smolagents is a leading agent framework in the 2026 AI agent engineering landscape (28.1k★).
When to use this skill
- ~1k-line core: CodeAgent writes actions as Python code instead of JSON tool calls
- ToolCallingAgent for classic JSON tool calling when preferred
- Sandboxed execution: local, Docker, E2B, WebAssembly executors
- Model-agnostic: InferenceClientModel, LiteLLM, Transformers, OpenAI/Azure, Bedrock
- Tool sharing/loading via HF Hub; MCP tool import
- Multi-agent via managed_agents; CLI entrypoints smolagent/webagent
- Ecosystem overlap: agent-tool-routing covers registry concepts; smolagents' code-as-action is a distinct execution paradigm not covered anywhere
Installation
pip install "smolagents[toolkit]"
Core API
from smolagents import CodeAgent, WebSearchTool, InferenceClientModel
model = InferenceClientModel()
agent = CodeAgent(tools=[WebSearchTool()], model=model, stream_outputs=True)
agent.run("How many seconds would it take for a leopard at full speed to run through Pont des Arts?")
Instructions
Step 1: Initialize the environment
Verify you have Python installed and set up properly. Use the correct package manager (pip, npm, pnpm, uv) as specified in the installation section.
Step 2: Establish the agent flow
Architecture pattern: ReAct loop where the action space is executable Python (code-as-action); executor abstraction isolates side effects; agents composable as managed tools
Step 3: Implement tool integrations and policies
Integrate necessary tools, environment keys, and safety gates according to your architectural needs. Position in the ecosystem: The minimal code-first agent framework; research shows code-actions cut steps ~30%; alternatives: langgraph (graphs), pi (TS minimal harness)
Examples
Example 1: Minimal Agent Run
from smolagents import CodeAgent, WebSearchTool, InferenceClientModel
model = InferenceClientModel()
agent = CodeAgent(tools=[WebSearchTool()], model=model, stream_outputs=True)
agent.run("How many seconds would it take for a leopard at full speed to run through Pont des Arts?")
Best practices
- Follow the primary installation commands for smolagents to ensure dependencies are resolved correctly.
- Configure model providers and API keys securely before starting the runtime.
- Use appropriate sandboxing or permission isolation if executing AI-generated code.