Debugging Tools in IBM watsonx Orchestrate

2026-05-17 · Source: Niklas Heidloff · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

IBM watsonx Orchestrate has introduced new debugging tools for its agentic applications, enhancing visibility into both instruction-following agents and agentic workflows. The platform now features an Agent Debugger, accessible via a new debug icon in the chat experience, which visualizes the agent's application structure and flow. This debugger also provides traces to help users understand agent execution. For agentic workflows created with the Flow Builder, a new Flow Inspector displays how these multi-step processes, which can incorporate Large Language Models, have been executed. These additions aim to provide clearer insights into agent behavior and workflow progression within watsonx Orchestrate.

Key takeaway

For AI Engineers and MLOps teams developing or managing agents within IBM watsonx Orchestrate, you should explore the new Agent Debugger and Flow Inspector. These tools provide crucial visibility into agent execution and workflow logic, enabling more efficient troubleshooting and performance optimization. Integrating these debugging capabilities into your development cycle will streamline the identification and resolution of issues in agentic applications.

Key insights

IBM watsonx Orchestrate now offers dedicated debugging tools for agents and agentic workflows.

In practice

• Use Agent Debugger for instruction-following agents.
• Utilize Flow Inspector for agentic workflows.
• Examine traces to understand agent execution.

Topics

• IBM watsonx Orchestrate
• Agent Debugger
• Flow Inspector
• Agentic Workflows
• AI Agents

Best for: AI Engineer, MLOps Engineer, Software Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Niklas Heidloff.