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Description

This PR fixes #349 by implementing conversation state persistence in the A2A client.

Problem

The current implementation of a2a_send_message does not persist context_id or task_id returned by the server. This means:

  • Each request creates new server-side IDs
  • Follow-up messages cannot continue the same conversation or task
  • Multi-turn conversations are broken

Solution

Implemented conversation state tracking following the A2A protocol specification:

  1. context_id persistence: Store the context_id from the first server response and automatically include it in all subsequent requests within the same session.

  2. task_id tracking per agent: Track active tasks per agent URL and automatically reuse the task_id while tasks are in non-terminal states (submitted, working, input-required).

  3. Terminal state cleanup: Clear stored task_id when tasks reach terminal states (completed, canceled, failed, rejected) to allow new tasks to be created.

  4. Explicit overrides: Allow callers to explicitly provide context_id or task_id to override automatic behavior.

New Features

  • Added context_id and task_id parameters to a2a_send_message for explicit control
  • Added a2a_get_conversation_state tool for debugging/inspection
  • Added a2a_clear_conversation_state tool to reset conversation state

Related Issues

Closes #349

Type of Change

  • Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
  • New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)

Testing

  • Added comprehensive unit tests for conversation state management
  • Added tests for terminal state handling
  • Added tests for stored vs explicit ID usage
  • All existing tests pass
  • Lint passes (fixed line length issues)

Checklist

  • I have read the CONTRIBUTING document
  • I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
  • I have updated the documentation accordingly
  • My changes generate no new warnings

Automated by strands-coder 🦆

cagataycali and others added 2 commits January 11, 2026 16:35
This commit adds context_id and task_id persistence to the A2A client tool,
enabling proper multi-turn conversations with A2A-compliant agents.

Changes:
- Add context_id and task_id parameters to a2a_send_message
- Automatically persist context_id from server responses
- Track active tasks and auto-continue single active tasks
- Remove tasks from tracking when they reach terminal states
- Add a2a_get_conversation_state tool for debugging
- Add a2a_clear_conversation_state tool to reset conversations

The implementation follows the solution proposed in issue strands-agents#349:
1. Persist context_id per conversation/session
2. Track task_id per agent until terminal state
3. Include IDs in subsequent requests automatically
4. Allow explicit override of IDs when needed

Fixes strands-agents#349
@tool
async def a2a_send_message(
self, message_text: str, target_agent_url: str, message_id: str | None = None
self,

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Since this tool is LLM-invoked, how do you envision callers supplying explicit context_id / task_id without relying on the LLM? And if IDs are passed by the LLM, should we validate them against stored state to avoid hallucinations?

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If want to hardcode any parameter for a tool, consumer of tool can wrap into another tool and hardcode their logic there safely.

Having persistent keys available to LLM allows switch between sessions on the flip side ^^

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That makes sense 👍

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Approved from my end. One check is currently failing — FYI. Happy to re-review.

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There is a failing test in integ due to function signature change, my autonomous agent probably will pick and work on it

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@cagataycali cagataycali Jan 12, 2026

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Fix PR for integ is here: #359

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Hi, we have implemented this functionality a little differently on an internal library that extends this strands_tools library.

We pass a session_id in the constructor of a custom A2AClientToolProvider class. Then inside the _send_message() function we set context_id to be self.session_id. We did this because we want our A2A client to set the session_id (context_id) vs. the downstream A2A agent generating it. This enables the agent serving as the A2A client to receive the session_id from its upstream calling app (e.g. a web chat UI) and restore prior sessions, verify user ownership of the session, etc. All of that we want to do in deterministic (non LLM) code.

The solution proposed here moves that responsibility out of the client and puts it with the downstream A2A agent to generate the initial session ID (context_id). How might that impact the session restoration and authorization checks we've implemented in the agent with the A2A client?

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[BUG] The current implementation of a2a_send_message does not persist context_id or task_id

3 participants