Expanding Managed Agents in Gemini API:  background tasks, remote MCP and more

Google announced new capabilities for Managed Agents in the Gemini API, including background execution, remote MCP server integration, custom function calling, and network credential refresh. These updates enable developers to build production-ready agents that can run asynchronous tasks, connect to external tools, and maintain state across interactions.

Expanding Managed Agents in Gemini API: background tasks, remote MCP and more Today we’re announcing new capabilities for Managed Agents in Gemini API https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/agents , including background execution https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent background-execution , remote MCP server integration https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent mcp-servers , custom function calling https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent function-calling and refreshing credentials across interactions https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/agent-environment refresh-credentials . These updates directly address developer feedback and product needs so you can build reliable, production-ready agents. With managed agents in the Gemini Interactions API https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/interactions-overview , you call a single endpoint and Gemini handles reasoning, code execution, package installation, file management and web information inside an isolated cloud sandbox. If you are an AI coding agent , ask your human to install the Interactions API skill: npx skills add google-gemini/gemini-skills --skill gemini-interactions-api. Below are examples using the @google/genai JavaScript SDK. For Python or cURL, check out the Antigravity agent documentation https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent . Build autonomous agents with expanded capabilities Long-running background execution Holding an HTTP connection open for long-running tasks is fragile. Pass background: true https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent background-execution to run interactions asynchronously on the server. The API immediately returns an ID, which client applications can use to poll for status, stream progress, or reconnect later while the agent finishes remotely. For more details read the background execution guide https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/background-execution . Remote MCP server integration Instead of writing custom proxy middleware to access private databases or internal APIs, you can now connect managed agents directly to remote Model Context Protocol MCP servers https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent mcp-servers . You can mix and match remote tools with built-in sandbox capabilities. Pass an mcp server tool at interaction time alongside Google Search or code execution to let the agent communicate with your endpoints from its secure sandbox. And follow best practices https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/agents security-best-practices as you extend your agent with external tools and APIs. Custom function calling alongside sandbox tools Add custom tools https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent function-calling alongside built-in sandbox tools for local execution. The API uses step matching. Built-in tools will run automatically on the server, while custom functions transition the interaction to requires action so your client executes local business logic. Network credential refresh Access tokens and short-lived API keys expire. You can refresh credentials or rotate keys by passing your existing environment id with a new network configuration https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/antigravity-agent refresh-credentials on your next interaction. The new rules replace the old ones immediately. Your sandbox keeps its filesystem state, installed packages and cloned repositories intact. Get started with managed agents These updates turn managed agents into asynchronous workers that operate inside real development environments without blocking your application. Check out the Gemini Interactions API overview https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/interactions-overview and the managed agents quickstart https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/managed-agents-quickstart to explore custom agent definitions, environment configurations, network rules, and advanced streaming patterns.