Choose an AI workflow before building an agent

Anthropic recommends starting with the simplest workable approach and adding complexity when it improves results. ^[1]

Try one model call first

Give the model relevant context and examples. Define a useful result before adding orchestration. ^[1]

Match the task to a workflow

Anthropic describes five patterns. ^[1]

Prompt chaining divides work into fixed steps with checks between them.
Routing sends different inputs to specialized handlers.
Parallelization handles independent parts or compares several attempts.
Orchestrator-workers lets a model divide work whose subtasks are not predictable.
Evaluator-optimizer uses feedback to revise a result.

Choose the pattern around your task's uncertainty. ^[1]

Add an agent loop only where needed

Anthropic says agent loops can cost more and compound mistakes. Test the tool boundaries and stopping conditions before using one on consequential work. ^[1]

For coding tools, the guide reports that absolute file paths avoided mistakes caused by a changed working directory. Require them in file-editing tools. ^[1]