deer-flow/frontend/src/content/en/harness/integration-guide.mdx

---
title: Integration Guide
description: DeerFlow Harness is not only a standalone application. It is a Python library you can import and use inside your own backend, API server, automation system, or multi-agent orchestrator.
---

import { Callout, Cards } from "nextra/components";

# Integration Guide

<Callout type="info" emoji="🔌">
  DeerFlow Harness can be embedded into any Python application. This guide
  covers the integration patterns for using DeerFlow as a library inside your
  own system.
</Callout>

DeerFlow Harness is not only a standalone application. It is a Python library you can import and use inside your own backend, API server, automation system, or multi-agent orchestrator.

## Embedding DeerFlowClient

The primary integration point is `DeerFlowClient`. It wraps the LangGraph runtime and exposes a clean API for sending messages and streaming responses from any Python application.

```python
from deerflow.client import DeerFlowClient
from deerflow.config import load_config

# Load configuration (reads config.yaml or DEER_FLOW_CONFIG_PATH)
load_config()

client = DeerFlowClient()
```

The client is thread-safe and designed to be instantiated once and reused across requests.

## Async streaming

The recommended integration pattern is async streaming. This gives you real-time access to each token and event as the agent produces it:

```python
import asyncio

async def run_agent(thread_id: str, user_message: str):
    async for event in client.astream(
        thread_id=thread_id,
        message=user_message,
        config={
            "configurable": {
                "model_name": "gpt-4o",
                "subagent_enabled": True,
            }
        },
    ):
        # Process each streaming event
        yield event

# In a FastAPI handler:
# from fastapi.responses import StreamingResponse
# return StreamingResponse(run_agent(thread_id, message), media_type="text/event-stream")
```

## Non-streaming invocation

For batch processing or when you only need the final result:

```python
async def run_agent_sync(thread_id: str, user_message: str) -> dict:
    result = await client.ainvoke(
        thread_id=thread_id,
        message=user_message,
    )
    return result
```

## Thread management

Threads represent persistent conversations. Use unique thread IDs to isolate different user sessions:

```python
import uuid

# New conversation
thread_id = str(uuid.uuid4())

# Continuing an existing conversation (same thread_id)
# The agent will see the full history if a checkpointer is configured
await client.ainvoke(thread_id=existing_thread_id, message="Follow up question")
```

## Custom per-agent configuration

Build domain-specific agents by creating named agent configs and passing the `agent_name` at runtime:

```python
# agents/research-assistant/config.yaml must exist with skills and tool config

result = await client.ainvoke(
    thread_id=thread_id,
    message=user_message,
    config={
        "configurable": {
            "agent_name": "research-assistant",
            "model_name": "gpt-4o",
        }
    },
)
```

## Integrating with FastAPI

DeerFlow Gateway is itself a FastAPI application. You can mount it as a sub-application or router:

```python
from fastapi import FastAPI
from deerflow.config import load_config

load_config()

app = FastAPI()

# Mount the DeerFlow gateway router
from deerflow.app.gateway.main import app as gateway_app
app.mount("/deerflow", gateway_app)
```

Or use `DeerFlowClient` directly in your own FastAPI routes with streaming:

```python
from fastapi import FastAPI
from fastapi.responses import StreamingResponse
from deerflow.client import DeerFlowClient

app = FastAPI()
client = DeerFlowClient()

@app.post("/chat/{thread_id}")
async def chat(thread_id: str, body: dict):
    async def generate():
        async for event in client.astream(thread_id=thread_id, message=body["message"]):
            yield f"data: {event}\n\n"
    return StreamingResponse(generate(), media_type="text/event-stream")
```

## Integrating with LangGraph

DeerFlow Harness is built on LangGraph. The Lead Agent is a standard LangGraph graph. You can compose it with your own LangGraph nodes and graphs:

```python
from deerflow.agents.lead_agent.agent import make_lead_agent
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph

# Access the underlying LangGraph agent factory
agent = make_lead_agent(config)
```

## Configuration in embedded mode

When embedded in another application, set the config path explicitly to avoid ambiguity:

```python
import os
os.environ["DEER_FLOW_CONFIG_PATH"] = "/path/to/my-deerflow-config.yaml"

from deerflow.config import load_config
load_config()
```

Or pass the path directly:

```python
from deerflow.config import load_config
load_config(config_path="/path/to/my-deerflow-config.yaml")
```

## MCP server integration

DeerFlow can expose its agent as an MCP server, allowing other MCP-compatible systems to call it as a tool. Refer to the DeerFlow repository for MCP server integration examples.

<Cards num={2}>
  <Cards.Card title="Customization" href="/docs/harness/customization" />
  <Cards.Card title="Configuration" href="/docs/harness/configuration" />
</Cards>