# 284 Agent To Agent C7203f32

> Agent-to-Agent (A2A) Protocol

- Skill: `tools-only/284-agent-to-agent-c7203f32` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/284-agent-to-agent-c7203f32`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/284-agent-to-agent-c7203f32/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/284-agent-to-agent-c7203f32

---

# Agent-to-Agent (A2A) Protocol

Strands Agents supports the [Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol](https://a2aproject.github.io/A2A/latest/), enabling seamless communication between AI agents across different platforms and implementations.

## What is Agent-to-Agent (A2A)?

The Agent-to-Agent protocol is an open standard that defines how AI agents can discover, communicate, and collaborate with each other.

### Use Cases

A2A protocol support enables several powerful use cases:

- **Multi-Agent Workflows**: Chain multiple specialized agents together
- **Agent Marketplaces**: Discover and use agents from different providers
- **Cross-Platform Integration**: Connect Strands agents with other A2A-compatible systems
- **Distributed AI Systems**: Build scalable, distributed agent architectures

Learn more about the A2A protocol:

- [A2A GitHub Organization](https://github.com/a2aproject/A2A)
- [A2A Python SDK](https://github.com/a2aproject/a2a-python)
- [A2A Documentation](https://a2aproject.github.io/A2A/latest/)

!!! tip "Complete Examples Available"
    Check out the [Native A2A Support samples](https://github.com/strands-agents/samples/tree/main/03-integrations/Native-A2A-Support) for complete, ready-to-run client, server and tool implementations.

## Installation

To use A2A functionality with Strands, install the package with the A2A extra:

```bash
pip install 'strands-agents[a2a]'
```

This installs the core Strands SDK along with the necessary A2A protocol dependencies.

## Creating an A2A Server

### Basic Server Setup

Create a Strands agent and expose it as an A2A server:

```python
import logging
from strands_tools.calculator import calculator
from strands import Agent
from strands.multiagent.a2a import A2AServer

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)

# Create a Strands agent
strands_agent = Agent(
    name="Calculator Agent",
    description="A calculator agent that can perform basic arithmetic operations.",
    tools=[calculator],
    callback_handler=None
)

# Create A2A server (streaming enabled by default)
a2a_server = A2AServer(agent=strands_agent)

# Start the server
a2a_server.serve()
```

> NOTE: the server supports both `SendMessageRequest` and `SendStreamingMessageRequest` client requests!

### Server Configuration Options

The `A2AServer` constructor accepts several configuration options:

- `agent`: The Strands agent to wrap with A2A compatibility
- `host`: Hostname or IP address to bind to (default: "127.0.0.1")
- `port`: Port to bind to (default: 9000)
- `version`: Version of the agent (default: "0.0.1")
- `skills`: Custom list of agent skills (default: auto-generated from tools)
- `http_url`: Public HTTP URL where this agent will be accessible (optional, enables path-based mounting)
- `serve_at_root`: Forces server to serve at root path regardless of http_url path (default: False)
- `task_store`: Custom task storage implementation (defaults to InMemoryTaskStore)
- `queue_manager`: Custom message queue management (optional)
- `push_config_store`: Custom push notification configuration storage (optional)
- `push_sender`: Custom push notification sender implementation (optional)

### Advanced Server Customization

The `A2AServer` provides access to the underlying FastAPI or Starlette application objects allowing you to further customize server behavior.

```python
from contextlib import asynccontextmanager
from strands import Agent
from strands.multiagent.a2a import A2AServer
import uvicorn

# Create your agent and A2A server
agent = Agent(name="My Agent", description="A customizable agent", callback_handler=None)
a2a_server = A2AServer(agent=agent)

@asynccontextmanager
async def lifespan(app: FastAPI):
    """Manage application lifespan with proper error handling."""
    # Startup tasks
    yield  # Application runs here
    # Shutdown tasks

# Access the underlying FastAPI app
# Allows passing keyword arguments to FastAPI constructor for further customization
fastapi_app = a2a_server.to_fastapi_app(app_kwargs={"lifespan": lifespan})
# Add custom middleware, routes, or configuration
fastapi_app.add_middleware(...)

# Or access the Starlette app
# Allows passing keyword arguments to FastAPI constructor for further customization
starlette_app = a2a_server.to_starlette_app(app_kwargs={"lifespan": lifespan})
# Customize as needed

# You can then serve the customized app directly
uvicorn.run(fastapi_app, host="127.0.0.1", port=9000)
```

#### Configurable Request Handler Components

The `A2AServer` supports configurable request handler components for advanced customization:

```python
from strands import Agent
from strands.multiagent.a2a import A2AServer
from a2a.server.tasks import TaskStore, PushNotificationConfigStore, PushNotificationSender
from a2a.server.events import QueueManager

# Custom task storage implementation
class CustomTaskStore(TaskStore):
    # Implementation details...
    pass

# Custom queue manager
class CustomQueueManager(QueueManager):
    # Implementation details...
    pass

# Create agent with custom components
agent = Agent(name="My Agent", description="A customizable agent", callback_handler=None)

a2a_server = A2AServer(
    agent=agent,
    task_store=CustomTaskStore(),
    queue_manager=CustomQueueManager(),
    push_config_store=MyPushConfigStore(),
    push_sender=MyPushSender()
)
```

**Interface Requirements:**

Custom implementations must follow these interfaces:

- `task_store`: Must implement `TaskStore` interface from `a2a.server.tasks`
- `queue_manager`: Must implement `QueueManager` interface from `a2a.server.events`
- `push_config_store`: Must implement `PushNotificationConfigStore` interface from `a2a.server.tasks`
- `push_sender`: Must implement `PushNotificationSender` interface from `a2a.server.tasks`

#### Path-Based Mounting for Containerized Deployments

The `A2AServer` supports automatic path-based mounting for deployment scenarios involving load balancers or reverse proxies. This allows you to deploy agents behind load balancers with different path prefixes.

```python
from strands import Agent
from strands.multiagent.a2a import A2AServer

# Create an agent
agent = Agent(
    name="Calculator Agent",
    description="A calculator agent",
    callback_handler=None
)

# Deploy with path-based mounting
# The agent will be accessible at http://my-alb.amazonaws.com/calculator/
a2a_server = A2AServer(
    agent=agent,
    http_url="http://my-alb.amazonaws.com/calculator"
)

# For load balancers that strip path prefixes, use serve_at_root=True
a2a_server_with_root = A2AServer(
    agent=agent,
    http_url="http://my-alb.amazonaws.com/calculator",
    serve_at_root=True  # Serves at root even though URL has /calculator path
)
```

This flexibility allows you to:

- Add custom middleware
- Implement additional API endpoints
- Deploy agents behind load balancers with different path prefixes
- Configure custom task storage and event handling components

## A2A Client Examples

### Synchronous Client

Here's how to create a client that communicates with an A2A server synchronously:

```python
import asyncio
import logging
from uuid import uuid4

import httpx
from a2a.client import A2ACardResolver, ClientConfig, ClientFactory
from a2a.types import Message, Part, Role, TextPart

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 300 # set request timeout to 5 minutes

def create_message(*, role: Role = Role.user, text: str) -> Message:
    return Message(
        kind="message",
        role=role,
        parts=[Part(TextPart(kind="text", text=text))],
        message_id=uuid4().hex,
    )

async def send_sync_message(message: str, base_url: str = "http://127.0.0.1:9000"):
    async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) as httpx_client:
        # Get agent card
        resolver = A2ACardResolver(httpx_client=httpx_client, base_url=base_url)
        agent_card = await resolver.get_agent_card()

        # Create client using factory
        config = ClientConfig(
            httpx_client=httpx_client,
            streaming=False,  # Use non-streaming mode for sync response
        )
        factory = ClientFactory(config)
        client = factory.create(agent_card)

        # Create and send message
        msg = create_message(text=message)

        # With streaming=False, this will yield exactly one result
        async for event in client.send_message(msg):
            if isinstance(event, Message):
                logger.info(event.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2))
                return event
            elif isinstance(event, tuple) and len(event) == 2:
                # (Task, UpdateEvent) tuple
                task, update_event = event
                logger.info(f"Task: {task.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2)}")
                if update_event:
                    logger.info(f"Update: {update_event.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2)}")
                return task
            else:
                # Fallback for other response types
                logger.info(f"Response: {str(event)}")
                return event

# Usage
asyncio.run(send_sync_message("what is 101 * 11"))
```

### Streaming Client

For streaming responses, use the streaming client:

```python
import asyncio
import logging
from uuid import uuid4

import httpx
from a2a.client import A2ACardResolver, ClientConfig, ClientFactory
from a2a.types import Message, Part, Role, TextPart

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

DEFAULT_TIMEOUT = 300 # set request timeout to 5 minutes

def create_message(*, role: Role = Role.user, text: str) -> Message:
    return Message(
        kind="message",
        role=role,
        parts=[Part(TextPart(kind="text", text=text))],
        message_id=uuid4().hex,
    )

async def send_streaming_message(message: str, base_url: str = "http://127.0.0.1:9000"):
    async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=DEFAULT_TIMEOUT) as httpx_client:
        # Get agent card
        resolver = A2ACardResolver(httpx_client=httpx_client, base_url=base_url)
        agent_card = await resolver.get_agent_card()

        # Create client using factory
        config = ClientConfig(
            httpx_client=httpx_client,
            streaming=True,  # Use streaming mode
        )
        factory = ClientFactory(config)
        client = factory.create(agent_card)

        # Create and send message
        msg = create_message(text=message)

        async for event in client.send_message(msg):
            if isinstance(event, Message):
                logger.info(event.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2))
            elif isinstance(event, tuple) and len(event) == 2:
                # (Task, UpdateEvent) tuple
                task, update_event = event
                logger.info(f"Task: {task.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2)}")
                if update_event:
                    logger.info(f"Update: {update_event.model_dump_json(exclude_none=True, indent=2)}")
            else:
                # Fallback for other response types
                logger.info(f"Response: {str(event)}")

# Usage
asyncio.run(send_streaming_message("what is 101 * 11"))
```

## Strands A2A Tool

### Installation

To use the A2A client tool, install strands-agents-tools with the A2A extra:

```bash
pip install 'strands-agents-tools[a2a_client]'
```

Strands provides this tool for discovering and interacting with A2A agents without manually writing client code:

```python
import asyncio
import logging
from strands import Agent
from strands_tools.a2a_client import A2AClientToolProvider

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.INFO)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

# Create A2A client tool provider with known agent URLs
# Assuming you have an A2A server running on 127.0.0.1:9000
# known_agent_urls is optional
provider = A2AClientToolProvider(known_agent_urls=["http://127.0.0.1:9000"])

# Create agent with A2A client tools
agent = Agent(tools=provider.tools)

# The agent can now discover and interact with A2A servers
# Standard usage
response = agent("pick an agent and make a sample call")
logger.info(response)

# Alternative Async usage
# async def main():
#     response = await agent.invoke_async("pick an agent and make a sample call")
#     logger.info(response)
# asyncio.run(main())
```

The A2A client tool provides three main capabilities:

- **Agent Discovery**: Automatically discover available A2A agents and their capabilities
- **Protocol Communication**: Send messages to A2A agents using the standardized protocol
- **Natural Language Interface**: Interact with remote agents using natural language commands

## A2A Agent as a Tool

A2A agents can be wrapped as tools within your agent's toolkit, similar to the [Agents as Tools](agents-as-tools.md) pattern but leveraging the A2A protocol for cross-platform communication.

You can use a class-based approach to discover agent cards upfront and avoid repeated discovery calls:

```python
import asyncio
from uuid import uuid4
import httpx
from a2a.client import A2ACardResolver, ClientConfig, ClientFactory
from a2a.types import Message, Part, Role, TextPart
from strands import Agent, tool

class A2AAgentTool:
    def __init__(self, agent_url: str, agent_name: str):
        self.agent_url = agent_url
        self.agent_name = agent_name
        self.agent_card = None
        self.client = None

        async with httpx.AsyncClient(timeout=300) as httpx_client:
            resolver = A2ACardResolver(httpx_client=httpx_client, base_url=self.agent_url)
            self.agent_card = await resolver.get_agent_card()
            
            config = ClientConfig(httpx_client=httpx_client, streaming=False)
            factory = ClientFactory(config)
            self.client = factory.create(self.agent_card)
    
    @tool
    async def call_agent(self, message: str) -> str:
        """
        Send a message to the A2A agent.
        
        Args:
            message: The message to send to the agent
            
        Returns:
            Response from the A2A agent
        """
        try:            
            msg = Message(
                kind="message",
                role=Role.user,
                parts=[Part(TextPart(kind="text", text=message))],
                message_id=uuid4().hex,
            )
            
            async for event in self.client.send_message(msg):
                if isinstance(event, Message):
                    response_text = ""
                    for part in event.parts:
                        if hasattr(part, 'text'):
                            response_text += part.text
                    return response_text
                    
            return f"No response received from {self.agent_name}"
            
        except Exception as e:
            return f"Error contacting {self.agent_name}: {str(e)}"

# Usage
research_agent = A2AAgentTool("http://research-agent.example.com:9000", "Research Agent")
calculator_agent = A2AAgentTool("http://calculator-agent.example.com:9000", "Calculator Agent")

orchestrator = Agent(
    tools=[research_agent.call_agent, calculator_agent.call_agent]
)
```

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter bugs or need to request features for A2A support:

1. Check the [A2A documentation](https://a2aproject.github.io/A2A/latest/) for protocol-specific issues
2. Report Strands-specific issues on [GitHub](https://github.com/strands-agents/sdk-python/issues/new/choose)
3. Include relevant error messages and code samples in your reports