Applications and transmissions

An application is an installable capability bundle. It is never mounted on every agent by default. Its inbound and outbound transmissions describe how the outside world enters the runtime and how agent tools reach back out.

Define an application

const helpdesk = defineApp({
  description: "Support messages and replies",
  config: z.object({ queue: z.string() }),
  inbound: [supportTransmission],
  outbound: [supportTransmission],
  connections: [supportListener],
  install: ({ config }) => Effect.succeed({
    tools: [queueStatusTool(config.queue)],
  }),
});

export default helpdesk;

One app can own multiple inbound and outbound transmissions. The install handler returns capability surfaces; it does not call the Glove runtime. The agent instance decides whether the app is installed.

Install on an instance

install(helpdesk, {
  queue: "enterprise",
}, {
  account: supportAccount,
})

This expression is serializable into the instance record. At reconstruction, Foundry resolves the imported definitions, validates config, asks your account and credential adapters for the permitted connection, and mounts outbound transmission capabilities as tools.

Transmissions own complex transport logic

const support = defineTransmission({
  name: "Support",
  account: {
    required: true,
    metadata: Schema.Struct({ address: Schema.String }),
  },
  events: [messageReceived, messageReply],
  inbound: {
    config: Schema.Struct({ channel: Schema.String }),
    event: Schema.Struct({ conversationId: Schema.String, message: Schema.String }),
    classify: () => Effect.succeed(messageReceived),
    predicates: [messageIncludes],
  },
  outbound: {
    input: Schema.Struct({ conversationId: Schema.String, message: Schema.String }),
    output: Schema.Struct({ externalMessageId: Schema.String }),
    adapter: { deliver: sendSupportReply },
  },
});

Credentials stay yours

Accounts are metadata and identity, not credentials. Application account IDs and connection state may be persisted; secrets should not be copied into an instance, manifest, event, or inspector trace.

Inbound is a runtime entry point

A worker authenticates and normalizes an external event through a transmission. Persisted playbook subscriptions decide which instances—or provisioning policies—receive it. This surface is intentionally specific to agent systems; backend networking concepts do not become public Foundry primitives.