We have redesigned Netlify functions for an improved agent experience. With these updates, functions are more discoverable, easier to autocomplete, update, and manage for people and agents alike.
Note that Netlifly functions are stored at netlify/functions/ and are distinct from Edge Functions.
These improvements will not break your existing functions setup so you can update your functions code on your own timeline. Once updated, coding agents will be able to better create, update, and manage functions for you, including for configuring background functions, region selection, and more.
To learn more about these updates in-depth, check out our blog on redesigning Netlify functions for agent experience. For a quick summary, you can check out the table below.
| Feature | What changed | What it means for agents | What you need to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event handlers | Export typed event handlers from the default export object | No magic filenames to guess. Handlers are discoverable like any typed API. | Nothing required. Adopt the new syntax for new event handlers for better agent discoverability and updates. |
| Background functions | Declare with background: true in config instead of the -background filename suffix | Config-driven, not name-driven. Agents can set it without knowing platform naming rules. | Nothing required. The -background suffix still works. |
| Region selection | Set per-function via the region config property, replacing the global UI setting | Agents can set and validate region in code. Use deploy previews to test before going live. | Nothing required. Optionally move region out of the UI into config for per-function control. |
| Memory and vCPU | Set via memory or vcpu config properties; both values scale together automatically | Agents provisioning compute-heavy workloads (inference, large payloads) can do so in code. | Nothing. Defaults unchanged. Set only if your workload needs more than 1 GB / 0.5 vCPU. Requires a credit-based Pro plan. |
getContext() | Named import from @netlify/functions, replacing the Netlify.context global | Surfaces in autocomplete and agent code-reading. Globals are invisible; imports are discoverable. | Nothing required. Netlify.context still works. Switch to getContext() for better discoverability. |
Learn more in the Netlify Functions documentation, which has also been recently revamped.