The Agentforce Context Protocol (ACP) defines a standardized flow for how Agentforce agents request actions and receive results from various systems. Understanding this request-response lifecycle is key to grasping how ACP enables seamless communication.

The flow typically involves an AI Agent, the ACP Registry, a Connector, and the target system the Connector interfaces with.

​
Overview of the Flow

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of a typical ACP interaction when an AI agent decides to use a Tool:

  1. Agent Identifies Need & Discovers Tool:

    • The AI Agent determines a need to perform an action or retrieve information (e.g., based on user input or its internal logic).
    • The Agent queries the ACP Registry to find a suitable Tool that can fulfill this need. The Registry provides the Tool’s schema (name, description, input/output parameters) and the identity of the Connector that exposes it.

  2. Agent Prepares ACP Request:

    • Using the Tool’s schema, the Agent constructs an ACP Request. This request is a standardized message typically containing:
      • toolName: The name of the Tool to be invoked.
      • parameters: A structured object (e.g., JSON) containing the input values required by the Tool.
      • context: Optional contextual information, such as user identity or session details, which might be necessary for the Connector or target system.

  3. Agent Sends Request to Connector:

    • The Agent sends the ACP Request to the specific Connector identified during the discovery phase. The communication channel might vary (e.g., an HTTP call to a Connector’s endpoint).

  4. Connector Processes Request:

    • The Connector receives the ACP Request and performs several actions:
      • Validation: Checks if the request is well-formed and if all required parameters are present.
      • Authentication/Authorization (if applicable): Verifies the Agent’s credentials and permissions to use the Tool and access the target system. This might involve interacting with Salesforce’s Named Credentials or other identity services.
      • Translation: Maps the standardized ACP Request and its parameters into the specific format and protocol required by the target system’s API (e.g., a REST API call, a SOAP request, a database query).

  5. Connector Interacts with Target System:

    • The Connector sends the translated request to the Target System (e.g., Salesforce Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, an external API).
    • The Target System processes the request and performs the underlying action.

  6. Connector Receives Response from Target System:

    • The Target System sends a response back to the Connector. This response is in the native format of the target system.

  7. Connector Prepares ACP Response:

    • The Connector receives the native response and translates it back into a standardized ACP Response. This response typically includes:
      • status: Indicates the outcome of the Tool invocation (e.g., “success”, “error”).
      • data: If successful, this contains the output data from the Tool, structured according to the Tool’s defined output schema.
      • error: If an error occurred, this provides details about the error (e.g., error code, message).

  8. Connector Sends Response to Agent:

    • The Connector sends the ACP Response back to the AI Agent.

  9. Agent Processes Response:

    • The AI Agent receives the ACP Response.
    • It processes the data if the request was successful or handles the error appropriately.
    • The Agent then uses this information to continue its task, provide an answer to the user, or decide on subsequent actions.

​
Key Principles of the Flow

  • Standardization: The Agent always interacts using the standardized ACP Request and Response formats, regardless of the underlying Connector or target system.
  • Abstraction: The Agent doesn’t need to know the specific API details of each target system; the Connector handles this complexity.
  • Decoupling: Agents, Connectors, and the Registry are decoupled components, allowing for flexibility and scalability.

This request-response flow ensures that Agentforce agents can reliably and consistently interact with a wide array of enterprise capabilities through the Agentforce Context Protocol.

Return to Core Concepts Overview.