Definition: Open protocol developed by Google for standardized communication between AI agents, enabling agents from different providers to collaborate interoperably.
— Source: NERVICO, Product Development Consultancy
What is the A2A Protocol
The A2A protocol (Agent-to-Agent) is an open standard developed by Google for communication between AI agents. It defines how agents from different providers, frameworks, and environments can discover, communicate, and collaborate in a standardized way. Just as HTTP standardized web communication, A2A aims to standardize agent communication, eliminating the need for point-to-point integrations between each pair of systems.
How It Works
The protocol defines three main components. The Agent Card is a JSON document describing an agent’s capabilities, endpoints, and requirements, enabling discovery. The task mechanism allows one agent to delegate work to another through structured requests with context, constraints, and expected response format. The messaging system handles asynchronous communication between agents, including progress notifications, partial results, and error handling. Everything runs over HTTP/HTTPS and JSON, making implementation straightforward with existing infrastructure.
Why It Matters
As companies deploy multiple AI agents for different tasks, the need for these agents to collaborate becomes critical. Without a standardized protocol, each integration requires custom development. A2A enables building interoperable agent ecosystems where a research agent can delegate tasks to a data analysis agent and that one to a report generation agent, regardless of who built them. This is fundamental to the vision of multi-agent systems at enterprise scale.
Practical Example
A company deploys a project planning agent that needs cost estimates. Through A2A, it discovers a financial analysis agent published in the company’s directory, sends it a task with project requirements, and receives a detailed estimate. The planning agent incorporates the numbers into its proposal without any team having to build a direct integration between both systems.
Related Terms
- Multi-Agent Orchestration - Agent coordination that A2A facilitates
- MCP Protocol - Complementary protocol for connecting agents with tools
- Agent Teams - Concept of collaborating agents that A2A standardizes
Last updated: February 2026 Category: Artificial Intelligence Related to: Multi-Agent Orchestration, MCP Protocol, Interoperability, Google Keywords: a2a protocol, agent-to-agent, interoperability, multi-agent, google, agent card, agent communication, open standard