Checkpointing

Checkpointing lets a multi-agent workflow save execution state through a workflow store. It is opt-in.

The workflow store is separate from the session store. Checkpointing saves workflow progress; conversation policies save node agent transcripts into HPD sessions and branches.

Enable Checkpointing

Enable checkpointing on the workflow and choose a store:

var workflow = await AgentWorkflow.Create()
    .WithName("DurableReview")
    .WithCheckpointing()
    .WithJsonWorkflowStore("App_Data/workflows")
    .AddAgent("draft", draftConfig, node => node.WithOutputKey("draft"))
    .AddAgent("review", reviewConfig, node => node.WithInputKey("draft"))
    .From("draft").To("review")
    .BuildAsync();

Use WithInMemoryWorkflowStore() for tests and short-lived runs:

.WithCheckpointing()
.WithInMemoryWorkflowStore()

Use WithJsonWorkflowStore(...) when local workflow definitions and checkpoints should survive process restarts:

.WithCheckpointing()
.WithJsonWorkflowStore(
    rootDirectory: "App_Data/workflows",
    retentionMode: MultiAgentCheckpointRetention.LatestOnly)

Retention

MultiAgentCheckpointRetention.LatestOnly keeps only the latest checkpoint for a workflow execution.

.WithJsonWorkflowStore(
    "App_Data/workflows",
    MultiAgentCheckpointRetention.LatestOnly)

MultiAgentCheckpointRetention.FullHistory keeps every checkpoint.

.WithJsonWorkflowStore(
    "App_Data/workflows",
    MultiAgentCheckpointRetention.FullHistory)

Use LatestOnly for normal durability. Use FullHistory for debugging, audit trails, and workflow-development traces.

Events

Checkpoint saves are storage side effects. Multi-agent workflows do not expose a separate public checkpoint event family.

You may see diagnostic workflow events related to storage or execution, but product code should rely on the public workflow event families:

• WorkflowStartedEvent
• WorkflowAgentStartedEvent
• WorkflowAgentCompletedEvent
• WorkflowAgentSkippedEvent
• WorkflowEdgeTraversedEvent
• WorkflowLayerStartedEvent
• WorkflowLayerCompletedEvent
• WorkflowCompletedEvent
• WorkflowDiagnosticEvent

See Workflow Events.

Resume Boundary

Checkpoint storage is available through the multi-agent workflow builder. A higher-level resume API for multi-agent workflows should be documented only by the host or runtime surface that exposes it.

For direct AgentWorkflowInstance execution, treat checkpointing as execution durability and diagnostics storage. Do not promise process-restart resume behavior in product docs unless the host surface being used exposes and tests that flow.

Related Pages

• Build A Multi-Agent Workflow
• Conversation Policies
• Config And Export
• Workflow Events