Designing a Multi-Step Agent Workflow

Some jobs are too big for a single shot. The skill is breaking them into steps an agent can do — and you can check.

Decompose by checkpoint

Split the work where you would naturally want to verify: research, then draft, then review. Each checkpoint is a place to catch errors early.

Single agent vs many

• One agent, many steps handles most workflows — keep it unless you have a reason not to.
• Multiple agents earn their keep when roles genuinely differ (researcher vs critic) or you need parallel speed.

Make each step checkable

1. Give every step a clear input and output.
2. Validate the output before the next step runs.
3. Let a step fail loudly instead of passing garbage downstream.

The payoff

A workflow you can inspect step-by-step is one you can trust to run unattended.