Core Concepts Reference

Use this reference when deciding which Mastra primitive to use or when explaining the high-level shape of a Mastra application.

Agents vs workflows

Agent: Autonomous, makes decisions, uses tools. Use for open-ended tasks such as support, research, analysis, and tool-using assistants.

Workflow: Structured sequence of steps. Use for defined processes such as pipelines, approvals, ETL, multi-step business logic, and resumable processes.

Key components

• Tools: Extend agent capabilities through APIs, databases, external services, and deterministic functions.
• Memory: Maintain context through message history, working memory, semantic recall, and observational memory.
• Storage: Persist data with providers such as Postgres, LibSQL, and MongoDB.