CopilotKit <> Angular + ADK Starter

This is a starter template for building AI agents using Google's ADK and CopilotKit, with an Angular frontend. It pairs an Angular SPA with a standalone Node Copilot Runtime and a Python ADK agent — demonstrating shared agent state, generative UI, frontend tools, suggestions, and (optionally) a managed threads drawer.

Architecture

Three processes run behind a single npm run dev (via concurrently):

The Angular app talks to the runtime (http://localhost:8200/api/copilotkit), and the runtime proxies the ADK agent (AGENT_URL, default http://localhost:8000/).

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20.19+ (required by the Angular 21 toolchain; the managed-Intelligence path below needs ≥ 22)
• Python 3.12+
• uv (installs the Python agent's dependencies)
• Google Makersuite API Key (for the ADK agent) — see https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey

Getting Started

1. Install dependencies. This also provisions the Python agent's virtual environment via uv (a postinstall step):

   bashCopy

   npm install
   

   Note: This creates a .venv inside the agent directory. To activate it manually:

   bashCopy

   source agent/.venv/bin/activate
   

2. Configure your environment. Copy .env.example to .env and set your Google API key:

   bashCopy

   cp .env.example .env
   # then edit .env and set GOOGLE_API_KEY=...
   

3. Start the full dev stack (UI + runtime + agent):

   bashCopy

   npm run dev
   

   Then open http://localhost:4200.

Available Scripts

• dev — Starts the UI, runtime, and agent concurrently
• dev:debug — Same as dev with LOG_LEVEL=debug
• dev:ui — Starts only the Angular UI (ng serve)
• dev:runtime — Starts only the Copilot Runtime (tsx server.ts)
• dev:agent — Starts only the Python ADK agent
• build — Builds the Angular application for production (ng build)
• start — Serves the Angular app (ng serve)
• install:agent — Installs the Python agent's dependencies via uv

What's in here

• src/app/app.ts — the three-column layout (threads drawer / themed main panel / chat) and the setThemeColor frontend tool.
• src/app/app.config.ts — provideCopilotKit wiring: the runtime URL, the get_weather generative-UI renderer, and the static suggestions.
• src/app/proverbs.ts — shared agent state (injectAgentStore), read and written from the UI.
• src/app/main-content.ts — the themed center panel that hosts the proverbs card.
• src/app/agent-state.ts — the shared AgentState type.
• src/app/weather-card.ts — the generative-UI card rendered when the agent calls get_weather.
• src/app/web-inspector.ts — dev aid: mounts the CopilotKit web inspector (cpk-web-inspector) for watching AG-UI events, agent state, and runtime connectivity. Safe to delete for production.
• server.ts — the standalone Copilot Runtime, registering the default agent (with env-gated managed Intelligence).
• scripts/ — cross-platform launchers used by the dev/install npm scripts to set up and run the Python agent.
• agent/ — the Python ADK agent (unchanged from the React ADK example).

Threads & managed Intelligence (optional)

The threads drawer and persistent conversation memory are powered by CopilotKit Intelligence. They are off by default — the drawer renders a locked "Upgrade" state until you enable Intelligence.

To enable them, set COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN (and the Intelligence endpoint vars) in .env. See the commented block in .env.example:

COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN=
INTELLIGENCE_API_URL=http://localhost:4201
INTELLIGENCE_GATEWAY_WS_URL=ws://localhost:4401
INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY=

Run copilotkit license to provision a license. When COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN is set, server.ts wires CopilotKitIntelligence (threads + memory); otherwise it falls back to an in-memory runner and the drawer stays locked.

Notes for the Intelligence path:

• The managed-Intelligence path requires Node.js ≥ 22 (the base UI + runtime run on Node 20+).
• server.ts ships a demo identifyUser stub returning demo-user. The Intelligence platform requires the identified user to actually exist, so thread persistence needs a real, provisioned user id — replace the stub with your auth-derived identity (the copilotkit CLI provisions one when it scaffolds a project). Leaving demo-user in place can cause thread operations to fail.
• Set INTELLIGENCE_API_KEY whenever you set COPILOTKIT_LICENSE_TOKEN. The runtime builds CopilotKitIntelligence off the license token alone; if the API key is missing, threads/memory fail with an opaque auth error at request time rather than a clear startup error.

📚 Documentation

• ADK Documentation — Learn more about the ADK and its features
• CopilotKit Documentation — Explore CopilotKit's capabilities
• Angular Documentation — Learn about Angular

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License — see the LICENSE file for details.

Troubleshooting

Agent Connection Issues

If the chat reports trouble connecting, make sure:

1. The ADK agent is running on port 8000.
2. Your GOOGLE_API_KEY is set correctly in .env.
3. The runtime is listening on port 8200 (check for the "Copilot Runtime listening at ..." log line).

Python Dependencies

If the agent fails to start, re-provision its environment:

npm run install:agent