Agent Runtime
Thinking in Agent Runtime

Craft Effective Agent Goals

Crafting effective goals for your agents is crucial for their success. Well-defined goals help agents understand their tasks and produce desired outcomes. Let's explore how to create goals that work well within an AI agent framework.

Quick Tip: The quality of your agent's output directly correlates with the clarity of your goals. Take time to craft them carefully!

Key Principles for Goal Creation

1. Be Specific and Actionable

❌ Bad Goal Example:
"Help users with their questions"

✅ Good Goal Example:
"Answer user questions about the product documentation, referencing specific documentation sections and providing code examples when relevant"

2. Include Context and Constraints

❌ Bad Goal Example:

"Write content"

✅ Good Goal Example:

"Write a technical tutorial about the Agent Runtime API, covering the key concepts of agent memory and knowledge, with code examples in Python"

3. Define Success Criteria

❌ Bad Goal Example:
"Make the documentation better"

✅ Good Goal Example:
"Review the current API documentation, identify missing or unclear sections, and propose specific improvements with example usage"

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

❌ What to Avoid

  • •Using ambiguous terms ("better," "improve," "enhance")
  • •Missing context ("analyze the code")
  • •Setting unrealistic expectations

✅ What to Do Instead

  • •Use specific actions and clear metrics
  • • Provide detailed context ("analyze the authentication module for security vulnerabilities")
  • •Set achievable goals within agent capabilities

Goal-Setting Framework

Use the SMART framework to create effective agent goals

Specific

What exact task should the agent perform?

Measurable

How can we verify the agent's output?

Achievable

Is this within the agent's capabilities?

Relevant

Does this align with the agent's purpose?

Time-aware

What is the scope of information to consider?

Implementation Tips

Remember: Focus on the agent's core capabilities and avoid goals requiring prediction, emotional intelligence, or complex decision-making beyond the agent's abilities.

  1. Define Clear Boundaries

    • Specify what the agent should and shouldn't do
    • List any constraints or limitations

  2. Break Down Complex Tasks

    • Split large goals into smaller, manageable tasks
    • Create clear task dependencies

  3. Provide Necessary Context

    • Include relevant documentation references
    • Specify required formats or standards

  4. Set Clear Output Expectations

    • Define the expected format of responses
    • Specify any required validation steps

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