Agent Development Kit (ADK)

Python CLI and package for building, managing, and deploying PolyAI agents locally.

The Agent Development Kit (ADK) is a Python CLI (polyai-adk on PyPI) for building PolyAI agents locally. Pull your Agent Studio project as YAML and Python files, edit with any tool, and push changes back — all from the command line.

For installation, authentication, and usage instructions, visit the ADK documentation.

Why use ADK

Bulk authoring

Generate topics, flows, or entities programmatically — push in one command

Version control

YAML and Python files work with any version control system for reviews and rollback

AI-assisted editing

Edit YAML and Python files with coding assistants (Cursor, Claude Code, etc.), then push

CI/CD pipelines

Run poly push in GitHub Actions or any CI/CD pipeline

Multi-project workflows

Manage multiple agent projects from one environment

No UI required

Build, test, and deploy agents entirely from the command line

How it works

ADK uses a pull-edit-push workflow:

1. Initialize

   Link a local directory to an Agent Studio project with poly init.

2. Pull

   Run poly pull to download your project as structured YAML files organized by resource type — topics, flows, entities, and agent settings.

3. Edit

   Edit with any tool — IDE, scripts, or AI coding assistants. YAML handles configuration, Python handles functions.

4. Push

   Run poly push to diff your local changes against the remote state and send updates to Agent Studio. Your agent updates immediately in the target environment.

ADK is fully compatible with Agent Studio and the APIs. Switch between surfaces at any time.

CLI commands

Command	Description
poly init	Link a local directory to an Agent Studio project
poly pull	Download the current project state as YAML files
poly push	Diff local changes against remote and send updates
poly docs	Print documentation for any ADK resource type

Project structure

After pulling, your local directory contains human-readable YAML files organized by resource type:

topics/
  Frequently Asked Questions.yaml
  Billing Issues.yaml
flows/
  greeting/
    flow_config.yaml
    flow_step_welcome.yaml
    flow_step_billing_check.yaml
entities/
  billing_amount.yaml
agent_settings/
  role.yaml
  personality.yaml
  rules.yaml

Each YAML file represents a single resource. For example, a topic file:

enabled: true
actions: ""
content: |
  We accept Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.
  Refunds take 3–5 business days.
example_queries:
  - What payment methods do you accept?
  - How long do refunds take?
  - Can I pay with PayPal?

Cross-references between resources use human-readable name tags like {{fn:check_billing}} rather than raw IDs. ADK resolves these automatically at push time.

Who it’s for

• Development teams — version control, CI/CD, and code review for agent development
• Teams at scale — manage many agents from a single environment
• Automation — generate and update agents programmatically (e.g., create topics from a spreadsheet, then poly push)

Get started

Installation, authentication, and usage instructions:

ADK documentation

Guides, CLI reference, and examples.

Related

Extend with code

Write Python functions and connect APIs in Agent Studio

API reference

Update and configure agents with PolyAI’s REST APIs