# Overview
URL: /docs/runtimes/a2a/overview

Connect to any A2A v1.0 protocol-compliant agent server.

`@assistant-ui/react-a2a` is a runtime adapter for the [A2A (Agent-to-Agent) v1.0 protocol](https://github.com/a2aproject/A2A). Use it when your backend speaks A2A; the adapter handles the wire protocol so you can focus on the UI.

## When to use it \[#when-to-use-it]

Pick the A2A runtime when:

* You have an A2A v1.0 compatible agent server, or you are building one and want a reference client.
* You want streaming task state, artifacts, and the protocol's full state machine surfaced in the UI.
* You need multi-tenant or extension-aware A2A clients.

If your backend is not A2A-compliant, see [picking a runtime](/docs/runtimes/pick-a-runtime) for alternatives.

## Architecture \[#architecture]

`@assistant-ui/react-a2a` is layered on `ExternalStoreRuntime` (see [architecture](/docs/runtimes/concepts/architecture)). Features that ship as runtime adapters (attachments, speech, feedback, history, threads) work the same way they do everywhere else; see [adapters](/docs/runtimes/concepts/adapters).

## Requirements \[#requirements]

* An A2A v1.0 compatible agent server.
* React 18 or 19.

## Install \[#install]

<InstallCommand npm="[&#x22;@assistant-ui/react&#x22;, &#x22;@assistant-ui/react-a2a&#x22;]" />

## Next \[#next]

<Cards>
  <Card title="Quickstart" description="Minimal runtime setup with a Thread component." href="/docs/runtimes/a2a/quickstart" />

  <Card title="Client and hooks" description="A2AClient, useA2ARuntime options, hooks reference, task states, artifacts." href="/docs/runtimes/a2a/client-and-hooks" />
</Cards>