Getting started with IBM watsonx Orchestrate

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IBM watsonx Orchestrate is an intuitive, AI-powered platform that helps you create, configure, and deploy intelligent agents that can automate business tasks. Whether you're automating repetitive workflows or building sophisticated multi-agent systems, the platform is designed to support users of all skill levels.

With watsonx Orchestrate, you can:

  • Build and deploy agents without writing code

  • Automate tasks such as scheduling, data entry, and approvals

  • Start small and scale up using built‑in integrations and advanced tooling

  • Explore the clean, guided UI that simplifies agent creation and management

Get a quick overview of how to use watsonx Orchestrate and learn the basics of creating your first AI agent:

Video - Welcome to watsonx Orchestrate

Working with AI agents

An AI agent is a system that performs tasks on behalf of a user or another program, either autonomously or with minimal user input. These tasks are often triggered by specific events, and the agent reports outcomes back to the user or system.

When agents interact with users, they learn optimal actions or make informed decisions. This learning process often uses reinforcement learning techniques, by enabling the agent to achieve a specific goal. With their ability to perceive, reason, and act, agents can be strategically applied across domains such as finance, healthcare, and HR to enhance efficiency, customer experience, and business growth.

You can interact with AI agents in several ways:

  • Use prebuilt agents and external agents from the catalog to get started quickly.

  • Create custom agents that use the no-code experience.

  • Access shared agents directly from your chat interface if your team already deployed them.

Continue exploring the next sections to learn how to discover, build, and use agents effectively.

Knowing your role

Clearly defining team roles on watsonx Orchestrate helps streamline operations and ensures everyone contributes effectively to building and using AI agents.

Three roles form the foundation of the platform: admin, builder, and user. However, to help ensure cohesive operations and strategic alignment, a fourth role is also essential: the product expert. Know each one:

  • Admin: The first member to join watsonx Orchestrate, the admin is responsible for granting user access and assigning roles. They must ensure that the platform is properly configured and ready for building and using AI agents.

Are you an admin? Go to Configuring the watsonx Orchestrate environment

  • Builder: The designer and creator of AI agents. Builders are responsible for developing agents that are tailored to specific business needs. They collaborate closely with users and admins to gather input and create solutions that streamline workflows and boost productivity.

Are you a builder? Go to Building AI agents to get started.

  • User: The person who interacts with AI agents to complete tasks more quickly and efficiently. Their primary interface on the platform is Orchestrate Chat, which allows them to run tasks through a conversational and intuitive experience.

Are you a user? Go to Using AI agents in the Orchestrate Chat to get started.

  • Product expert: A versatile member who embodies all three core roles—admin, builder, and user. Product experts oversee the full agentic experience, from configuring administrative settings to orchestrating complex multi-agent workflows. Their deep understanding of the platform ensures seamless integration and strategic alignment in the team.

Are you a product expert? Complete the three learning paths to unlock your full potential.

For more information about roles and its capabilities, see Roles on IBM watsonx Orchestrate.

Configuring the watsonx Orchestrate environment

Before your team can start building and using agents, admins must complete essential configurations, including:

  • Adding users and assigning roles

  • Managing connections and team credentials

  • Configuring instance security

  • Completing additional administrative settings

Follow the next guide path and click each step to know all the admin's assignments and start working on watsonx Orchestrate.

Figure 1: Guide path to configure the watsonx Orchestrate environment.

Building AI agents

The Agent Builder is a no‑code studio for designing agents from scratch or customizing prebuilt agent templates. As a builder, you can:

  • Add knowledge sources to your agents

  • Configure collaborative agents and tools

  • Deploy agents to production environments

  • Integrate with external channels

Follow the next guide path and click each step to know all the builder's assignments and start working on watsonx Orchestrate.

Figure 2: Guide path to build agents.

Organize agents with workspaces on IBM Cloud

  • You can now create workspaces to organize your agents and collaborate on IBM Cloud.
  • Workspaces give your team a private space where you can build, test, and manage agents together while keeping in‑progress work visible only to the people you choose.
  • You can assign members as owners or editors with role‑based permissions, move agents between workspaces while preserving dependencies, decide who can view or modify specific agents, and structure your work by project, team, or business unit.
  • Workspaces also provide analytics scoped to the workspace you’re using, helping you maintain governance while supporting focused, effective collaboration across your organization.
  • For more information about creating and managing workspaces, see Overview of workspaces.

Using AI agents in the Orchestrate Chat

Once the environment is configured and agents are deployed, users can interact with agents through Orchestrate Chat to complete tasks efficiently and boost productivity.

Follow the next guide path and click each step to know all the user's assignments and start working on watsonx Orchestrate.

Figure 3: Guide path to use agents in the Orchestrate Chat.

Additional resources

Deepen your understanding of watsonx Orchestrate with the following resources:

  • What's new in IBM® watsonx Orchestrate®: Stay up to date with the latest releases with improvements and new features from the watsonx Orchestrate team.

  • IBM watsonx Orchestrate ADK: Learn about the IBM watsonx Orchestrate Agent Development Kit (ADK), a set of tools that are designed to make it easy to build and deploy agents using watsonx Orchestrate.

Known issues

For known issues you might encounter, see Known issues and limitations.