> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.langchain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Runs

> An overview of runs in Agent Server, including how to kick off background runs, stateless runs, and cancel runs.

A *run* is an invocation of an [assistant](/langsmith/assistants). When you execute a run, you specify which assistant to use—either by graph ID for the default assistant, or by assistant ID for a specific configuration.

```mermaid actions={false} theme={"theme":{"light":"catppuccin-latte","dark":"catppuccin-mocha"}}
flowchart TB
    subgraph deploy[Deployment]
        G[Graph Code<br/>━━━━━━━━━<br/>Deployed logic]
    end

    subgraph config[Configuration]
        A1[Assistant 1<br/>GPT-4, Formal]
        A2[Assistant 2<br/>Claude, Casual]
    end

    subgraph state[State]
        T1[Thread 1<br/>User A]
        T2[Thread 2<br/>User B]
    end

    subgraph runs[Runs]
        A1T1["Run: A1 + T1"]
        A1T2["Run: A1 + T2"]
        A2T1["Run: A2 + T1"]
    end

    A1 -.-> T1
    A1 -.-> T2
    A2 -.-> T1

    A1T1 --> G
    A1T2 --> G
    A2T1 --> G

    style G fill:#E5F4FF,stroke:#006DDD,stroke-width:2px,color:#030710
    style A1 fill:#B3E0F2,stroke:#4A90E2,stroke-width:2px,color:#1E3A5F
    style A2 fill:#B3E0F2,stroke:#4A90E2,stroke-width:2px,color:#1E3A5F
    style T1 fill:#FFE0B3,stroke:#7E65AE,stroke-width:2px,color:#504B5F
    style T2 fill:#FFE0B3,stroke:#7E65AE,stroke-width:2px,color:#504B5F
    style A1T1 fill:#B3F2C9,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2E3900
    style A1T2 fill:#B3F2C9,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2E3900
    style A2T1 fill:#B3F2C9,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2E3900
```

This diagram shows how a **run** combines an assistant with a thread to execute the graph:

* **Graph** (blue): The deployed code containing your agent's logic
* **Assistants** (light blue): Configuration options (model, prompts, tools)
* **Threads** (orange): State containers for conversation history
* **Runs** (green): Executions that pair an assistant + thread

**Example combinations:**

* **Run: A1 + T1**: Assistant 1 configuration applied to User A's conversation
* **Run: A1 + T2**: Same assistant serving User B (different conversation)
* **Run: A2 + T1**: Different assistant applied to User A's conversation (configuration switch)

When executing a run:

* Each run may have its own input, configuration overrides, and metadata.
* Runs can be stateless (no thread) or stateful (executed on a [thread](/langsmith/use-threads) for conversation persistence).
* Multiple runs can use the same assistant configuration.
* The assistant's configuration affects how the underlying graph executes.

The Agent Server API provides several endpoints for creating and managing runs. For more details, refer to the [API reference](/langsmith/server-api-ref).

## In this section

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Kick off background runs" icon="player-play" href="/langsmith/background-run">
    Run your agent asynchronously and poll for results.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run multiple agents on the same thread" icon="messages" href="/langsmith/same-thread">
    Use multiple assistants on a shared thread to combine agent capabilities.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Stateless runs" icon="player-skip-forward" href="/langsmith/stateless-runs">
    Execute runs without persisting state when conversation history isn't needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Cancel a run" icon="player-stop" href="/langsmith/cancel-run">
    Cancel a single run or multiple runs via the API.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

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