swarms/docs/swarms/structs/group_chat.md

GroupChat Swarm Documentation

A production-grade multi-agent system enabling sophisticated group conversations between AI agents with customizable speaking patterns, parallel processing capabilities, and comprehensive conversation tracking.

Advanced Configuration

Agent Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
agent_name	str	Required	Unique identifier for the agent
system_prompt	str	Required	Role and behavior instructions
llm	Any	Required	Language model instance
max_loops	int	1	Maximum conversation turns
autosave	bool	False	Enable conversation saving
dashboard	bool	False	Enable monitoring dashboard
verbose	bool	True	Enable detailed logging
dynamic_temperature	bool	True	Enable dynamic temperature
retry_attempts	int	1	Failed request retry count
context_length	int	200000	Maximum context window
output_type	str	"string"	Response format type
streaming_on	bool	False	Enable streaming responses

GroupChat Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
name	str	"GroupChat"	Chat group identifier
description	str	""	Purpose description
agents	List[Agent]	[]	Participating agents
speaker_fn	Callable	round_robin	Speaker selection function
max_loops	int	10	Maximum conversation turns

Core Concepts

The GroupChat system consists of several key components:

1. Agents: Individual AI agents with specialized knowledge and roles
2. Speaker Functions: Control mechanisms for conversation flow
3. Chat History: Structured conversation tracking
4. Response Models: Pydantic models for data validation

Basic Usage

import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from swarms import Agent, GroupChat, expertise_based

if __name__ == "__main__":

    # Example agents
    agent1 = Agent(
        agent_name="Financial-Analysis-Agent",
        system_prompt="You are a financial analyst specializing in investment strategies.",
        model_name="gpt-4.1",
        max_loops=1,
    )

    agent2 = Agent(
        agent_name="Tax-Adviser-Agent",
        system_prompt="You are a tax adviser who provides clear and concise guidance on tax-related queries.",
        model_name="gpt-4.1",
        max_loops=1,
    )

    agents = [agent1, agent2]

    chat = GroupChat(
        name="Investment Advisory",
        description="Financial and tax analysis group",
        agents=agents,
        speaker_fn=expertise_based,
    )

    history = chat.run(
        "How to optimize tax strategy for investments?"
    )
    print(history.model_dump_json(indent=2))

Speaker Functions

Built-in Functions

def round_robin(history: List[str], agent: Agent) -> bool:
    """
    Enables agents to speak in turns.
    Returns True for each agent in sequence.
    """
    return True

def expertise_based(history: List[str], agent: Agent) -> bool:
    """
    Enables agents to speak based on their expertise.
    Returns True if agent's role matches conversation context.
    """
    return agent.system_prompt.lower() in history[-1].lower() if history else True

def random_selection(history: List[str], agent: Agent) -> bool:
    """
    Randomly selects speaking agents.
    Returns True/False with 50% probability.
    """
    import random
    return random.choice([True, False])

def most_recent(history: List[str], agent: Agent) -> bool:
    """
    Enables agents to respond to their mentions.
    Returns True if agent was last speaker.
    """
    return agent.agent_name == history[-1].split(":")[0].strip() if history else True

Custom Speaker Function Example

def custom_speaker(history: List[str], agent: Agent) -> bool:
    """
    Custom speaker function with complex logic.
    
    Args:
        history: Previous conversation messages
        agent: Current agent being evaluated
        
    Returns:
        bool: Whether agent should speak
    """
    # No history - let everyone speak
    if not history:
        return True
        
    last_message = history[-1].lower()
    
    # Check for agent expertise keywords
    expertise_relevant = any(
        keyword in last_message 
        for keyword in agent.expertise_keywords
    )
    
    # Check for direct mentions
    mentioned = agent.agent_name.lower() in last_message
    
    # Check if agent hasn't spoken recently
    not_recent_speaker = not any(
        agent.agent_name in msg 
        for msg in history[-3:]
    )
    
    return expertise_relevant or mentioned or not_recent_speaker

# Usage
chat = GroupChat(
    agents=[agent1, agent2],
    speaker_fn=custom_speaker
)

Advanced Examples

Multi-Agent Analysis Team

# Create specialized agents
data_analyst = Agent(
    agent_name="Data-Analyst",
    system_prompt="You analyze numerical data and patterns",
    model_name="gpt-4.1",
)

market_expert = Agent(
    agent_name="Market-Expert",
    system_prompt="You provide market insights and trends",
    model_name="gpt-4.1",
)

strategy_advisor = Agent(
    agent_name="Strategy-Advisor",
    system_prompt="You formulate strategic recommendations",
    model_name="gpt-4.1",
)

# Create analysis team
analysis_team = GroupChat(
    name="Market Analysis Team",
    description="Comprehensive market analysis group",
    agents=[data_analyst, market_expert, strategy_advisor],
    speaker_fn=expertise_based,
    max_loops=15
)

# Run complex analysis
history = analysis_team.run("""
    Analyze the current market conditions:
    1. Identify key trends
    2. Evaluate risks
    3. Recommend investment strategy
""")

Parallel Processing

# Define multiple analysis tasks
tasks = [
    "Analyze tech sector trends",
    "Evaluate real estate market",
    "Review commodity prices",
    "Assess global economic indicators"
]

# Run tasks concurrently
histories = chat.concurrent_run(tasks)

# Process results
for task, history in zip(tasks, histories):
    print(f"\nAnalysis for: {task}")
    for turn in history.turns:
        for response in turn.responses:
            print(f"{response.agent_name}: {response.message}")

Best Practices

Category	Recommendations
Agent Design	- Give agents clear, specific roles - Use detailed system prompts - Set appropriate context lengths - Enable retries for reliability
Speaker Functions	- Match function to use case - Consider conversation flow - Handle edge cases - Add appropriate logging
Error Handling	- Use try-except blocks - Log errors appropriately - Implement retry logic - Provide fallback responses
Performance	- Use concurrent processing for multiple tasks - Monitor context lengths - Implement proper cleanup - Cache responses when appropriate

API Reference

GroupChat Methods

Method	Description	Arguments	Returns
run	Run single conversation	task: str	ChatHistory
batched_run	Run multiple sequential tasks	tasks: List[str]	List[ChatHistory]
concurrent_run	Run multiple parallel tasks	tasks: List[str]	List[ChatHistory]
get_recent_messages	Get recent messages	n: int = 3	List[str]

Agent Methods

Method	Description	Returns
run	Process single task	str
generate_response	Generate LLM response	str
save_context	Save conversation context	None