Dify 1.16.0-rc1 release note.md

Dify 1.16.0-rc1 Release Note

The focus of this RC is the New Agent Experience. Dify now introduces Agents as first-class collaborators alongside humans in workflows. A workflow is no longer only a chain of model calls; it becomes a way to solidify long-running processes shared by Agent workers and human workers.

Highlights

New Agent Experience

• Agent Roster: Manage reusable Agents at the workspace level. Users can create, edit, duplicate, and invite the same Agent into multiple workflows for different jobs.
• Agent Console: Configure and debug an Agent as an entity, including model, prompt, Skills & Files, tools, knowledge, human involvement, and output requirements.
• Agent Node: Add Agents directly into workflows. An Agent Node represents one Agent's appearance in a specific workflow, with its own job instructions, input references, output declarations, and failure handling.
• Build / Babysit flow: Guide an Agent through one or two test runs, then fasten the useful configuration, files, skills, and tools discovered during the run. The intended experience is: Babysit once, fasten forever.
• Sandboxed Agent runtime: Add Dify Agent backend and local sandbox support, giving Agents a dedicated runtime layer, shell workspace, file access, tool execution, structured output, and resumable run state.
• Workflow + Agent continuity: Agent App, Workflow Agent Node, HITL, logs, pause/resume, and run state begin to converge on the new Agent runtime protocol, laying the groundwork for longer-horizon Agent work.

Upgrade Notes

Docker Compose

This release adds Agent runtime services and environment variables. For Docker Compose deployments, review the following changes carefully:

• Added the agent_backend service.
• Added the local_sandbox service.
• Added AGENT_BACKEND_BASE_URL.
• Added the DIFY_AGENT_* configuration group, covering Redis, Plugin Daemon, Inner API, Shellctl, Stub API, and Server Secret settings.
• Replaced ENABLE_AGENT_V2 with NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_AGENT_V2.
• Changed the default value of NEXT_PUBLIC_ENABLE_FEATURE_PREVIEW to true.

For production or staging-like environments, replace the default placeholder value of DIFY_AGENT_SERVER_SECRET_KEY.

Database

This release includes new database migrations. Run the migration command after upgrading:

flask db upgrade

The new schema mainly supports Agent drafts, Agent backing apps, Agent publish state, and Web App input placeholders.

Compatibility

• Existing workflows remain supported through compatibility paths. This release starts introducing Agent Node as the forward-looking workflow authoring experience.
• Bring your own agent, full Human Roster, and richer human collaboration notifications are planned for later phases.
• This is 1.16.0-rc1. Validate Agent runtime, Docker Compose, database migrations, and critical workflows in a staging environment before using it in production.

Upgrade Guide

Important

• This release includes new database migrations. Run them as part of the upgrade.
• Environment variables changed (19 added, 2 removed, 1 modified). Review the Environment Variable Changes section and update your .env accordingly.
• Docker Compose configuration files changed. If you maintain a customized docker-compose.yaml, review the changes and re-apply local customizations carefully.

Docker Compose Deployments

1. Back up your customized docker-compose YAML and env files.

   cd docker
   cp docker-compose.yaml docker-compose.yaml.$(date +%s).bak
   cp .env .env.$(date +%s).bak 2>/dev/null || true

2. Get the latest code for the 1.16.0-rc1 release.

   git fetch --tags
   git checkout 1.16.0-rc1

3. Stop the services (run inside the docker directory).

   docker compose down

4. Back up data.

   tar -cvf volumes-$(date +%s).tgz volumes

5. Review any env file changes and re-apply local customizations.
6. Upgrade services.

   docker compose up -d

Source Code Deployments

1. Stop the API server, Worker, and Web frontend server.
2. Get the latest code for the 1.16.0-rc1 release.

   git fetch --tags
   git checkout 1.16.0-rc1

3. Update Python dependencies.

   cd api
   uv sync

4. Run database migrations.

   uv run flask db upgrade

5. Restart the API server, Worker, and Web frontend server.