An AI agent heartbeat runs on a defined interval rather than waiting for a direct user request. It can inspect current conditions, resume an eligible workflow, refresh context, renew a lease, or record that the agent remains healthy.
Heartbeats should be bounded and idempotent so repeated checks do not create duplicate actions. They also need clear stop conditions, access controls, and durable evidence of what each check observed and changed.
ELI5
An agent heartbeat is a regular wake-up signal for an AI agent. It gives the agent a chance to check whether new work exists, continue an allowed task, refresh important state, or simply record that it is still operating.
For example, an agent that watches a support queue might wake every ten minutes, look for a newly assigned ticket, and go back to waiting if there is none. Each check should be safe to repeat and should stop when the monitoring job is no longer needed.
How is an agent heartbeat different from an event trigger?
A heartbeat occurs periodically even without an external event, while an event trigger responds to a specific state change or message.
What can an agent heartbeat do?
It can check for eligible work, refresh context, renew ownership, detect stalled tasks, emit health evidence, or resume a dormant workflow.
