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OpenAI Agents SDK

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OpenAI Agents SDK - Build Multi-Agent Systems [2026]

Last updated Apr 28, 2026

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What is OpenAI Agents SDK?

The OpenAI Agents SDK is the official framework from OpenAI for building multi-agent systems in Python. Despite the name, it is provider-agnostic: it works with OpenAI APIs plus over 100 other LLMs, so you are not locked into a single provider. The SDK revolves around nine core concepts. Agents are LLMs configured with instructions, tools, guardrails, and handoffs. Tools can be Python functions, MCP servers, or hosted tools. Guardrails provide configurable safety checks for input and output validation. Handoffs let agents delegate tasks to other agents. Human-in-the-loop mechanisms let you involve people at any step. Sessions manage conversation history automatically across runs. Tracing tracks every step for viewing, debugging, and optimization. Realtime agents support voice workflows with gpt-realtime-1.5. The newest addition is Sandbox Agents (v0.14.0+). A sandbox agent operates in a containerized environment with its own filesystem, shell access, and workspace. You define a Manifest specifying files, directories, Git repos, environment variables, and mounts. The agent can then inspect files, run commands, apply patches, and carry workspace state across longer tasks. Sandbox providers include local Unix, Docker, and hosted options (Blaxel, Cloudflare, Daytona, E2B, Modal, Runloop, Vercel). Sandbox Memory lets future runs learn from prior runs with read-only and generate-only modes, live updates when stale memory is discovered, and multi-turn grouping. Workspace mounts support local files, S3, Cloudflare R2, GCS, and Azure Blob Storage. Installation is straightforward: `pip install openai-agents`. Optional extras include voice support and Redis sessions. The SDK requires Python 3.10+ and is MIT licensed with 25,400 GitHub stars and 278 contributors.

OpenAI Agents SDK's Top Features

Key capabilities that make OpenAI Agents SDK stand out.

Provider-agnostic: supports 100+ LLMs beyond OpenAI

Agent configuration with instructions, tools, and guardrails

Handoffs for delegating tasks between agents

Human-in-the-loop mechanisms

Automatic session and conversation history management

Built-in tracing for debugging and optimization

Sandbox agents with containerized workspaces

MCP server integration for tool access

Realtime voice agents with gpt-realtime-1.5

Workspace mounts for S3, GCS, Azure Blob, and R2

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agentsopenaiframeworkmulti-agentpythonmcpsandboxai-sdkopen-sourcetracing

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the OpenAI Agents SDK only work with OpenAI models?
No. Despite the name, the SDK is provider-agnostic. It works with OpenAI APIs and over 100 other LLMs. You can use Anthropic, Google, Mistral, or any provider that supports the chat completions format.
What are sandbox agents?
Sandbox agents are agents that operate in a containerized environment with their own filesystem, shell, and workspace. They can inspect files, run commands, apply patches, and carry workspace state across longer tasks. Available since v0.14.0.
How do handoffs work?
Handoffs let one agent delegate a task to another specialized agent. When Agent A encounters a task better suited for Agent B, it can hand off control. The receiving agent gets full context and can hand back when done.
What are guardrails?
Guardrails are configurable safety checks that validate agent inputs and outputs. You define rules for what is acceptable, and the framework enforces them automatically on every run.
Does the SDK support voice agents?
Yes. The Realtime Agents feature supports voice interactions using gpt-realtime-1.5, with full agent features including tools, handoffs, and guardrails. Install with `pip install openai-agents[voice]`.