Agent Mode in Opal

Agent Mode introduces a significant shift in how you build within Opal. Before, Opal helped you chain prompts and different models together into a custom workflow. Now, your Opal is powered by an agent capable of executing much more open-ended and complex tasks based on the prompt objective you give it.

Create an Opal with Agent Mode

The Agent is the most powerful way to build a mini-app that can handle complex tasks, use memory, and coordinate multiple steps. This guide will walk you through setting up an Agent using the visual editor.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Start Your Journey: Click the Create New button on the Opal homepage to open a fresh canvas in the visual editor.
2. Add a Generation Step: Click Generate at the top of the editor. This creates a new generation node on your map and opens the sidebar.
3. Select the Agent Model: In the sidebar, click the model drop-down menu and select Agent. This gives your Opal advanced reasoning and tool-use capabilities.
4. Natural Language Description: Click into the prompt area and explain your idea. The Agent will use your instructions to build out the logic of your app.
   • Example: "Create a research agent that inputs a company name, uses @Search to find their latest mission statement, and then generates a witty social media bio."
5. Test and Preview: Once processed, the visual map updates with connections. Click the background of the editor and check the Preview section in the sidebar to try it out.

Pro Tip: Agent mode is enabled by default.

Harness Agent Skills and Memory

The real power of an Agent lies in its ability to use Memory and External Skills. By incorporating these into your prompt, your mini-app becomes a dynamic tool.

Create with Memory and Skills

Tool Menu: Use the @ symbol in the prompt area to pull up a menu of available skills.

• Complex Workflows: Describe a flow that requires multiple actions.
  • Example: "Build a research tool to @Search for top 3 travel trends for 2026. Use @Memory to remember these trends, and then use @Veo to generate an 8-second teaser video."

How it Works

Once the Agent processes a complex request, it automatically creates the necessary nodes (e.g., Search -> Memory -> Veo). You can test the memory later by asking follow-up questions like: "Write a blog post based on the trends you found earlier."

Understand Agentic Steps and Tools

The Agent Toolkit allows your Opal to perform actions like generating video, executing code, or remembering facts over time.

Feature	Standard Workflow	Agent Mode
Logic	Linear / Chained Prompts	Open-ended / Reasoning
Execution	Manual Step Connection	Autonomous Coordination
Capabilities	Static Responses	Tool Use (Search, Video)
Input	Structured Prompts	Natural Language

The Agent Toolkit

Tool	Capability
Gemini 3	Reasoning, code execution, and Google Search/Maps grounding.
Veo 3.1	High-fidelity video production with custom aspect ratios.
Nano Banana	Studio-quality image generation and precise visual editing.
Gemini TTS	Converts text into speech using distinct, high-quality voices.
Lyria	Specialized music generation for custom soundtracks.
Search/Maps	Real-time grounding for weather, location, and events.
Code Exec	Allows the Agent to run Python code for math or data tasks.
Memory	Enables your app to store and recall details across sessions.

💡 Pro Tip: Writing Objective-Based Prompts

Building with an Agent differs from building with standard models. Focus on the Objective rather than micro-tasks. The Agent uses reasoning to decide which tools best reach your goal.

Focus on the "What," Not the "How"

Clearly state the final result you want to achieve:

• Avoid (Task-Based): "First, click the search button, then look for 2026 trends, then save them, then write a summary."
• Better (Objective-Based): "Your goal is to become an expert on 2026
  travel trends. Identify the top 3 trends and ensure they are saved."

Use Your Toolkit

You can increase accuracy by explicitly mentioning tools in two ways: 1. Natural Language: Mention the tool by name (e.g., "Use Search and Memory to..."). The Agent will recognize the intent. 2. Tool Chips (@): For maximum precision, use the @ symbol to tag a specific tool (e.g., "Use @Search to find news"). This "hard-links" the tool and prevents hallucination.

Example Objective-Driven Prompt: "Your objective is to act as a Project Manager for my website launch. Use @Search to find the current best practices for SEO in 2026, then save those facts to @Memory. If I ask for a status update, @Go to [Summary_Step]; otherwise, stay in @Memory mode."

Persistent Memory

Opal has evolved beyond "one-and-done" interactions. With Persistent Memory, your mini-apps log, update, and recall information across different sessions.

How Memory Transforms Your Mini-App

• Eliminate "Warm-up" Time: The Agent recalls previously gathered research so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
• Persistent Preferences: Set a preference once (e.g., "minimalist, cinematic aesthetic") and the Agent applies it to all future generations.
• Project Lifecycle Awareness: Store data one day (like travel trends) and use it to power a different output the next (like a social strategy).

How to Activate and Manage Memory

Give your Agent "total recall" using the natural language editor or the visual editor map.

Invoke and Manage Data

Use the @ Reference System: In the prompt area, type @Memory or "Use memory to..." This tells the Agent to check its internal database.

• Natural Language Commands: You can prompt the Agent to organize its own memory with commands like:
  • "List all the travel trends you've saved so far."
  • "Delete the entry about 'Space Tourism' and update it with 'Eco-trekking'."
• Visual Editor Connections: Drag a connection from a Generate step (like a web search) directly into a Memory node to ensure the output is saved.

Example: Plant Caretaker App "Check memory for my 'Plant Collection.' If it doesn't exist, create a list. Whenever I show a photo of a new plant, identify it and add it. Remember the watering schedule so I can ask you later what needs care."

Manage Your Agent's Memory

Memory is not permanent. You can instruct your Agent to edit, update, or completely wipe stored information at any time.

Edit or Delete Entries

• Update existing memory: "Update my 'Plant Collection' memory. My Snake Plant 'Sid' was actually watered today."
• Delete a specific entry: "Forget the travel trend about 'Space Tourism' from my 2026 research log."
• Clear all memories: "Clear all stored memories and reset my project history."

Pro Tip: Auditing Your Memory

Ask for a "Memory Audit" to see what is stored. Type: "List everything you remember about my client meeting preferences." Review the output in the Preview window, then use delete or edit commands to refine it.

Example: Building a "Smart Garden" Mini-App

An Agent transforms a basic plant-care app into a personalized digital garden by combining Vision, Memory, and Creative Skills.

• Visual Recognition: Use @Vision to identify species from photos.
• Personalization: @Memory recognizes specific plants by name (e.g., "Monty" the Money Tree) and tracks health history.
• Multimedia Creation:
  • Nano Banana: Generates stylized "Care Cards" with illustrations.
  • Lyria: Creates a custom "Lo-fi Garden" soundtrack for watering.

Try This Prompt: "Create a plant care mini-app. Use @Vision to identify a plant, save its name and status to @Memory, and use @Nano Banana to generate a unique care instruction card."

Routing: Giving Your Agent Decision-Making Power

Routing allows the Agent to choose a specific outgoing path based on logic you define, turning your app into a smart flowchart.

How to Use Routing

1. Connect multiple wires: Drag from the Agent step to two or more different nodes (e.g., "Success" and "Error").
2. Access the Routing menu: Select the Agent node and type @ in the prompt area.
3. Select the "Go to" chip: Choose @Go to from the menu to reference specific connected steps.
4. Define logic: "Analyze the plant photo. If the plant looks healthy, @Go to [Celebrate Step]. If it looks wilted, @Go to [Watering Advice Step]." ## Why Use Routing?

Routing transforms your Opal from a linear process into a dynamic experience.

Instead of seeing every possible output, the user only sees the path relevant to their specific input, making the mini-app feel much more intelligent, responsive, and personal.

Pro Tip: Advanced Example: The Persistent Travel Planner

Use If...then statements to create an app that distinguishes between a "Discovery" phase and a "Planning" phase. This ensures the Agent doesn't repeat research it has already done.

How to Build the Logic

1. Visual Editor Setup: Ensure your Agent node has two outgoing wires: one connected to a step named [Destination Discovery] and another to [Itinerary Builder].
2. Enter the Logic Prompt: Select the Agent node and paste the following into the sidebar: > "Ask the user where they want to travel. IF the destination is > already saved in @Memory, THEN @Go to [Itinerary Builder] to > start booking flights and hotels. IF the destination is new, THEN > @Go to [Destination Discovery] to use @Search and find the > top-rated hidden gems for that location." ### Why This Works
3. Contextual Intelligence: The app "recognizes" user progress. If they've already researched Tokyo, the app skips introductions and moves straight to logistics.
4. Optimized Workflows: Routing prevents the Agent from performing unnecessary @Search steps, saving time and increasing responsiveness.
5. Seamless Memory Integration: The Agent treats @Memory as a living database, updating it during the "Discovery" phase so that the "Builder" phase is ready the next time the user logs in.