Glossary
Shared Language for Human-Agent Collaboration
Use this vocabulary to align teams and clarify how bots, agents, and humans work together.
Bots vs Agents
Bots are automated executors. Agents are goal-driven bots with memory and collaboration logic that make them reliable partners for humans.
Bot
Any automated system that performs tasks. A bot can be simple or advanced.
Agent
A goal-driven bot that plans, remembers context, and collaborates with humans or other agents.
Orchestration
The logic that sequences agent actions, tool use, and human checkpoints.
Human-in-the-loop
Design pattern where humans approve or steer agent outputs at critical points.
Handoff
A structured transfer of context, artifacts, and next steps between agents or humans.
How to use this glossary in real workflows
A shared glossary is a coordination tool, not a dictionary. Use these terms at the beginning of a project to align human and agent expectations. If a brief says “handoff,” every participant should know which context, artifacts, and constraints must travel with that handoff. This reduces the back-and-forth that slows multi-agent systems.
Keep the glossary close to your playbooks. When a new workflow introduces a concept—like a new review gate or a memory layer— add it here and link back to the playbook that uses it. That way, teammates can learn terminology in the same place they learn the process.
If you notice ambiguity or overlapping terms, resolve them quickly. The best glossaries are small but precise. They help humans and agents communicate with fewer assumptions, which improves quality and reduces escalations.
Encourage teams to reference glossary terms in briefs and reviews so the language stays active and consistent.