Idempotency
Also: idempotent
A property of an action: doing it twice has the same effect as doing it once. This helps when a system retries a task.
The fuller definition
An operation is idempotent when repeating it has the same intended effect as performing it once. This is useful when retries or duplicate triggers occur.
- First request
Create the result
- Repeated ID
Recognize prior work
- Effect
No duplicate creation
A simplified relationship, not a screenshot or a complete design.
A concrete example
A workflow uses a stable request ID so a retry does not create a second identical output record.
The distinction that matters
Not every operation is naturally idempotent; sending a message twice may create two messages.
Related terms
Retry
Trying a failed step again, usually after a short wait.
APIs & softwareWebhook
A message one service sends when an event occurs. For example, a new file can trigger a message to another app.
Agents & automationWorkflow
A fixed sequence of steps a task goes through, which may include AI steps and human checks.
Where it is taught
Prompts, skills, workflows, and agentsSource and further reading
Anthropic · Building effective agentsThe definition and example are written for this library. The link gives background, official documentation or legal authority as labelled. Legal scope depends on the jurisdiction and current text; product features depend on release and settings.