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Guild supports three agent execution architectures. Your choice determines the programming model, the files scaffolded at initialization, and how the agent transitions to READY.

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TypeScript agents

TypeScript agents use the @guildai/agents-sdk to define behavior in code. After you save a version, the agent goes through a build and validation step before it transitions to READY. When you initialize a TypeScript agent, the scaffold includes: 
my-agent/
├── agent.ts          # Agent code
├── package.json      # Dependencies (runtime packages pre-configured)
├── tsconfig.json     # TypeScript config
├── guild.json        # Local config (managed by CLI)
└── .gitignore
Choose a starting template:
TemplateUse when
LLMThe LLM drives the logic. You write a prompt and pick tools.
AUTO_MANAGED_STATEYou write procedural TypeScript that calls tools inline.
BLANKYou want full control over the agent lifecycle.
See the Agent SDK for how to write TypeScript agent code.

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Guild LLM agents

Guild LLM agents define behavior in Markdown files instead of TypeScript code. When you initialize a Guild LLM agent, the scaffold includes: 
my-agent/
├── PROMPT.md         # Agent role, behavior, and instructions
├── DESCRIPTION.md    # Brief description of the agent
├── README.md
└── .gitignore
  • PROMPT.md — defines the agent’s role, behavior, and instructions.
  • DESCRIPTION.md — provides a brief description of what the agent does.
Guild LLM agents skip the build validation step. After initialization, the agent immediately transitions to READY.

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Goose agents

Goose agents define behavior using a YAML recipe file. When you initialize a Goose agent, the scaffold includes: 
my-agent/
├── recipe.yaml       # Agent parameters, instructions, and response JSON schema
├── README.md
└── .gitignore
  • recipe.yaml — defines the agent’s parameters, instructions, and response JSON schema.
Goose agents skip the build validation step. After initialization, the agent immediately transitions to READY.