ai/docs/07-reference/01-ai-sdk-core/18-pipe-agent-ui-stream-to-response.mdx

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---
title: pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse
description: API Reference for the pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse utility.
---

# `pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse`

The `pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse` function runs an [Agent](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-core/agent) and streams the resulting UI message output directly to a Node.js [`ServerResponse`](https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#class-httpserverresponse) object. This is ideal for building real-time streaming API endpoints (for chat, tool use, etc.) in Node.js-based frameworks like Express, Hono, or custom Node servers.

## Import

<Snippet
  text={`import { pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse } from "ai"`}
  prompt={false}
/>

## Usage

```ts
import { pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse } from 'ai';
import { MyAgent } from './agent';

export async function handler(req, res) {
  const { messages } = JSON.parse(req.body);

  await pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse({
    response: res, // Node.js ServerResponse
    agent: MyAgent,
    uiMessages: messages, // Required: array of input UI messages
    // abortSignal: optional AbortSignal for cancellation
    // experimental_sandbox: optional experimental sandbox passed through to tool execution
    // status: 200,
    // headers: { ... },
    // ...other optional UI message stream options
  });
}
```

## Parameters

<PropertiesTable
  content={[
    {
      name: 'response',
      type: 'ServerResponse',
      isRequired: true,
      description:
        'The Node.js ServerResponse object to pipe UI message stream output into.',
    },
    {
      name: 'agent',
      type: 'Agent',
      isRequired: true,
      description:
        'An agent instance implementing `.stream({ prompt, ... })` and defining a `tools` property.',
    },
    {
      name: 'uiMessages',
      type: 'unknown[]',
      isRequired: true,
      description:
        'Array of input UI messages sent to the agent (such as user/assistant message objects).',
    },
    {
      name: 'abortSignal',
      type: 'AbortSignal',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Optional abort signal to cancel streaming (e.g., on client disconnect). Supply an [`AbortSignal`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/AbortSignal), for example from an `AbortController`.',
    },
    {
      name: 'timeout',
      type: 'number | { totalMs?: number }',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Timeout in milliseconds. Can be specified as a number or as an object with a totalMs property. The call will be aborted if it takes longer than the specified timeout. Can be used alongside abortSignal.',
    },
    {
      name: 'experimental_sandbox',
      type: 'Experimental_SandboxSession',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Optional experimental sandbox environment that is passed through to tool execution. Tools can access it from their execution context.',
    },
    {
      name: 'options',
      type: 'CALL_OPTIONS',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Optional agent call options, for agents configured with generic parameter `CALL_OPTIONS`.',
    },
    {
      name: 'experimental_transform',
      type: 'StreamTextTransform | StreamTextTransform[]',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Optional stream text transformation(s) applied to agent output.',
    },
    {
      name: 'onStepEnd',
      type: 'GenerateTextOnStepEndCallback',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Callback invoked after each agent step (LLM/tool call) completes. Useful for tracking token usage, per-step performance, or logging intermediate steps.',
    },
    {
      name: 'onStepFinish',
      type: 'GenerateTextOnStepFinishCallback',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Deprecated. Use `onStepEnd` instead. This alias is only used as a fallback when `onStepEnd` is not provided.',
    },
    {
      name: '...UIMessageStreamResponseInit & UIMessageStreamOptions',
      type: 'object',
      isRequired: false,
      description:
        'Options for streaming headers, status, SSE stream config, and additional UI message stream control.',
    },
  ]}
/>

## Returns

A `Promise<void>`. The function completes when the UI message stream has been fully sent to the provided ServerResponse.

## Example: Express Route Handler

```ts
import { pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse } from 'ai';
import { openaiWebSearchAgent } from './openai-web-search-agent';

app.post('/chat', async (req, res) => {
  // Use req.body.messages as input UI messages
  await pipeAgentUIStreamToResponse({
    response: res,
    agent: openaiWebSearchAgent,
    uiMessages: req.body.messages,
    // experimental_sandbox, // optional
    // abortSignal: yourController.signal
    // status: 200,
    // headers: { ... },
    // ...more options
  });
});
```

## How It Works

1. **Runs the Agent:** Calls the agent’s `.stream` method with the provided UI messages and options, converting them into model messages as needed and passing through options such as `experimental_sandbox`.
2. **Streams UI Message Output:** Pipes the agent output as a UI message stream to the `ServerResponse`, sending data via streaming HTTP responses (including appropriate headers).
3. **Abort Signal Handling:** If `abortSignal` is supplied, streaming is cancelled as soon as the signal is triggered (such as on client disconnect).
4. **No Response Return:** Unlike Edge/serverless APIs that return a `Response`, this function writes bytes directly to the ServerResponse and does not return a response object.

## Notes

- **Abort Handling:** For best robustness, use an `AbortSignal` (for example, wired to Express/Hono client disconnects) to ensure quick cancellation of agent computation and streaming.
- **Node.js Only:** Only works with Node.js [ServerResponse](https://nodejs.org/api/http.html#class-httpserverresponse) objects (e.g., in Express, Hono’s node adapter, etc.), not Edge/serverless/web Response APIs.
- **Streaming Support:** Make sure your client (and any proxies) correctly support streaming HTTP responses for full effect.
- **Parameter Names:** The property for input messages is `uiMessages` (not `messages`) for consistency with SDK agent utilities.
- Pass `experimental_sandbox` when your agent tools need an experimental sandbox environment during execution.

## See Also

- [`createAgentUIStreamResponse`](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-core/create-agent-ui-stream-response)
- [`Agent`](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-core/agent)
- [`UIMessage`](/docs/reference/ai-sdk-core/ui-message)