microsoft · Jason Robert (jrob5756) · Jun 2, 2026 · Apr 21, 2026 · Apr 21, 2026 · May 4, 2026
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ make validate-examples    # validate all examples
   - `base.py` - `AgentProvider` ABC defining `execute()`, `validate_connection()`, `close()`
   - `copilot.py` - GitHub Copilot SDK implementation
   - `claude.py` - Anthropic Claude API implementation
+  - `claude_agent_sdk.py` - Claude Agent SDK implementation (uses `claude-agent-sdk` package)
   - `factory.py` - Provider instantiation
 
 - **gates/**: Human-in-the-loop support
@@ -183,7 +184,7 @@ Use `pytest.mark.performance` for performance tests (exclude with `-m "not perfo
 
 ### Provider Parity
 
-All providers (`copilot.py`, `claude.py`) must maintain feature parity. Any change to one provider's behavior, contract, or capabilities must be applied to all providers. This includes:
+All providers must maintain feature parity where applicable. Any change to one provider's behavior, contract, or capabilities must be applied to all providers. This includes:
 
 - **Event callbacks**: Same event types emitted at the same semantic points
   - `agent_turn_start` with `{"turn": "awaiting_model"}` — immediately before each API call
@@ -199,6 +200,13 @@ All providers (`copilot.py`, `claude.py`) must maintain feature parity. Any chan
 
 When modifying any provider, check all other providers for the same change. The dashboard, JSONL logger, console subscriber, and workflow engine all depend on consistent behavior across providers.
 
+#### `claude_agent_sdk.py` parity notes
+
+The Claude Agent SDK provider (`claude_agent_sdk.py`) delegates the agentic loop to the `claude` CLI via the `claude-agent-sdk` package. This achieves **event and output parity** but the following are managed by the SDK rather than Conductor:
+
+- **Retry and error handling**: The SDK handles retries, backoff, and parse recovery internally. The provider wraps SDK errors in `ProviderError` but does not implement its own retry logic.
+- **Tool execution**: Tools and MCP servers are managed by the `claude` CLI's own configuration. Workflow-level `tools` and `runtime.mcp_servers` fields are ignored.
+- **Runtime config**: `temperature`, `max_tokens`, and `timeout` are not configurable per-workflow — they are controlled by the CLI.
 ### Run / Resume Parity
 
 The `run` and `resume` commands must accept the same flags wherever a flag is meaningful for a resumed run. When adding a new flag to `run`, add it to `resume` too unless there's a specific reason it cannot apply.

diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Conductor makes multi-agent workflows — code review pipelines, research-then-s
 ## Features
 
 - **YAML-based workflows** - Define multi-agent workflows in readable YAML
-- **Multiple providers** - GitHub Copilot or Anthropic Claude with seamless switching
+- **Multiple providers** - GitHub Copilot, Anthropic Claude, or Claude Agent SDK with seamless switching
 - **Parallel execution** - Run agents concurrently (static groups or dynamic for-each)
 - **Sub-workflow composition** - Reusable sub-workflows with templated `input_mapping`, usable inside `for_each` groups for dynamic fan-out
 - **Script steps** - Run shell commands and route on exit code or parsed JSON stdout
@@ -211,13 +211,13 @@ conductor stop
 
 Conductor supports multiple AI providers. Choose based on your needs:
 
-| Feature | Copilot | Claude |
-|---------|---------|--------|
-| **Pricing** | Subscription ($10-39/mo) | Pay-per-token |
-| **Context Window** | 8K-128K tokens | 200K tokens |
-| **Tool Support (MCP)** | Yes | Planned |
-| **Streaming** | Yes | Planned |
-| **Best For** | Heavy usage, tools | Large context, pay-per-use |
+| Feature | Copilot | Claude | Claude Agent SDK |
+|---------|---------|--------|------------------|
+| **Pricing** | Subscription ($10-39/mo) | Pay-per-token | Via Claude Code CLI |
+| **Context Window** | 8K-128K tokens | 200K tokens | 200K tokens |
+| **Tool Support (MCP)** | Yes | Planned | Yes (built-in) |
+| **Streaming** | Yes | Planned | Yes |
+| **Best For** | Heavy usage, tools | Large context, pay-per-use | Full Claude Code toolset |
 
 ### Using Claude
 
@@ -230,6 +230,19 @@ workflow:
 
 Set your API key: `export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...`
 
+### Using Claude Agent SDK
+
+```yaml
+workflow:
+  runtime:
+    provider: claude-agent-sdk
+    default_model: claude-sonnet-4-6
+```
+
+Requires the `claude` CLI to be installed and authenticated. Install the SDK: `uv add claude-agent-sdk`
+
+> **Note:** The `claude-agent-sdk` provider delegates tool and MCP server management to the `claude` CLI. Workflow-level `tools` and `runtime.mcp_servers` fields are ignored — configure these through your Claude Code settings instead.
+
 **See also:** [Claude Documentation](docs/providers/claude.md) | [Provider Comparison](docs/providers/comparison.md) | [Migration Guide](docs/providers/migration.md)
 
 ### Using a Local / Custom LLM Endpoint (Ollama, vLLM, Azure OpenAI, ...)

diff --git a/docs/cli-reference.md b/docs/cli-reference.md
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ conductor run <workflow.yaml> [OPTIONS]
 | `--metadata KEY=VALUE` | `-m` | Workflow metadata (repeatable). Merged on top of YAML `metadata:` and surfaced in the `workflow_started` event. |
 | `--workspace-instructions` | | Auto-discover convention files (`AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `.github/copilot-instructions.md`, and `.github/instructions/**/*.instructions.md`) by walking from CWD up to the git root. Concatenated and prepended to every agent's prompt. See [Workspace Instructions](#workspace-instructions) below for details on the `.github/instructions/` directory convention. |
 | `--instructions PATH` | | Explicit path to an instructions file (repeatable). Combines with auto-discovered files when both flags are used. |
-| `--provider PROVIDER` | `-p` | Override provider (copilot, claude) |
+| `--provider PROVIDER` | `-p` | Override provider (copilot, claude, claude-agent-sdk) |
 | `--dry-run` | | Show execution plan without running |
 | `--skip-gates` | | Auto-select first option at human gates |
 | `--quiet` | `-q` | Minimal output (agent lifecycle and routing only) |

diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ The `runtime` section of your workflow defines provider settings and global defa
 ```yaml
 workflow:
   runtime:
-    provider: copilot  # or 'claude'
+    provider: copilot  # or 'claude' or 'claude-agent-sdk'
     default_model: gpt-5.2
     temperature: 0.7
     max_tokens: 4096

diff --git a/docs/providers/comparison.md b/docs/providers/comparison.md
@@ -1,22 +1,23 @@
-# Provider Comparison: Copilot vs Claude
+# Provider Comparison: Copilot vs Claude vs Claude Agent SDK
 
-This guide helps you choose between GitHub Copilot and Anthropic Claude providers for your workflows.
+This guide helps you choose between GitHub Copilot, Anthropic Claude, and Claude Agent SDK providers for your workflows.
 
 ## Quick Comparison
 
-| Feature | Copilot | Claude | Winner |
-|---------|---------|--------|--------|
-| **Context Window** | per-model (SDK-reported) | per-model (SDK-reported) | Tie |
-| **Pricing Model** | Subscription ($10-39/mo) | Pay-per-token | Depends |
-| **Setup** | GitHub auth | API key | Copilot (easier) |
-| **Model Selection** | GPT-5.2, o1 | Haiku, Sonnet, Opus | Tie |
-| **Streaming** | Yes | No (Phase 1) | Copilot |
-| **Tool Support** | Yes (MCP, all types) | Yes (MCP, stdio only) | Copilot |
-| **Reasoning / Extended Thinking** | Yes (`reasoning_effort` on session) | Yes (extended `thinking` budget) | Tie |
-| **Speed** | Fast | Fast | Tie |
-| **Output Quality** | Excellent | Excellent | Tie |
-| **Cost Predictability** | High (flat rate) | Variable (usage-based) | Copilot |
-| **Multi-provider** | No | Yes (via Conductor) | Claude |
+| Feature | Copilot | Claude | Claude Agent SDK | Winner |
+|---------|---------|--------|------------------|--------|
+| **Context Window** | per-model (SDK-reported) | per-model (SDK-reported) | 200K | Tie |
+| **Pricing Model** | Subscription ($10-39/mo) | Pay-per-token | Via Claude Code CLI | Depends |
+| **Setup** | GitHub auth | API key | `claude` CLI auth | Copilot (easier) |
+| **Model Selection** | GPT-5.2, o1 | Haiku, Sonnet, Opus | Haiku, Sonnet, Opus | Tie |
+| **Streaming** | Yes | No (Phase 1) | Yes | Copilot / Claude Agent SDK |
+| **Tool Support** | Yes (MCP, all types) | Yes (MCP, stdio only) | Yes (built-in, CLI-managed) | Copilot |
+| **Reasoning / Extended Thinking** | Yes (`reasoning_effort` on session) | Yes (extended `thinking` budget) | Inherits from CLI config | Tie |
+| **Speed** | Fast | Fast | Fast | Tie |
+| **Output Quality** | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Tie |
+| **Cost Predictability** | High (flat rate) | Variable (usage-based) | Variable | Copilot |
+| **Multi-provider** | No | Yes (via Conductor) | No | Claude |
+| **Agentic Loop** | SDK-managed | Manual (provider code) | SDK-managed (delegated to CLI) | Depends |
 
 ## When to Use Copilot
 
@@ -112,6 +113,51 @@ agents:
     prompt: "Analyze the following document ({{ document | length }} chars)"
 ```
 
+## When to Use Claude Agent SDK
+
+### ✅ Choose Claude Agent SDK if:
+
+1. **You want built-in tool support with Claude models**
+   - WebSearch, WebFetch, Bash, file operations out of the box
+   - No MCP server configuration needed for common tools
+   - Full Claude Code toolset available
+
+2. **You already use the `claude` CLI**
+   - Authentication handled by the CLI
+   - No separate API key management
+   - Settings inherited from your Claude Code environment
+
+3. **You want the SDK to manage the agentic loop**
+   - Retry logic, tool execution, and structured output handled by the SDK
+   - Less provider code to maintain
+   - Native interrupt support
+
+4. **You need streaming with Claude models**
+   - Real-time message streaming (unlike the raw Claude provider)
+   - Typed message objects for each event
+
+### Important: Tools and MCP Servers
+
+The `claude-agent-sdk` provider delegates tool and MCP server management entirely to the `claude` CLI. This means:
+
+- Workflow-level `tools` and `runtime.mcp_servers` fields are **ignored** — configure tools and MCP servers through your Claude Code settings instead
+- The full Claude Code toolset (WebSearch, Bash, Read, Write, etc.) is available automatically
+- `temperature`, `max_tokens`, and `timeout` are also managed by the CLI and not configurable per-workflow
+
+### Example Claude Agent SDK Workflow
+
+```yaml
+workflow:
+  name: sdk-workflow
+  runtime:
+    provider: claude-agent-sdk
+    default_model: claude-sonnet-4-6
+
+agents:
+  - name: researcher
+    prompt: "Research {{ topic }} using web search"
+```
+
 ## Cost Comparison
 
 ### Scenario 1: Light Usage (10 hours/month)
@@ -326,6 +372,8 @@ Use this matrix to decide:
 | Process long documents | **Claude** |
 | Complex reasoning tasks | **Claude** (Opus) |
 | Simple high-volume tasks | **Claude** (Haiku 4.5) |
+| Already use `claude` CLI | **Claude Agent SDK** |
+| Want streaming with Claude | **Claude Agent SDK** |
 
 ## Multi-Provider Strategy
 
@@ -375,4 +423,11 @@ workflow:
 - ✅ Long document processing
 - ✅ Cost optimization (Haiku)
 
-**Bottom line**: Both are excellent. Choose based on your usage patterns, budget, and feature requirements. Conductor makes it easy to switch between them or use both strategically.
+**Choose Claude Agent SDK** for:
+- ✅ Built-in tools (WebSearch, Bash, etc.)
+- ✅ Streaming with Claude models
+- ✅ SDK-managed agentic loop
+- ✅ Existing `claude` CLI users
+- ✅ No API key management
+
+**Bottom line**: All three are excellent. Choose based on your usage patterns, budget, and feature requirements. Conductor makes it easy to switch between them or use all three strategically.
diff --git a/examples/test-claude-agent-sdk.yaml b/examples/test-claude-agent-sdk.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Simple Question-Answering Workflow using Claude Agent SDK
+#
+# This example demonstrates a basic linear workflow with a single agent
+# that answers questions. It shows:
+# - Basic workflow structure
+# - Input parameters
+# - Output schema validation
+# - Simple routing to $end
+#
+# Usage:
+#   conductor run examples/test-claude-agent-sdk.yaml --input question="What is Microsoft Conductor?"
+#
+# Note: Requires Claude Code CLI installed and configured. Adjust the runtime model as needed based on your Claude Code setup.
+
+workflow:
+  name: simple-qa
+  description: A simple question-answering workflow with a single agent
+  version: "1.0.0"
+  entry_point: answerer
+
+  runtime:
+    provider: claude-agent-sdk
+    default_model: claude-haiku-4-5@20251001 # Vertex AI naming; it depends on the backedend your Claude Code setup uses. Adjust as needed.
+
+  input:
+    question:
+      type: string
+      required: true
+      description: The question to answer
+
+agents:
+  - name: answerer
+    description: Answers the user's question clearly and concisely
+    prompt: |
+      You are a helpful assistant and researcher. Please answer the following question 
+      clearly and concisely:
+
+      Question: {{ workflow.input.question }}
+
+      Provide a direct answer without unnecessary preamble.
+    output:
+      answer:
+        type: string
+        description: The answer to the question
+      confidence:
+        type: string
+        description: Confidence level (high, medium, low)
+    routes:
+      - to: $end
+
+output:
+  answer: "{{ answerer.output.answer }}"
+  confidence: "{{ answerer.output.confidence }}"
diff --git a/plugins/conductor/skills/conductor/SKILL.md b/plugins/conductor/skills/conductor/SKILL.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ description: Validate, run, and execute workflows; creating new workflows when e
 
 # Conductor
 
-CLI tool for defining and running multi-agent workflows with the GitHub Copilot SDK or Anthropic Claude.
+CLI tool for defining and running multi-agent workflows with the GitHub Copilot SDK, Anthropic Claude, or Claude Agent SDK.
 
 > **DO NOT create new workflow files unless the user explicitly asks you to create one.** Default to running, validating, or debugging existing workflows. If the user's request is ambiguous, assume they want to run or modify an existing workflow rather than create a new one.
 

diff --git a/plugins/conductor/skills/conductor/references/yaml-schema.md b/plugins/conductor/skills/conductor/references/yaml-schema.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Complete reference for all YAML configuration options. Derived from the Pydantic
 
 ```yaml
 workflow: WorkflowDef              # Required: workflow configuration
-tools: [string]                    # Optional: workflow-level tool names
+tools: [string]                    # Optional: workflow-level tool names (ignored by claude-agent-sdk — uses CLI config)
 agents: [AgentDef]                 # Required: agent definitions
 parallel: [ParallelGroup]         # Optional: static parallel groups
 for_each: [ForEachDef]            # Optional: dynamic parallel groups
@@ -27,16 +27,16 @@ workflow:
 
   # Runtime configuration
   runtime:
-    provider: string | object       # "copilot" (default), "claude", or "openai-agents"
+    provider: string | object       # "copilot" (default), "claude", "claude-agent-sdk", or "openai-agents"
                                     # — or a ProviderSettings object (see below)
     default_model: string           # Default model for all agents
-    temperature: float              # 0.0-1.0, controls randomness (optional)
-    max_tokens: integer             # Max OUTPUT tokens per response, 1-200000 (optional)
-    timeout: float                  # Per-request timeout in seconds (optional, default: 600)
+    temperature: float              # 0.0-1.0, controls randomness (optional, copilot/claude only)
+    max_tokens: integer             # Max OUTPUT tokens per response, 1-200000 (optional, copilot/claude only)
+    timeout: float                  # Per-request timeout in seconds (optional, default: 600, copilot/claude only)
     max_agent_iterations: integer   # Max tool-use roundtrips per agent (1-500, optional)
     max_session_seconds: float      # Wall-clock timeout per agent session in seconds (optional)
     default_reasoning_effort: string # Workflow-wide reasoning/thinking effort: low, medium, high, xhigh (optional)
-    mcp_servers:                    # MCP server configurations
+    mcp_servers:                    # MCP server configurations (ignored by claude-agent-sdk — uses CLI config)
       <server_name>:
         type: string                # "stdio" (default), "http", or "sse"
         command: string             # Command to run (required for stdio)
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ agents:
     type: string                    # "agent" (default), "human_gate", "script", "workflow", "wait", or "terminate"
     description: string             # What this agent does
     model: string                   # Override default_model
-    provider: string                # Per-agent provider override ("copilot" or "claude")
+    provider: string                # Per-agent provider override ("copilot", "claude", or "claude-agent-sdk")
 
     # Input specification (for explicit context mode)
     input:

diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ dependencies = [
     "packaging>=21.0",
 ]
 
+[project.optional-dependencies]
+claude-agent-sdk = [
+    "claude-agent-sdk>=0.1.64",
+]
+
 [project.urls]
 Homepage = "https://github.com/microsoft/conductor"
 Documentation = "https://github.com/microsoft/conductor#readme"

diff --git a/src/conductor/config/schema.py b/src/conductor/config/schema.py
@@ -505,7 +505,7 @@ class AgentDef(BaseModel):
     ) = None
     """Agent type. Defaults to 'agent' if not specified."""
 
-    provider: Literal["copilot", "claude"] | None = None
+    provider: Literal["copilot", "claude", "claude-agent-sdk"] | None = None
     """Provider override for this agent.
 
     If None (default), the agent uses the workflow.runtime.provider.
@@ -1319,7 +1319,7 @@ class ProviderSettings(BaseModel):
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid", frozen=True)
 
-    name: Literal["copilot", "openai-agents", "claude"] = "copilot"
+    name: Literal["copilot", "openai-agents", "claude", "claude-agent-sdk"] = "copilot"
     """SDK provider to use for agent execution."""
 
     type: Literal["openai", "azure", "anthropic"] | None = None

diff --git a/src/conductor/providers/__init__.py b/src/conductor/providers/__init__.py
@@ -12,12 +12,14 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from conductor.providers.claude import ClaudeProvider
+    from conductor.providers.claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentSdkProvider
     from conductor.providers.copilot import CopilotProvider
     from conductor.providers.factory import create_provider
 
 __all__ = [
     "AgentOutput",
     "AgentProvider",
+    "ClaudeAgentSdkProvider",
     "ClaudeProvider",
     "CopilotProvider",
     "create_provider",
@@ -29,6 +31,10 @@ def __getattr__(name: str) -> Any:
         from conductor.providers.claude import ClaudeProvider
 
         return ClaudeProvider
+    if name == "ClaudeAgentSdkProvider":
+        from conductor.providers.claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentSdkProvider
+
+        return ClaudeAgentSdkProvider
     if name == "CopilotProvider":
         from conductor.providers.copilot import CopilotProvider