Mar 12, 2025
/
release
Active Agent 0.2.6: Better Streaming, Less Config, More Power in Your Rails AI App
Active Agent is the only agent-oriented framework designed specifically for Rails, giving developers the tools to build agents for AI-powered apps with familiar, Rails-friendly conventions.
Whether you’re working with LLM-powered chatbots, AI assistants, or background agents that handle complex workflows, Active Agent provides a structured way to manage prompts, memory, and actions in your Rails app.
With version 0.2.6, I've made significant improvements to streaming responses by fully integrating them with action_prompt, and setup is more straightforward with automatic config loading. I also fixed some bugs and merged our first community PR!
See the 0.2.6 release candidate here. Official release and updated docs coming later this week, but don't hesitate to get started now!
What’s New in 0.2.6:
Fully Integrated Streaming 🌀
I've refactored streaming to work directly with action_prompt and the generation provider’s response class, making streaming responses fully integrated into Active Agent.
This means:
Your agent class now has higher-level access to streaming rather than relying on low-level components.
Previously, developers had to handle streaming manually without the benefits of action_prompt or structured response handling. Now, it’s all built in.
If you're running agents in background jobs, they can now stream responses to users via Turbo with minimal setup and no extra work needed.
Simplified Configuration ⚙️
No more initializer file needed! Active Agent now automatically loads its configuration, reducing setup and keeping your Rails app cleaner.
Bug Fixes 🪲
Resolved template rendering issues when passing parameters in controllers vs. the console (as seen in the thoughtbot stream).
Thanks to contributor Sean Winner, you no longer need to manually require "active_agent" in your Gemfile. 🤝
Get started now with the 0.2.6 release candidate!
What's Next For Active Agent
More updates to docs, making it easier to get started.
Example app coming very soon.
New generation providers (Anthropic, Gemini, and OLlama).
How to Contribute
Issues and PRs are very welcome!
If you run into any problems using Active Agent, the best way to help is to open an Issue on GitHub. Be sure to include the Rails and Ruby versions you’re using and your Active Agent version. Clearly describe the problem, share relevant errors or logs, and, if possible, steps to reproduce the issue.
This Issue from Colleen is a great example:
If you’re looking to contribute code, starting with issues or small PRs is the best place to start. Small PRs are easier to review and merge quickly, while large PRs may take longer or not get merged.
For those interested in playing a bigger role in maintaining and expanding Active Agent, feel free to reach out on Active Agent Discord or schedule a call with me to discuss how you can get more involved.
Let's Connect
Here’s how you can connect with me or get involved with Active Agent…
🛠️ Try it out (and open issues or submit a PR)
💬 Join the Active Agent Discord
✨ Hire me to work on your AI project (10% off contracts signed Feb-March 2025)
📩 Email me at justin@activeagents.ai or schedule a call
