Google ADK (Agent Development Kit)
Google's official agent framework launched alongside Gemini, with deep integration into Google Cloud, Vertex AI, and the A2A protocol.
Last updated: April 26, 2026
Definition
The Agent Development Kit is Google's official framework for building agents on top of Gemini and the broader Google Cloud stack. It models agents as code-first Python or Java classes (LlmAgent, SequentialAgent, ParallelAgent, LoopAgent) and ships native A2A protocol support, Vertex AI tools integration, and the Gemini Live API for real-time multimodal agents. Released open source in 2025 with strong adoption inside Google partner ecosystems. Available as Java and Python SDKs.
When To Use
Choose ADK when you are building on Gemini and Vertex AI, or when A2A interoperability with Google Cloud agents matters. Skip for single-vendor non-Google deployments where lighter frameworks fit better.
Related Terms
Building with Google ADK (Agent Development Kit)?
I've shipped this pattern in real production systems. If you want a second pair of eyes on your architecture, that's what I do.