JudgeFlow: Agentic Workflow Optimization via Block Judge
On the map: LLM agents and tool use → Software engineering coding agents
Abstract (arXiv)
Optimizing LLM-based agentic workflows is challenging for scaling AI capabilities. Current methods rely on coarse, end-to-end evaluation signals and lack fine-grained signals on where to refine, often resulting in inefficient or low-impact modifications. To address these limitations, we propose JudgeFlow, an Evaluation-Judge-Optimization-Update pipeline. We incorporate reusable, configurable logic blocks into agentic workflows to capture fundamental forms of logic. On top of this abstraction, we design a dedicated Judge module that inspects execution traces particularly failed runs and assigns rank-based responsibility scores to problematic blocks. These fine-grained diagnostic signals are then leveraged by an LLM-based optimizer, which focuses modifications on the most problematic block in the workflow. Our approach improves sample efficiency, enhances interpretability through block-level diagnostics, and provides a scalable foundation for automating increasingly complex agentic workflows. We evaluate JudgeFlow on mathematical reasoning and code generation benchmarks, where JudgeFlow achieves superior performance and efficiency compared to existing methods.
Key facts. Cited by 3 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Software engineering coding agents, one of 16 directions in LLM agents and tool use. Builds on 53 of its 62 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 12 Jan 2026.
Builds on
53 of 62 references.
Closest ancestors · 5
Same direction, newest first
- 2025MermaidFlow: Redefining Agentic Workflow Generation via Safety-Constrained Evolutionary Programming29 May
- 2025Which Agent Causes Task Failures and When? On Automated Failure Attribution of LLM Multi-Agent Systems30 Apr
- 2025DebFlow: Automating Agent Creation via Agent Debate31 Mar
- 2024AFlow: Automating Agentic Workflow Generation14 Oct
- 2023AutoGen: Enabling Next-Gen LLM Applications via Multi-Agent Conversation16 Aug
Other references · 48
- 2020Language Models are Few-Shot Learnerscited by 32,419
- 2022Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Modelscited by 12,459
- 2021Training Verifiers to Solve Math Word Problemscited by 10,109
- 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,695
- 2021Evaluating Large Language Models Trained on Codecited by 8,320
- 2023Direct Preference Optimization: Your Language Model is Secretly a Reward Modelcited by 8,065
- 2020Scaling Laws for Neural Language Modelscited by 6,586
- 2022Self-Consistency Improves Chain of Thought Reasoning in Language Modelscited by 5,708
- 2021Measuring Mathematical Problem Solving With the MATH Datasetcited by 5,371
- 2018HotpotQA: A Dataset for Diverse, Explainable Multi-hop Question Answeringcited by 3,754
- 2021Program Synthesis with Large Language Modelscited by 3,637
- 2023Self-Refine: Iterative Refinement with Self-Feedbackcited by 3,442
36 more
- 2023Tree of Thoughts: Deliberate Problem Solving with Large Language Modelscited by 3,211
- 2023A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agentscited by 2,242
- 2023MetaGPT: Meta Programming for A Multi-Agent Collaborative Frameworkcited by 1,808
- 2023Improving Factuality and Reasoning in Language Models through Multiagent Debatecited by 1,784
- 2024A Survey on LLM-as-a-Judgecited by 1,423
- 2023CAMEL: Communicative Agents for "Mind" Exploration of Large Language Model Societycited by 1,395
- 2023Large Language Models are not Fair Evaluatorscited by 1,085
- 2023Large Language Models as Optimizerscited by 864
- 2023Automatic Prompt Optimization with "Gradient Descent" and Beam Searchcited by 653
- 2023LLM-Blender: Ensembling Large Language Models with Pairwise Ranking and Generative Fusioncited by 564
- 2023Promptbreeder: Self-Referential Self-Improvement Via Prompt Evolutioncited by 551
- 2024LLMs-as-Judges: A Comprehensive Survey on LLM-based Evaluation Methodscited by 465
- 2025Multi-Agent Collaboration Mechanisms: A Survey of LLMscited by 431
- 2024Understanding the planning of LLM agents: A surveycited by 421
- 2024Automated Design of Agentic Systemscited by 407
- 2023A Dynamic LLM-Powered Agent Network for Task-Oriented Agent Collaborationcited by 290
- 2024TextGrad: Automatic "Differentiation" via Textcited by 273
- 2023Unleashing the Emergent Cognitive Synergy in Large Language Models: A Task-Solving Agent through Multi-Persona Self-Collaborationcited by 251
- 2024Agent-as-a-Judge: Evaluate Agents with Agentscited by 238
- 2024Agent Q: Advanced Reasoning and Learning for Autonomous AI Agentscited by 208
- 2025Multi-agent Architecture Search via Agentic Supernetcited by 179
- 2024AgentSquare: Automatic LLM Agent Search in Modular Design Spacecited by 155
- 2024Aligning with Human Judgement: The Role of Pairwise Preference in Large Language Model Evaluatorscited by 149
- 2025Advances and Challenges in Foundation Agents: From Brain-Inspired Intelligence to Evolutionary, Collaborative, and Safe Systemscited by 126
- 2024Symbolic Learning Enables Self-Evolving Agentscited by 106
- 2024Language Agents as Optimizable Graphscited by 89
- 2024AvaTaR: Optimizing LLM Agents for Tool Usage via Contrastive Reasoningcited by 72
- 2025A Systematic Survey of Automatic Prompt Optimization Techniquescited by 63
- 2025A Survey of Automatic Prompt Engineering: An Optimization Perspectivecited by 41
- 2025Self-Supervised Prompt Optimizationcited by 37
- 2024G"odel Agent: A Self-Referential Agent Framework for Recursive Self-Improvementcited by 29
- 2025LLM-Based Human-Agent Collaboration and Interaction Systems: A Surveycited by 29
- 2025Self-Evolving Multi-Agent Systems via Textual Backpropagationcited by 23
- 2025LLM-AutoDiff: Auto-Differentiate Any LLM Workflowcited by 21
- 2024How to Correctly do Semantic Backpropagation on Language-based Agentic Systemscited by 18
- 2025Compound AI Systems Optimization: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Future Directionscited by 4
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2026: 3.
3 papers.
Similar, not cited
Close in wording, no citation either way
- 2026AgentJudgeBench: A Multi-Difficulty Benchmark for Evaluating LLM Judges on Agentic Tool-Calling
- 2026Global Optimization and Inference-Time Region Grafting for Agentic Workflows
- 2026Learning to Compose for Cross-domain Agentic Workflow Generation
- 2026Optimizing Agentic Workflows using Meta-tools
- 2026AgentFactory: Towards Automated Agentic System Design and Optimization
- 2025DyFlow: Dynamic Workflow Framework for Agentic Reasoning
- 2025Helpful Agent Meets Deceptive Judge: Understanding Vulnerabilities in Agentic Workflows
- 2026GraphBit: A Graph-based Agentic Framework for Non-Linear Agent Orchestration