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Overview

Agent types define the structure of agents and characters in elizaOS. While Character defines the blueprint, Agent represents an instantiated and potentially running version with runtime status and timestamps.

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TemplateType

A flexible type for defining string templates that can be static or dynamic. 
type TemplateType =
  | string
  | ((params: {
      state:
        | State
        | Record<string, string | number | boolean | null | undefined>
        | object;
    }) => string);
Properties:
  • Can be a static string value
  • Can be a function that takes state parameters and returns a string

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MessageExample

Example message for demonstration purposes. 
interface MessageExample {
  content: Content;
}
Properties:
  • content - The content of the example message

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MessageExampleGroup

Groups multiple message examples together. 
interface MessageExampleGroup {
  examples: MessageExample[];
}
Properties:
  • examples - Array of message examples in the group

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CharacterSettings

Configuration settings for a character. 
type CharacterSettings = {
  ENABLE_AUTONOMY?: boolean | string;
  DISABLE_BASIC_CAPABILITIES?: boolean | string;
  ADVANCED_CAPABILITIES?: boolean | string;
  secrets?: Record<string, string | boolean | number>;
  [key: string]: JsonValue | undefined;
};
Properties:
  • ENABLE_AUTONOMY? - Enable autonomous behavior for the agent
  • DISABLE_BASIC_CAPABILITIES? - Disable basic agent capabilities
  • ADVANCED_CAPABILITIES? - Enable advanced features
  • secrets? - Secret configuration values (API keys, tokens, etc.)
  • Additional custom settings can be added as key-value pairs

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Character

Defines the blueprint of a character/agent. 
type Character = Partial<{
  // Character properties from proto
}> & {
  settings?: CharacterSettings;
  secrets?: Record<string, string | number | boolean>;
  messageExamples?: MessageExampleGroup[];
  knowledge?: KnowledgeSourceItem[];
};
Properties:
  • settings? - Character configuration settings
  • secrets? - Secret values for authentication and API access
  • messageExamples? - Example conversations for the character
  • knowledge? - Knowledge sources available to the character

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AgentStatus

Enum representing the operational status of an agent. 
enum AgentStatus {
  ACTIVE = "active",
  INACTIVE = "inactive",
}
Values:
  • ACTIVE - Agent is currently active and operational
  • INACTIVE - Agent is inactive or disabled

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Agent

Represents an operational agent, extending the Character definition with runtime status and timestamps. While Character defines the blueprint, Agent represents an instantiated and potentially running version. It includes:
  • enabled: A boolean indicating if the agent is currently active or disabled
  • status: The current operational status, typically AgentStatus.ACTIVE or AgentStatus.INACTIVE
  • createdAt, updatedAt: Timestamps for when the agent record was created and last updated in the database
This interface is primarily used by the IDatabaseAdapter for agent management. 
interface Agent extends Character {
  status?: AgentStatus | ProtoAgentStatus;
  createdAt: number | bigint;
  updatedAt: number | bigint;
}
Properties:
  • All properties from Character
  • status? - Current operational status of the agent
  • createdAt - Timestamp when the agent was created (Unix timestamp)
  • updatedAt - Timestamp when the agent was last updated (Unix timestamp)

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Usage Example

import { Agent, AgentStatus, Character } from "@elizaos/core";

// Define a character
const character: Character = {
  settings: {
    ENABLE_AUTONOMY: true,
    secrets: {
      OPENAI_API_KEY: "sk-..."
    }
  },
  messageExamples: [
    {
      examples: [
        { content: { text: "Hello!" } }
      ]
    }
  ],
  knowledge: []
};

// Create an agent instance
const agent: Agent = {
  ...character,
  status: AgentStatus.ACTIVE,
  createdAt: Date.now(),
  updatedAt: Date.now()
};

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