Agent Operating Protocols (AOPs) follow a structured format that defines clear, sequential steps for automating business processes. Each AOP is composed of numbered steps that specify actions, skills to use, and expected outcomes.

AOP Step Structure

Each step in an AOP follows this format:

Step "<Step Name>": <Action Description>. <Skill/Tool Reference>. <Additional Context/Requirements>.

Key Components:

Step Number: Sequential ordering (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Step Name: Descriptive title in quotes
Action Description: What needs to be accomplished
Skill Reference: Specific skill to use (prefixed with @)
Context: Additional requirements, conditions, or notes

Complete AOP Example

Employee Application Access Management

Here's a comprehensive example showing proper AOP structure and design:

AOP Name: Employee Application Access Management
Description: Automate the process of ensuring all employees have required application access
Audience: All Employees

1. Step "Fetch Employee Data": Use the @Fetch All Employee Details to retrieve comprehensive employee information which includes their current application access status, department, role, and manager information.

2. Step "Analyse Current Access": Check which employees do not have access to any of the required applications. All employees must have access to ALL of these applications - Gmail, Confluence, and Bitbucket. Compare current access permissions against the required application list for each employee. Identify employees missing access to one or more applications.

3. Step "Compile Access Requirements": Create a comprehensive list of which employee needs which application access. Organise the data showing employee details, current access status, and missing applications. Prepare the information in a clear, structured format.

4. Step "HR Manager Approval": Send the compiled access requirements to the HR head for approval. Present the data in a markdown table with columns: Employee Name, Employee ID, Department, Current Access, Missing Applications, Justification, Priority. Request approval for provisioning the missing application access for identified employees.

5. Step "Configure Missing Access": After receiving HR approval, loop through each employee requiring access configuration. Use @Configure Access for each missing application. Note that Configure Access can only work on one application at a time, so multiple iterations may be required per employee.

6. Step "Send Notification Emails": Use loop to send personalised emails to each employee using @Send Email. Include details of the applications newly configured for them and the result of each configuration attempt (Pass/Fail). Provide instructions for accessing newly provisioned applications if configuration was successful.

7. Step "Send Bot Notifications": Use loop to send personalised notifications on bot to each employee using @Send Bot Notification. Include details of the applications newly configured for them and the result of each configuration attempt (Pass/Fail). Provide instructions for accessing newly provisioned applications if configuration was successful.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Step 1 Analysis:

Action: Data retrieval
Skill: @Fetch All Employee Details (Custom built workflow)
Output: Employee information with access status
Purpose: Foundation data for the entire process

Step 2 Analysis:

Action: Data analysis and comparison
Skill: N/A
Logic: Compare actual vs required access
Criteria: Gmail, Confluence, and Bitbucket access
Output: List of employees with missing access

Step 3 Analysis:

Action: Data organization and formatting
Skill: N/A
Purpose: Prepare information for human review
Format: Structured data showing gaps
Skill: N/A

Step 4 Analysis:

Action: Human approval workflow
Skill: Not a direct skill tagged, but implicitly uses 'Feedback Task skill' to take approval/input
Stakeholder: HR head
Format: Markdown table with specific columns
Decision Point: Continue only with approval

Step 5 Analysis:

Action: Automated configuration with loops
Skill: @Configure Access (Custom built workflow)
Constraint: One application at a time
Logic: Iterate through employees and applications

Steps 6-7 Analysis:

Action: Multi-channel notification
Pattern: Loop through employees
Skills: @Send Email and @Send Bot Notification
Content: Personalised status updates (designed through LLM)

AOP Design Principles

1. Clear Sequential Flow

Number steps sequentially (1, 2, 3...)
Each step should logically follow the previous one
Avoid branching or complex conditional logic in step descriptions
Use clear, descriptive step names

Example:

✅ Good Sequential Flow:
1. "Fetch Data" → 2. "Analyze Data" → 3. "Generate Report"

❌ Poor Sequential Flow:
1. "Do Everything" → 2. "Check Something" → 3. "Maybe Send Email"

2. Specific Skill References

Always reference skills with @ prefix (@Skill_Name) and select relevant skill.
Specify skill parameters and requirements clearly
Include error handling considerations

Examples:

✅ Correct Skill Reference:
"Use @Configure Access for each missing application"

❌ Incorrect Skill Reference:
"Configure access somehow"
"Use the configuration tool"

3. Data Flow Management

Clearly indicate how data flows between steps
Specify what information is passed from one step to the next
Include data transformation requirements
Document expected outputs from each step

Data Flow Example:

Step 1: Retrieve employee data → [Employee records with access status]
Step 2: Analyze access gaps → [List of employees missing access]
Step 3: Format for approval → [Structured report]
Step 4: Get approval → [Approval decision + authorized actions]

4. Loop and Iteration Patterns

When processing multiple items, use clear loop syntax:

Good Loop Examples:

"Use loop to send personalised emails to each employee using @Send Email"
"Loop through each employee requiring access configuration"
"Iterate through all departments for compliance checking"

Include:

What to loop through (employees, applications, records)
What action to perform in each iteration
What skill to use for each iteration
How to handle errors within loops

5. Approval and Human Interaction

For steps requiring human approval:

Structure:

"Send the [item] to the [role] for approval. Present the data in [format] with columns: [column list]. Request approval for [specific action]."

Example:

"Send the compiled access requirements to the HR head for approval. Present the data in a markdown table with columns: Employee Name, Employee ID, Department, Current Access, Missing Applications, Justification, Priority."