> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.uptiq.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.uptiq.ai/agent-builder/agent-builder.md).

# Overview

The **Agent Builder** is where you configure an agent — its purpose, its reasoning, the knowledge and tools it can reach, the controls that keep it safe, and the checks that tell you whether it works.

While the [Builder Canvas](/agent-builder/the-canvas.md) gives a visual overview of the agent and its connected components, the pages in this section are where the actual configuration and control happens.

***

<figure><img src="/files/ftsOTGijhtguK1LRT6z2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## The agent lifecycle

This section is organized around the order you work in, not the order the settings panel happens to list.

* [**Build**](/agent-builder/build.md) — Define the agent’s purpose, instructions, and runtime behavior; connect apps, services, MCP tools, skills, knowledge, and triggers.
* [**Test**](/agent-builder/test.md) — Validate the agent against scored datasets before anyone depends on it.
* [**Deploy**](/agent-builder/deploy.md) — Ship the agent into your product, with the authentication, domain, PII, and guardrail controls that make that safe.
* [**Monitor**](/agent-builder/monitor.md) — Watch production behavior and turn what you learn into improvements, which feed back into Build.

Together these provide a complete control layer for building, deploying, evaluating, and operating production agents.

## Common paths

* **Go live in your product** — [Agent Integration](/agent-builder/deploy/agent-integration.md), [Authentication](/agent-builder/deploy/authentication.md), and [Whitelisted Domains](/agent-builder/deploy/whitelisted-domains.md)
* **Improve quality before release** — [Evals](/agent-builder/test/evals.md), [Instructions](/agent-builder/build/instructions.md), [Skills & Capabilities](/agent-builder/build/skills-and-capabilities.md), and [Guardrails (Beta)](broken://pages/OUgN2cy5TI1ktkNgAcjr)
* **Improve quality after release** — [Monitoring](broken://pages/cD46XWa7ZwMLNvtnC3yG), [Online-Eval](/agent-builder/monitor/online-eval.md), and [Reinforcement Learnings](/agent-builder/monitor/reinforcement-learnings.md)
* **Move an agent between environments** — [Export Agent](/agent-builder/deploy/export-agent.md), [Secrets & Variables](/agent-builder/build/secrets-and-variables.md), and [Runtime & Versioning](/agent-builder/build/runtime-and-versioning.md)


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# Agent Instructions
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