AWS Step Functions workflows now available as AI agent tools

AWS Step Functions workflows can now be used as AI agent tools through the Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Gateway. The agent decides when and with what input to run the workflow, and Step Functions executes each step as defined. Existing standard and express workflows can be used as tools. The AgentCore Gateway connects AI agents and tools via the model context protocol (MCP). This allows agents to execute multi-step business processes in the same sequence each time. For example, when a customer support agent initiates a refund workflow, Step Functions performs eligibility checks, manager approval, and credit steps, ensuring all refunds are processed according to policy. Agents can check workflow execution status, enabling operations agents to quickly inform on-call engineers where nightly order executions fail. This feature is available in all AWS regions where Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Gateway is offered. Standard pricing for Step Functions and AgentCore Gateway applies. For details, see the Step Functions developer guide tutorial. For supported operations and setup options, refer to the Step Functions connector target in the AgentCore Gateway documentation. When using AI coding assistants like Kiro, the Agent Toolkit for AWS provides skills and guidance for builds on AWS.

Why it matters

This update is useful for developers and enterprises that need to integrate AI agents with business processes. Using AWS Step Functions workflows as AI agent tools allows agents to automate complex multi-step processes.