Beginner · Systems

Agent Marketplace

Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.

TL;DR. A catalog where businesses find, hire and pay for specialized AI agents, much as they buy apps today.

Technical Definition

A catalog where businesses find, hire and pay for specialized AI agents, much as they buy apps today.

How it works

Agent marketplaces package agents the way app stores package software: a listing, a capability description, reviews, a price — per task, per seat or per outcome — and one-click 'install' into your workspace. The model depends on interoperability standards (agent cards, task protocols) so a third-party research agent or expense agent plugs into the same harness and identity system your own tools use. Open questions that defined the late-2026 debate: trust (how do you vet an agent you didn't build — audits, permissions, liability), and payment (usage-based billing for work done, not seats filled). Marketplaces matter because they turn agents from bespoke projects into procured products, which is how enterprise adoption of most software actually happens.

Related Concepts

• Agent Experience (AX) — Designing websites, APIs and documentation so AI agents — not just people — can understand and use them easily.
• Agent Permissions — Scoped, revocable authority granted to an AI agent — spend up to a limit, read but not send email — like access controls for employees.
• Agent Economy — An economy in which AI agents transact, negotiate and exchange services with businesses and with each other.