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package/content/04-protocol/10-types.md

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+---
+title: Types
+description: Defining custom types for structured data in your agent protocol.
+---
+
+# Types
+
+Types let you define reusable data structures for your agent. Use them in inputs, triggers, tools, resources, variables, and structured output responses.
+
+## Why Types?
+
+- **Reusability** — Define once, use in multiple places
+- **Validation** — Catch errors at protocol validation time
+- **Documentation** — Clear data contracts for your agent
+- **Tool Parameters** — Use complex types in tool parameters
+- **Structured Output** — Get typed JSON responses from the LLM
+
+## Defining Types
+
+Types are defined in the `types:` section using PascalCase names:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  Product:
+    id:
+      type: string
+      description: Unique product identifier
+    name:
+      type: string
+      description: Product display name
+    price:
+      type: number
+      description: Price in cents
+    inStock:
+      type: boolean
+      description: Whether the product is available
+```
+
+## Built-in Types
+
+These scalar types can be used directly in inputs, resources, variables, triggers, and tool parameters:
+
+| Type      | Description                           | Example Values                  |
+| --------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
+| `string`  | Text values                           | `"hello"`, `"user@example.com"` |
+| `number`  | Numeric values (integers or decimals) | `42`, `3.14`, `-10`             |
+| `integer` | Whole numbers only                    | `1`, `100`, `-5`                |
+| `boolean` | True or false                         | `true`, `false`                 |
+| `unknown` | Any value (no type checking)          | Any JSON value                  |
+| `file`    | Uploaded file reference               | `{ id, mediaType, url, ... }`   |
+
+The `file` type represents an uploaded file (image, document, etc.) with this structure:
+
+```typescript
+interface FileReference {
+  id: string; // Unique file ID
+  mediaType: string; // MIME type (e.g., 'image/png')
+  url: string; // Presigned download URL
+  filename?: string; // Original filename
+  size?: number; // File size in bytes
+}
+```
+
+> **Note:** There is no standalone `array` or `object` type. If you need typed arrays or objects, define a [custom type](#defining-types). If you don't care about the internal structure, use `unknown`.
+
+## Array Shorthand
+
+For simple arrays, use the `type[]` shorthand syntax:
+
+```yaml
+triggers:
+  user-message:
+    input:
+      USER_MESSAGE:
+        type: string
+      FILES:
+        type: file[] # Array of file references
+        optional: true
+
+variables:
+  TAGS:
+    type: string[] # Array of strings
+```
+
+This is equivalent to defining a top-level array type but more concise. Array shorthand works with any built-in type or custom type reference:
+
+| Shorthand  | Equivalent To                 |
+| ---------- | ----------------------------- |
+| `string[]` | Array of strings              |
+| `file[]`   | Array of file references      |
+| `number[]` | Array of numbers              |
+| `MyType[]` | Array of custom type `MyType` |
+
+## Property Fields
+
+Each property in a type can have these fields:
+
+| Field         | Required | Description                                            |
+| ------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
+| `type`        | Yes      | The data type (built-in or custom type reference)      |
+| `description` | No       | Human-readable description                             |
+| `optional`    | No       | If `true`, property is not required (default: `false`) |
+| `enum`        | No       | List of allowed string values                          |
+| `const`       | No       | Fixed literal value (for discriminators)               |
+
+### Required vs Optional
+
+Properties are **required by default**. Use `optional: true` to make them optional:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  UserProfile:
+    email:
+      type: string
+      description: User's email address
+
+    phone:
+      type: string
+      description: User's phone number
+      optional: true
+
+    nickname:
+      type: string
+      optional: true
+```
+
+### Descriptions
+
+Descriptions help document your types and guide LLM behavior:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  SupportTicket:
+    priority:
+      type: string
+      enum: [low, medium, high, urgent]
+      description: >
+        Ticket priority level. Use 'urgent' only for critical issues
+        affecting multiple users or causing data loss.
+```
+
+## Enums
+
+Restrict string values to a specific set:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  OrderStatus:
+    status:
+      type: string
+      enum: [pending, processing, shipped, delivered, cancelled]
+      description: Current order status
+
+    paymentMethod:
+      type: string
+      enum: [credit_card, paypal, bank_transfer]
+```
+
+## Arrays
+
+There are two ways to define arrays:
+
+### Array Properties
+
+Define array properties within object types using `type: array` and an `items` definition:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  ShoppingCart:
+    items:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: CartItem
+      description: Items in the cart
+
+    tags:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+      description: Cart tags for analytics
+
+  CartItem:
+    productId:
+      type: string
+    quantity:
+      type: integer
+```
+
+### Top-Level Array Types
+
+Define a named type that IS an array (not an object containing an array):
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  CartItem:
+    productId:
+      type: string
+      description: Product ID to add to cart
+    quantity:
+      type: integer
+      description: Number of items (1-10)
+
+  # Top-level array type - the type IS an array
+  CartItemList:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      type: CartItem
+    description: List of cart items
+```
+
+Top-level array types are useful when you need to pass arrays as tool parameters without wrapping them in an object.
+
+### Array Guidelines
+
+When using arrays in structured output, use descriptions to guide the LLM on expected array sizes:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  Survey:
+    answers:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+      description: Survey answers (provide 1-10 responses)
+
+  TopPicks:
+    recommendations:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: Product
+      description: Top 3-5 product recommendations
+```
+
+> **Note:** Array length constraints (`minItems`, `maxItems`) are not enforced by LLM providers in structured output. Use descriptive prompts to guide the model.
+
+## Type References
+
+Reference other types by their PascalCase name:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  Address:
+    street:
+      type: string
+    city:
+      type: string
+    country:
+      type: string
+    postalCode:
+      type: string
+
+  Customer:
+    name:
+      type: string
+    email:
+      type: string
+    shippingAddress:
+      type: Address
+    billingAddress:
+      type: Address
+      optional: true
+```
+
+## Discriminated Unions
+
+Create types that can be one of several variants using `anyOf`. Each variant must have a discriminator field with a unique `const` value:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  PaymentResult:
+    anyOf:
+      - PaymentSuccess
+      - PaymentFailure
+    discriminator: status
+
+  PaymentSuccess:
+    status:
+      type: string
+      const: success
+    transactionId:
+      type: string
+      description: Unique transaction identifier
+    amount:
+      type: number
+      description: Amount charged in cents
+
+  PaymentFailure:
+    status:
+      type: string
+      const: failure
+    errorCode:
+      type: string
+      description: Error code for the failure
+    message:
+      type: string
+      description: Human-readable error message
+```
+
+### Union Requirements
+
+- Use `anyOf` with an array of type names (minimum 2)
+- Specify a `discriminator` field name
+- Each variant must have the discriminator field with a unique `const` value
+
+### Multiple Unions
+
+You can have multiple discriminated unions:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  ApiResponse:
+    anyOf:
+      - SuccessResponse
+      - ErrorResponse
+    discriminator: status
+
+  SuccessResponse:
+    status:
+      type: string
+      const: success
+    data:
+      type: unknown
+
+  ErrorResponse:
+    status:
+      type: string
+      const: error
+    message:
+      type: string
+
+  UserAction:
+    anyOf:
+      - ClickAction
+      - ScrollAction
+      - SubmitAction
+    discriminator: type
+
+  ClickAction:
+    type:
+      type: string
+      const: click
+    elementId:
+      type: string
+
+  ScrollAction:
+    type:
+      type: string
+      const: scroll
+    position:
+      type: number
+
+  SubmitAction:
+    type:
+      type: string
+      const: submit
+    formData:
+      type: unknown
+```
+
+## Complete Example
+
+Here's a comprehensive example combining multiple type features:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  # Simple object type
+  Price:
+    amount:
+      type: number
+      description: Price amount
+    currency:
+      type: string
+      enum: [USD, EUR, GBP]
+      description: Currency code
+
+  # Type with references and arrays
+  Product:
+    id:
+      type: string
+    name:
+      type: string
+    price:
+      type: Price
+    category:
+      type: string
+      enum: [electronics, clothing, home, sports]
+    tags:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+      description: Product tags (up to 10)
+      optional: true
+
+  # Discriminated union
+  SearchResult:
+    anyOf:
+      - ProductResult
+      - CategoryResult
+    discriminator: resultType
+
+  ProductResult:
+    resultType:
+      type: string
+      const: product
+    product:
+      type: Product
+    relevanceScore:
+      type: number
+
+  CategoryResult:
+    resultType:
+      type: string
+      const: category
+    categoryName:
+      type: string
+    productCount:
+      type: integer
+
+input:
+  STORE_NAME:
+    type: string
+
+triggers:
+  user-message:
+    input:
+      USER_MESSAGE:
+        type: string
+
+tools:
+  search-products:
+    description: Search the product catalog
+    parameters:
+      query:
+        type: string
+      category:
+        type: string
+        optional: true
+
+agent:
+  model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5
+  system: system
+  tools: [search-products]
+  agentic: true
+```
+
+## Using Types in Tools
+
+Custom types can be used in tool parameters. Tool calls are always objects where each parameter name maps to a value.
+
+### Basic Tool Parameters
+
+```yaml
+tools:
+  get-product:
+    description: Getting product details
+    parameters:
+      productId:
+        type: string
+      includeReviews:
+        type: boolean
+        optional: true
+```
+
+The LLM calls this with: `{ productId: "prod-123", includeReviews: true }`
+
+### Array Parameters
+
+For array parameters, define a top-level array type and use it as the parameter type:
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  CartItem:
+    productId:
+      type: string
+      description: Product ID to add to cart
+    quantity:
+      type: integer
+      description: Number of items (1-10)
+    giftWrap:
+      type: boolean
+      description: Whether to gift wrap this item
+      optional: true
+
+  # Top-level array type - the type IS an array
+  CartItemList:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      type: CartItem
+    description: List of cart items
+
+tools:
+  add-to-cart:
+    description: Adding products to cart
+    display: description
+    parameters:
+      cartItems:
+        type: CartItemList
+        description: Items to add to the cart
+```
+
+The tool receives: `{ cartItems: [{ productId: "...", quantity: 1 }, ...] }`
+
+### Why Use Named Array Types?
+
+Named array types provide:
+
+- **Reusability** — Use the same array type in multiple tools
+- **Clear schema** — The array structure is validated
+- **Clean tool calls** — No unnecessary wrapper objects
+
+## Structured Output
+
+Use `responseType` on a `next-message` block to get structured JSON responses instead of plain text.
+
+### Basic Example
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  ChatResponse:
+    content:
+      type: string
+      description: The main response text to the user
+    suggestions:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+      description: 1-3 follow-up suggestions (empty array if none)
+
+variables:
+  RESPONSE:
+    type: ChatResponse
+
+handlers:
+  user-message:
+    Respond to user:
+      block: next-message
+      responseType: ChatResponse
+      output: RESPONSE
+```
+
+### Discriminated Unions for Response Variants
+
+When you need different response formats based on context, use a discriminated union **wrapped in an object**. LLM providers don't allow `anyOf` (discriminated unions) at the schema root, so you must wrap them.
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  # ✅ Wrapper object (required - responseType must be an object, not a union)
+  ChatResponseWrapper:
+    response:
+      type: ChatResponseUnion
+      description: The response variant
+
+  # Discriminated union with 3 variants
+  ChatResponseUnion:
+    anyOf:
+      - ContentOnlyResponse
+      - ContentWithSuggestionsResponse
+      - ContentWithProductsResponse
+    discriminator: responseType
+
+  ContentOnlyResponse:
+    responseType:
+      type: string
+      const: content
+    content:
+      type: string
+
+  ContentWithSuggestionsResponse:
+    responseType:
+      type: string
+      const: content_with_suggestions
+    content:
+      type: string
+    suggestions:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+
+  ContentWithProductsResponse:
+    responseType:
+      type: string
+      const: content_with_products
+    content:
+      type: string
+    recommendedProducts:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: ProductSummary
+
+handlers:
+  user-message:
+    Respond to user:
+      block: next-message
+      responseType: ChatResponseWrapper # Use the wrapper, not the union directly
+```
+
+The client receives an object like `{ response: { responseType: "content_with_suggestions", content: "...", suggestions: [...] } }`.
+
+### Response Type Requirements
+
+The `responseType` must be an **object type** (regular custom type with properties).
+
+The following cannot be used directly as `responseType`:
+
+- **Discriminated unions** — LLM providers don't allow `anyOf` at the schema root ([OpenAI docs](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/structured-outputs#root-objects-must-not-be-anyof-and-must-be-an-object))
+- **Array types** — Must be wrapped in an object
+- **Primitives** — `string`, `number`, etc. are not valid
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  # ❌ Cannot use discriminated union directly as responseType
+  ChatResponseUnion:
+    anyOf: [ContentResponse, ProductResponse]
+    discriminator: type
+
+  # ✅ Wrap the union in an object
+  ChatResponseWrapper:
+    response:
+      type: ChatResponseUnion
+
+  # ❌ Cannot use array type as responseType
+  ProductList:
+    type: array
+    items:
+      type: Product
+
+  # ✅ Wrap the array in an object
+  ProductListResponse:
+    products:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: Product
+      description: List of products
+```
+
+### How It Works
+
+1. The LLM generates a structured JSON response matching the type schema
+2. The response is validated against the schema
+3. The parsed object is stored in the `output` variable (if specified)
+4. The client SDK receives an `object` part instead of a `text` part
+
+### Client-Side Rendering
+
+When `responseType` is set, the client SDK receives a `UIObjectPart` that can be rendered with custom UI. See the [Structured Output](/docs/client-sdk/structured-output) guide for details on building custom renderers.
+
+### Best Practices
+
+**Use descriptions to guide the LLM:**
+
+```yaml
+types:
+  ChatResponse:
+    content:
+      type: string
+      description: >
+        The main response to the user. Use markdown formatting
+        for lists and code blocks when appropriate.
+    suggestions:
+      type: array
+      items:
+        type: string
+      description: >
+        2-3 natural follow-up questions the user might ask.
+        Return an empty array if no suggestions are relevant.
+```
+
+**Keep types focused:**
+
+Create separate types for different response formats rather than one complex type with many optional fields. Use discriminated unions when the response can be one of several distinct variants.
+
+**Handle streaming gracefully:**
+
+The client receives partial objects during streaming. Design your UI to handle incomplete data (e.g., show skeleton loaders for missing fields).
+
+## Naming Conventions
+
+| Element        | Convention                        | Examples                                |
+| -------------- | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
+| Type names     | PascalCase                        | `Product`, `UserProfile`, `OrderStatus` |
+| Property names | camelCase                         | `firstName`, `orderId`, `isActive`      |
+| Enum values    | lowercase_snake_case or camelCase | `in_stock`, `pending`, `creditCard`     |
+
+## Validation
+
+Types are validated when the protocol is loaded:
+
+- Type names must be PascalCase
+- Referenced types must exist
+- Circular references are not allowed
+- Union variants must have unique discriminator values
+- Arrays with `type: array` must have an `items` definition
+
+## Limitations
+
+### Type Definition Limits
+
+- **No standalone `array` or `object`** — Define a custom type instead, or use `unknown` for untyped data
+- **No recursive types** — A type cannot reference itself (directly or indirectly)
+- **No generic types** — Types are concrete, not parameterized
+- **String enums only** — `enum` values must be strings
+- **No array constraints** — `minItems` and `maxItems` are not supported (LLM providers don't enforce them)
+
+### Tool Limitations
+
+- **Tool parameters are always objects** — Each tool call is `{ param1: value1, param2: value2, ... }`
+- **Array parameters need named types** — Use top-level array types for array parameters
+
+### Structured Output Limitations
+
+- **responseType must be an object type** — Only object types can be used as responseType
+- **Discriminated unions need object wrapper** — Unions (`anyOf`) are not allowed at the schema root
+- **Array types need object wrapper** — Arrays cannot be used directly as responseType
+- **Primitives are not allowed** — `string`, `number`, etc. cannot be used as responseType
+
+These limitations exist because LLM providers (OpenAI, Anthropic) require the root schema to be an object:
+
+- [OpenAI: Root objects must not be anyOf](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/structured-outputs#root-objects-must-not-be-anyof-and-must-be-an-object)
+- JSON Schema validation works best with explicit object structures at the root