The agent either returns to the supervisor or ends the session

Each agent’s execution appears as a nested span under the supervisor span. This gives you full visibility into routing decisions and context flow.

Project file structure

my-retail-project/
  supervisor.agent.abl
  agents/
    order_tracker.agent.abl
    returns_agent.agent.abl
    product_advisor.agent.abl

Add a Knowledge Base

Now add document-based knowledge so your agents can answer questions grounded in your content. You create a knowledge base, upload documents, and connect it to an agent using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

Step 9: Create a knowledge base in Studio

Open your project in Studio. Navigate to the Knowledge section in the left sidebar. Select Create Knowledge Base and configure it:

Name: product-docs
Description: “Product documentation and help articles”

Studio creates the knowledge base and opens the document management view.

Step 10: Upload documents

Select Upload Documents and add your files. The platform supports:

PDF documents
DOCX (Microsoft Word)
Plain text files (.txt)
Markdown files (.md)

The platform processes each document through the ingestion pipeline:

Extraction — Converts the document to plain text
Chunking — Splits the text into semantic chunks
Embedding — Generates vector embeddings for each chunk
Indexing — Stores the chunks in the search index

The processing status appears next to each file. Wait for all documents to show “Indexed” status before continuing.

Step 11: Create an agent with knowledge tools

Create support_agent.agent.abl:

AGENT: Support_Agent

EXECUTION:
  model: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

GOAL: |
  Answer customer questions about our product using the knowledge base.
  Provide accurate, helpful responses grounded in the documentation.
  If the answer is not in the knowledge base, say so honestly rather
  than guessing.

PERSONA: |
  Friendly and knowledgeable support specialist. Explains technical
  concepts clearly. Includes relevant links or references when
  available. Admits when information is not available rather than
  speculating.

LIMITATIONS:
  - Cannot access customer account data
  - Cannot make changes to customer configurations
  - Cannot provide information not in the knowledge base

TOOLS:
  vocabulary_resolve(project_kb_id: string, query: string) -> {resolvedTerms: object[], structuredFilters: object[]}
    description: "Resolve business terms to canonical metadata filters"

  search_hybrid(index_id: string, query: string, top_k: number, similarity_threshold: number) -> {results: object[], totalCount: number, latencyMs: number}
    description: "Search the knowledge base using hybrid vector and keyword search"

  search_vector(index_id: string, query: string, top_k: number) -> {results: object[], totalCount: number, latencyMs: number}
    description: "Search the knowledge base using semantic vector search"

INSTRUCTIONS: |
  1. When the user asks a question, identify any domain-specific terms
  2. If domain terms are found, call vocabulary_resolve to get filters
  3. Execute search_hybrid with the query and any resolved filters
  4. If results are insufficient, retry with search_vector
  5. Synthesize an answer from the retrieved knowledge chunks
  6. Include source attribution for transparency
  7. If no results are found, tell the user honestly and suggest
     contacting support directly

COMPLETE:
  - WHEN: user.question_answered == true
    RESPOND: "Is there anything else you would like to know?"

The agent uses three search tools:

vocabulary_resolve — Maps informal or domain-specific terms (like “SSO” or “2FA”) to canonical forms for better search precision
search_hybrid — Combines vector similarity with keyword matching for precise results
search_vector — Pure semantic search for broader, meaning-based queries

Step 12: Connect the knowledge base in Studio

In Studio, open your agent’s configuration panel. Under Tools, you see the search tools defined in the ABL file. Select Configure next to search_hybrid and map it to your knowledge base:

Index ID: Select product-docs from the dropdown

Studio automatically configures the tool binding to use your knowledge base’s search index. The index_id parameter is resolved at runtime to the correct index.

Step 13: Test RAG-powered responses

Open the Chat panel and ask a question that relates to your uploaded documents:

How do I reset my password?

The agent:

Receives your question
Calls search_hybrid to search the knowledge base
Receives relevant document chunks
Synthesizes an answer based on the retrieved content
Responds with the answer and source attribution

Open the Traces panel to see the RAG pipeline in action:

Search query — The query sent to the search tool
Retrieved chunks — The document segments returned
Relevance scores — How closely each chunk matched
Generated response — The final answer synthesized from the chunks

Connect Knowledge to Your Multi-Agent System

The knowledge base and multi-agent system are even more powerful together. Here is how to wire them up.

Step 14: Add knowledge tools to the Product Advisor

Update agents/product_advisor.agent.abl to include knowledge base search alongside catalog tools:

AGENT: Product_Advisor
GOAL: "Help customers find products, compare options, and make informed purchase decisions using catalog data and product documentation"

TOOLS:
  search_products(query: string, category: string, max_price: number) -> {products: array}
    description: "Search the product catalog"

  get_product_details(product_id: string) -> {name: string, description: string, price: number, specs: object, reviews_summary: object}
    description: "Get detailed product information"

  compare_products(product_ids: array) -> {comparison: object}
    description: "Compare two or more products side by side"

  search_hybrid(index_id: string, query: string, top_k: number, similarity_threshold: number) -> {results: object[], totalCount: number, latencyMs: number}
    description: "Search product documentation and guides"

INSTRUCTIONS: |
  1. Understand what the customer is looking for
  2. Search for matching products in the catalog
  3. If the customer has technical questions, search the knowledge base
  4. Combine catalog data and documentation to give complete answers
  5. Offer to compare products if the customer is undecided
  6. Provide honest pros and cons for each option

Now the Product Advisor can answer both “What laptops do you have under $1000?” (catalog search) and “Does the ProBook support USB-C charging?” (knowledge base search) in the same conversation.

Step 15: Add a knowledge-powered FAQ to the supervisor

You can also give the supervisor a knowledge tool for quick FAQ-style answers that do not require routing to a specialist:

SUPERVISOR: Retail_Supervisor

TOOLS:
  search_hybrid(index_id: string, query: string, top_k: number, similarity_threshold: number) -> {results: object[], totalCount: number, latencyMs: number}
    description: "Search the FAQ knowledge base for quick answers"

HANDOFF:
  - TO: Order_Tracker
    WHEN: intent.category == "order_inquiry" OR intent.category == "shipping"
    # ... existing handoff rules ...

  - TO: Returns_Agent
    WHEN: intent.category == "return" OR intent.category == "refund"
    # ... existing handoff rules ...

  - TO: Product_Advisor
    WHEN: intent.category == "browse" OR intent.category == "search"
    # ... existing handoff rules ...

INSTRUCTIONS: |
  1. For simple FAQ questions (store hours, policies, general info),
     search the knowledge base and answer directly
  2. For domain-specific requests, route to the appropriate specialist
  3. If the knowledge base returns a clear answer, respond without
     routing -- this reduces handoffs and improves response time

This pattern keeps simple questions at the supervisor level while routing complex requests to specialists. Fewer handoffs mean faster responses and better user experience.

What You Learned

SUPERVISOR is the orchestration layer that routes conversations to specialist agents
HANDOFF rules define when and where to route based on intent
CONTEXT controls what data flows between agents via pass and summary
RETURN: true sends control back to the supervisor; RETURN: false lets the agent finish the session
ON_START sends a welcome message before the user types anything
TEMPLATES define reusable messages referenced by name
ESCALATE defines conditions for human handoff
ON_ERROR handles routing failures with retry and fallback
Agents can define their own HANDOFF rules for agent-to-agent transfers
Knowledge bases store and index your documents for retrieval
The ingestion pipeline extracts, chunks, embeds, and indexes documents
search_hybrid combines vector similarity with keyword matching; search_vector performs pure semantic search
vocabulary_resolve maps domain terms to canonical filters for precision
RAG (retrieval-augmented generation) grounds agent responses in your content
Knowledge tools can be added to individual agents or the supervisor for FAQ handling

Next Steps

Safety, testing, and publishing — Add guardrails, run evaluations, and publish your agent.
Building agents — Deep dive into agent patterns.
Knowledge bases — Advanced knowledge base configuration and search strategies.

Use RETURN: true on handoffs when you want the supervisor to resume after a specialist finishes. Use RETURN: false when the specialist should own the rest of the session.

Building Agents

Administration

Multi-Agent and Knowledge

Prerequisites

What You’ll Build

Build a Supervisor

Step 1: Create the order tracking agent

Step 2: Create the returns agent

Step 3: Create the product advisor agent

Step 4: Create the supervisor

Step 5: Understand the supervisor structure

Add Delegation & Routing

Step 6: Configure context passing

Step 7: Test the orchestration flow

Step 8: Review the orchestration trace

Project file structure

Add a Knowledge Base

Step 9: Create a knowledge base in Studio

Step 10: Upload documents

Step 11: Create an agent with knowledge tools

Step 12: Connect the knowledge base in Studio

Step 13: Test RAG-powered responses

Connect Knowledge to Your Multi-Agent System

Step 14: Add knowledge tools to the Product Advisor

Step 15: Add a knowledge-powered FAQ to the supervisor

What You Learned

Next Steps

Building Agents

Administration

Documentation Index

​Prerequisites

​What You’ll Build

​Build a Supervisor

​Step 1: Create the order tracking agent

​Step 2: Create the returns agent

​Step 3: Create the product advisor agent

​Step 4: Create the supervisor

​Step 5: Understand the supervisor structure

​Add Delegation & Routing

​Step 6: Configure context passing

​Step 7: Test the orchestration flow

​Step 8: Review the orchestration trace

​Project file structure

​Add a Knowledge Base

​Step 9: Create a knowledge base in Studio

​Step 10: Upload documents

​Step 11: Create an agent with knowledge tools

​Step 12: Connect the knowledge base in Studio

​Step 13: Test RAG-powered responses

​Connect Knowledge to Your Multi-Agent System

​Step 14: Add knowledge tools to the Product Advisor

​Step 15: Add a knowledge-powered FAQ to the supervisor

​What You Learned

​Next Steps

Prerequisites

What You’ll Build

Build a Supervisor

Step 1: Create the order tracking agent

Step 2: Create the returns agent

Step 3: Create the product advisor agent

Step 4: Create the supervisor

Step 5: Understand the supervisor structure

Add Delegation & Routing

Step 6: Configure context passing

Step 7: Test the orchestration flow

Step 8: Review the orchestration trace

Project file structure

Add a Knowledge Base

Step 9: Create a knowledge base in Studio

Step 10: Upload documents

Step 11: Create an agent with knowledge tools

Step 12: Connect the knowledge base in Studio

Step 13: Test RAG-powered responses

Connect Knowledge to Your Multi-Agent System

Step 14: Add knowledge tools to the Product Advisor

Step 15: Add a knowledge-powered FAQ to the supervisor

What You Learned

Next Steps