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Import an A2A agent API (preview)

APPLIES TO: Basic v2 | Standard v2 | Premium v2

API Management supports managing AI agent APIs compatible with the Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol specification. The A2A protocol is an open client-server standard that enables different AI agent systems to communicate and work together using a shared interaction model. With the A2A agent API support in API Management, you can manage and govern agent APIs alongside other API types, including AI model APIs, Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools, and traditional APIs such as REST, SOAP, and GraphQL.

Note

This feature is in preview and has some limitations.

Learn more about managing AI APIs in API Management:

Key capabilities

When you import an A2A agent API, API Management provides the following capabilities:

  • Mediates JSON-RPC runtime operations to the A2A backend.
    • Enables governance and traffic control using policies.
    • When observability through Application Insights is enabled, adds the following A2A-specific attributes to comply with the OpenTelemetry GenAI semantic convention:
      • genai.agent.id - Set to the agent ID configured in the API settings
      • genai.agent.name- Set to the API name in the API settings
  • Exposes the agent card with the following transformations:
    • Replaces the hostname with API Management instance's hostname.
    • Sets the preferred transport protocol to JSON-RPC.
    • Removes all other interfaces in additionalInterfaces.
    • Rewrites security requirements to include the API Management subscription key requirement.

Prerequisites

Import A2A agent API using the portal

Use the following steps to import an A2A agent API to API Management.

  1. In the Azure portal, go to your API Management instance.

  2. In the left menu, under APIs, select APIs > + Add API.

  3. Select the A2A Agent tile.

    Screenshot of selecting A2A agent API tile in the portal.

  4. Under Agent card, enter the URL that points to the agent card JSON document. Select Next.

  5. On the Create an A2A agent API page, configure the API settings.

    1. If the Runtime URL and Agent ID aren't automatically configured based on the agent card, then provide the runtime URL of JSON-RPC operations to your agent and the agent ID used in OpenTelemetry traces emitted by the agent (gen_ai.agent.id attribute).
    2. Under General API settings, enter a Display name of your choice in the API Management instance, and optionally enter a Description.
    3. Under URL, enter a Base path that your API Management instance uses to access the A2A agent API. API Management displays a Base URL that clients can use to access the JSON-RPC API, and an Agent card URL to access the agent card through API Management.

  6. Select Create to create the API.

Screenshot of creating an A2A agent-compatible API in the portal.

Configure policies for the A2A agent API

Configure one or more API Management policies to help manage the A2A agent API.

To configure policies for your A2A agent API:

  1. In the Azure portal, go to your API Management instance.
  2. In the left-hand menu, under APIs, select your A2A agent API.
  3. In the left menu, under A2A, select Policies.
  4. In the policy editor, add or edit the policies you want to apply to the A2A agent API. The policies are defined in XML format.

Note

API Management evaluates policies configured at the global (all APIs) scope before policies at the A2A agent API scope.

Configure subscription key authentication

In the A2A API settings, you can optionally configure subscription key authentication through API Management. Learn more about subscription key authentication.

  1. Select the API you created in the previous step.
  2. On the Settings page, under Subscription, select (enable) Subscription required.

If you enable subscription key authentication, clients must include a valid subscription key in the Ocp-Apim-Subscription-Key header or subscription-key query parameter when calling the A2A agent API or accessing the agent card.

Test the A2A agent API

To make sure your A2A agent API works as expected, call the backend through API Management:

  1. Select the API you created in the previous step.
  2. On the Overview page, copy the Runtime base URL. Use this URL to call the A2A agent API through API Management.
  3. Configure a test client or use a tool such as curl to make a POST request to the agent. If subscription key authentication is enabled, include a valid subscription key header or query parameter in the request.

Tip

Similarly, access the agent card through API Management by making a GET request to the Agent card URL displayed on the Overview page of your A2A agent API.

Limitations

  • This feature is currently available only in API Management instances in the v2 tiers.
  • Only JSON-RPC-based A2A agent APIs are supported.
  • Deserialization of outgoing response bodies isn't supported.

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