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Framework · OpenAI

OpenAI Agents SDK at a glance

OpenAI's open-source Python SDK for agents, kept deliberately thin, with handoffs, guardrails, sessions and tracing built in. It defaults to OpenAI models but can call other providers, and gets durable runs through a Temporal integration that went GA in March 2026.

Best for: Minimal Python agents on OpenAI models that need handoffs, guardrails, sandboxed workspaces and tracing from day one.

Key facts

Maintainer
OpenAI
Languages
Python
Licence
MIT
Latest version
0.22.3 · September 17, 2026
Repository
openai/openai-agents-python · 29,796 stars
Hosted option
OpenAI Agent Builder (AgentKit) + ChatKit
Agent Builder is deprecated and shuts down on 30 November 2026; ChatKit stays, with a backend you run yourself.

Quickstart

Install the package, set the credentials, then run the smallest agent from the official docs. Model IDs are the ones the docs use and may not be enabled on your account.

Install
pip install openai-agents

Needs OPENAI_API_KEY

Python
from agents import Agent, Runner

agent = Agent(name="Assistant", instructions="You are a helpful assistant")

result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Write a haiku about recursion in programming.")
print(result.final_output)

Quickstart source

Features

Any modelYesOpenAI by default; Any-LLM and LiteLLM adapters are beta
MCP clientYes
MCP serverNot confirmed
Multi-agentYesHandoffs and agents-as-tools
Durable runsYesTemporal integration via OpenAIAgentsPlugin, plus resumable run state
Human approvalYesInterruptions that pause a run and resume from saved state
TracingYes
EvalsNoNo eval runner; OpenAI's Evals product closes 30 Nov 2026

Recent changes

  • March 2026: the Temporal integration reached GA, turning model calls into durable Activities.
  • June 2026: OpenAI announced that Agent Builder and its Evals product shut down on 30 November 2026.
  • Sandbox agents and realtime voice agents were added.

Alternatives in the same language

Sources

  1. openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/
  2. openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/models/
  3. pypi.org/pypi/openai-agents/json
  4. api.github.com/repos/openai/openai-agents-python
  5. temporal.io/blog/announcing-openai-agents-sdk-integration
  6. docs.temporal.io/develop/python/integrations/openai-agents
  7. openai.com/index/introducing-agentkit/
  8. developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/agent-builder
  9. developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/chatkit

Independent reference for people who build AI agents. Not affiliated with any vendor named here.

© 2026 DotsAgent · Facts checked October 1, 2026