# ReadyAgents Core

<!-- mcp-name: io.github.readyagents/readyagents -->
ReadyAgents is a free, self-hosted Apache-2.0 local one-shot agent workflow engine plus MCP toolkit: clone it, bring your own keys; always-on packs are waitlisted and not for sale.

Site: [readyagents.dev](https://readyagents.dev). Repo: [github.com/readyagents/readyagents-core](https://github.com/readyagents/readyagents-core).

Tried it? Open an [I-ran-this](https://github.com/readyagents/readyagents-core/issues/new?template=i-ran-this.md) issue. We are not launching. We are listening.

This repository is the free core. You keep the provider account and the bill. Install with `pip install readyagents`, or from this clone.

## 60-second start

Requires Python 3.11+. Current version is **0.8.2**. Install with `pip install readyagents`, or from this clone.

First-run clip: [watch the 60-second run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D69o_HTGNQk)

```bash
git clone https://github.com/readyagents/readyagents-core.git
cd readyagents-core
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate   # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -e .
readyagents run examples/calc_pipeline.yaml
readyagents runs list
```

`readyagents run examples/calc_pipeline.json` is the same graph.

Or from PyPI (the wheel does not ship `examples/`):

```bash
pip install readyagents
readyagents new my-flow
```

HITL next: [docs/first-ten-minutes.md](docs/first-ten-minutes.md).

## What it does

- Define agent workflows as YAML or JSON (nodes + edges)
- Run **agent**, **tool**, **condition**, **transform**, **approval**, **parallel**, **include**, and **foreach** nodes. Agent nodes may declare a `tools:` allowlist for a bounded tool-use loop.
- Persist after every node and **resume** a paused or failed run from the last successful node
- Inspect past runs: `readyagents runs list` / `show` / `replay` / `report` (local HTML)
- Scaffold a starter: `readyagents new my-flow` (`basic`, `approval`, `research`, `pipeline`, `review`, `foreach`, `agent-tools`, `gated`)
- Builtin tools with **zero extra servers**: `now`, `calc`, `json_get`, `list_dir`, `read_file`, `write_file`, optional `http_get`
- Optional [MCP](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) client and server (`readyagents mcp serve`)
- Extra node types and tools via Python entry points (`readyagents.packs`)
- Per-node token/cost, budgets, model fallback, JSON logs
- External approval injection (`readyagents decide`) and outbound pause notify
- Secrets / RBAC / PII-redaction hooks and an append-only audit trail
- Pydantic `output_schema` on agent nodes; opt-in local LLM cache
- `readyagents.testing` helpers, recorded LLM mocks, and a tiny eval harness

## Architecture

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  YAML[Workflow YAML/JSON] --> Engine
  subgraph Core["ReadyAgents Core"]
    Engine[Workflow engine]
    Tools[Builtin tools]
    LLM[BYOK LLM providers]
    MCP[MCP client / server]
    Packs[Pack loader]
  end
  Engine --> Tools
  Engine --> LLM
  Engine --> MCP
  Packs --> Engine
  Packs --> Tools
  LLM --> OpenAI[OpenAI]
  LLM --> Anthropic[Anthropic]
  LLM --> Compat[OpenAI-compatible]
```

## CLI

| Command | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `readyagents init` | Write `.env` from `.env.example` if missing |
| `readyagents new [name] [--template basic\|approval\|research\|pipeline\|review\|foreach\|agent-tools\|gated]` | Scaffold workflow + README + `.env.example` |
| `readyagents validate PATH` | Schema-validate a workflow |
| `readyagents eval PATH` | Score a keyless fixture suite (exit 0/1) |
| `readyagents run PATH [--input KEY=VALUE] [--dry-run] [--approve NODE] [--reject NODE] [--decision-file FILE] [--actor NAME] [--pack PATH]` | Execute |
| `readyagents resume RUN_ID [--approve NODE] [--reject NODE] [--decision-file FILE]` | Resume a paused or failed run |
| `readyagents decide RUN_ID [--file FILE \| --node ID --decision approve]` | Inject an external approval decision and resume |
| `readyagents runs list` | List persisted runs |
| `readyagents runs show RUN_ID` | Node timeline + stored state (`inspect` is an alias) |
| `readyagents runs report RUN_ID` | Local HTML summary of a run |
| `readyagents runs replay RUN_ID` | New run from stored inputs |
| `readyagents runs delete RUN_ID --yes` | Delete one local run record |
| `readyagents runs gc --yes` | Prune succeeded/failed/cancelled runs (paused kept) |
| `readyagents mcp serve` | Stdio MCP server (builtin tools) |
| `readyagents packs [--pack PATH]` | List installed / local packs |
| `readyagents version` | Print version |

## Examples (no keys unless noted)

| File | What it shows |
| --- | --- |
| `examples/calc_pipeline.yaml` | Builtin tools, transform, condition |
| `examples/calc_pipeline.json` | Same graph as `calc_pipeline.yaml` |
| `examples/approval_gate.yaml` | Human-in-the-loop pause / resume |
| `examples/multi_gate.yaml` | Two sequential approval gates |
| `examples/fanout_gate.yaml` | Parallel branches + approval |
| `examples/include_demo.yaml` | Sub-workflow `include` |
| `examples/composed_gate.yaml` | Include + parallel + approval |
| `examples/research_brief.yaml` | Agent node (needs a key) |
| `examples/support_triage.yaml` | Classify then branch (needs a key) |
| `examples/code_review.yaml` | `read_file` + review (needs a key) |
| `examples/agent_tools.yaml` | Agent `tools: [calc]` (needs a key; `--dry-run` is keyless) |
| `examples/foreach_calc.yaml` | Sequential foreach + `calc` (no keys) |
| `examples/json_mutate.yaml` | `json_set` / `json_merge` (no keys) |
| `examples/list_dir.yaml` | Builtin `list_dir` (no keys, no MCP, no Node) |
| `examples/eval/pass.yaml` | Keyless `readyagents eval` fixture suite |
| `examples/connector_demo.yaml` | Local `--pack` connector (`examples/packs/connector_pack.py`) |
| `examples/gated_write.yaml` | Approval then `write_file` (no keys) |

## Docs

- [Why ReadyAgents?](docs/why-readyagents.md)
- [Getting started](docs/getting-started.md)
- [First ten minutes](docs/first-ten-minutes.md)
- [Concepts](docs/concepts.md)
- [Configuration (BYOK)](docs/configuration.md)
- [Workflows](docs/workflows.md)
- [MCP](docs/mcp.md)
- [Packs](docs/packs.md)
- [CLI](docs/cli.md)
- [Changelog](CHANGELOG.md)
- [Release notes 0.8.0](RELEASE_NOTES.md)

## Install extras

LLM and MCP extras are optional.

```bash
pip install "readyagents[openai]"
pip install "readyagents[anthropic]"
pip install "readyagents[mcp]"
pip install "readyagents[all]"
```

From a clone, the same extras are `pip install -e ".[openai]"` (and `anthropic` / `mcp` / `all`).

Then `cp .env.example .env` and paste your own keys. Core workflows that only use builtin tools do **not** need extras, keys, or Node.js.

```bash
docker compose run --rm readyagents run examples/calc_pipeline.yaml
make smoke
```


## What is not in this repository

Always-on packs are waitlisted and not for sale.

Always-on / continuous workers and schedulers. Hosted control plane. Hosted recovery and remote run stores. SSO, multi-tenant teams, billing.

The core has persist, resume, and approval pauses for a local one-shot. It does not run always-on.

## License

Apache License 2.0. See [LICENSE](LICENSE).

## Security

Please report vulnerabilities as described in [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md). Do not commit API keys. Local operator files such as `.env` are gitignored.