What it is
A2A is an open communication protocol created by Google that gives AI agents a shared language to introduce themselves, advertise what they can do, and hand work back and forth. Think of it like email standards for agents — it doesn't matter which vendor built the agent, they can still exchange information and coordinate on tasks. This means a customer service agent built on one platform can call on a specialized billing agent built on another, without anyone writing bespoke connector code.
Why it matters
As businesses deploy multiple AI agents (sales, support, marketing), they need to work together. A2A provides a standardized way for agents to discover each other's capabilities, negotiate tasks, and collaborate securely - even if they're built on different platforms.
How it connects
Salesforce's Agentforce is designed to operate within multi-agent environments, and A2A compatibility means Agentforce agents can collaborate with agents built outside the Salesforce ecosystem — such as Google's own Gemini-powered agents or third-party tools your business already uses. This matters most when your Salesforce processes touch systems that live outside the CRM.
Good to know
A2A is still an emerging standard and real-world support across vendors is uneven — before assuming two agents can talk to each other, confirm both platforms have actually implemented the protocol, not just endorsed it.
Related terms
Agentforce
Salesforce's AI agent platform that enables businesses to build, customize, and deploy autonomous AI agents across sales, service, marketing, and commerce.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Anthropic's open standard for connecting AI models to external data sources and tools. Think of it as a universal adapter for AI.
AI Agent
An autonomous AI system that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals - without constant human direction.