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Get started with Elastic Agent Builder

To start using Elastic Agent Builder you need an Elasticsearch deployment. If you don't already have an Elasticsearch deployment, refer to Get started with search.

For Elastic Cloud Hosted deployments, make sure you are using the solution navigation instead of classic navigation. You can set up a new space to use the solution nav.

Admonition

This feature requires the appropriate Elastic Stack subscription or Serverless project feature tier.

  1. Enable Elastic Agent Builder

    Elastic Agent Builder is enabled by default in serverless Elasticsearch projects. You can access it from multiple entry points in the UI:

    • Select the Agent Builder card on the Elasticsearch home page.
    • Click Agents in the navigation menu.
    • Click the AI Agent button in the top-right header to start a conversation from any page.
    • Open the Agent builder API tutorial from the Kibana Getting started page, under Explore the API.

    You can also search for Agents in the global search field.

    In Elastic Observability projects, you must switch from AI Assistant to Agent Builder to enable the feature.

    Once enabled, find Agents in the navigation menu to begin using the feature, or search for Agents in the global search field.

    In Elastic Security projects, you must switch from AI Assistant to Agent Builder to enable the feature.

    Once enabled, find Agents in the navigation menu to begin using the feature, or search for Agents in the global search field.

    On non-serverless deployments, Elastic Agent Builder availability depends on the navigation mode of your Kibana space:

    • Elasticsearch solution view: Elastic Agent Builder is enabled by default, replacing Search Assistant. You can access it from multiple entry points:
      • Select the Agent Builder card on the Elasticsearch home page.
      • Click Agents in the navigation menu.
      • Click the AI Agent button in the top-right header to start a conversation from any page.
      • Open the Agent builder API tutorial from the Kibana Getting started page, under Explore the API.
    • Elastic Observability and Elastic Security solution views: You must switch from AI Assistant to Agent Builder to enable the feature. Once enabled, find Agents in the navigation menu.
    • Classic view: Elastic Agent Builder appears in the side navigation under Elasticsearch. You can choose Agent Builder as your assistant through the initial selector or the chat experience switch.

    You can also search for Agents in the global search field.

    Note

    To learn about required privileges for Elastic Agent Builder, refer to Permissions and access control.

  2. Ingest data into Elasticsearch

    Before you begin with agents, you need some data in Elasticsearch. Otherwise, you will be chatting to the underlying LLM without any retrieval-augmented context.

    To learn about adding data for search use cases, go to Ingest for search use cases. For a broader overview of ingestion options, go to Ingest: Bring your data to Elastic.

    Tip

    If you're not ready to add your own data, you can:

  3. Start a conversation

    The Agent Chat UI provides a conversational interface where you can interact with agents and explore your data using natural language. The default Elastic AI Agent is ready to use immediately.

    Learn more in Agent Chat.

  4. Configure model (optional)

    On Elastic Cloud Hosted and Elastic Cloud Serverless, Elastic Agent Builder comes with preconfigured models ready to use. To switch models or add your own, refer to model selection and configuration.

  5. Begin building agents and tools

    Once you've tested built-in agents with built-in Elastic tools, you can begin building your own agents with custom instructions and creating your own tools to assign them. You can also clone the default Elastic AI Agent as a starting point for a custom agent.

    To build agents and tools programmatically, try the Elastic Agent Builder API tutorial or explore the Kibana APIs.