Streaming

LangGraph implements a streaming system to surface real-time updates. Streaming is crucial for enhancing the responsiveness of applications built on LLMs. By displaying output progressively, even before a complete response is ready, streaming significantly improves user experience (UX), particularly when dealing with the latency of LLMs.

What’s possible with LangGraph streaming:

• Stream graph state — get state updates / values with updates and values modes.
• Stream subgraph outputs — include outputs from both the parent graph and any nested subgraphs.
• Stream LLM tokens — capture token streams from anywhere: inside nodes, subgraphs, or tools.
• Stream custom data — send custom updates or progress signals directly from tool functions.
• Use multiple streaming modes — choose from values (full state), updates (state deltas), messages (LLM tokens + metadata), custom (arbitrary user data), or debug (detailed traces).

Supported stream modes

Pass one or more of the following stream modes as a list to the stream or astream methods:

Mode	Description
values	Streams the full value of the state after each step of the graph.
updates	Streams the updates to the state after each step of the graph. If multiple updates are made in the same step (e.g., multiple nodes are run), those updates are streamed separately.
custom	Streams custom data from inside your graph nodes.
messages	Streams 2-tuples (LLM token, metadata) from any graph nodes where an LLM is invoked.
debug	Streams as much information as possible throughout the execution of the graph.

Basic usage example

LangGraph graphs expose the stream (sync) and astream (async) methods to yield streamed outputs as iterators.

for chunk in graph.stream(inputs, stream_mode="updates"):
    print(chunk)

Extended example: streaming updates

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START, END

class State(TypedDict):
    topic: str
    joke: str

def refine_topic(state: State):
    return {"topic": state["topic"] + " and cats"}

def generate_joke(state: State):
    return {"joke": f"This is a joke about {state['topic']}"}

graph = (
    StateGraph(State)
    .add_node(refine_topic)
    .add_node(generate_joke)
    .add_edge(START, "refine_topic")
    .add_edge("refine_topic", "generate_joke")
    .add_edge("generate_joke", END)
    .compile()
)

# The stream() method returns an iterator that yields streamed outputs
for chunk in graph.stream(  
    {"topic": "ice cream"},
    # Set stream_mode="updates" to stream only the updates to the graph state after each node
    # Other stream modes are also available. See supported stream modes for details
    stream_mode="updates",  
):
    print(chunk)

{'refineTopic': {'topic': 'ice cream and cats'}}
{'generateJoke': {'joke': 'This is a joke about ice cream and cats'}}

Stream multiple modes

You can pass a list as the stream_mode parameter to stream multiple modes at once.

The streamed outputs will be tuples of (mode, chunk) where mode is the name of the stream mode and chunk is the data streamed by that mode.

for mode, chunk in graph.stream(inputs, stream_mode=["updates", "custom"]):
    print(chunk)

Stream graph state

Use the stream modes updates and values to stream the state of the graph as it executes.

• updates streams the updates to the state after each step of the graph.
• values streams the full value of the state after each step of the graph.

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START, END


class State(TypedDict):
  topic: str
  joke: str


def refine_topic(state: State):
    return {"topic": state["topic"] + " and cats"}


def generate_joke(state: State):
    return {"joke": f"This is a joke about {state['topic']}"}

graph = (
  StateGraph(State)
  .add_node(refine_topic)
  .add_node(generate_joke)
  .add_edge(START, "refine_topic")
  .add_edge("refine_topic", "generate_joke")
  .add_edge("generate_joke", END)
  .compile()
)

updates

Use this to stream only the state updates returned by the nodes after each step. The streamed outputs include the name of the node as well as the update.

for chunk in graph.stream(
    {"topic": "ice cream"},
    stream_mode="updates",  
):
    print(chunk)

Stream subgraph outputs

To include outputs from subgraphs in the streamed outputs, you can set subgraphs=True in the .stream() method of the parent graph. This will stream outputs from both the parent graph and any subgraphs.

The outputs will be streamed as tuples (namespace, data), where namespace is a tuple with the path to the node where a subgraph is invoked, e.g. ("parent_node:<task_id>", "child_node:<task_id>").

for chunk in graph.stream(
    {"foo": "foo"},
    # Set subgraphs=True to stream outputs from subgraphs
    subgraphs=True,  
    stream_mode="updates",
):
    print(chunk)

Extended example: streaming from subgraphs

from langgraph.graph import START, StateGraph
from typing import TypedDict

# Define subgraph
class SubgraphState(TypedDict):
    foo: str  # note that this key is shared with the parent graph state
    bar: str

def subgraph_node_1(state: SubgraphState):
    return {"bar": "bar"}

def subgraph_node_2(state: SubgraphState):
    return {"foo": state["foo"] + state["bar"]}

subgraph_builder = StateGraph(SubgraphState)
subgraph_builder.add_node(subgraph_node_1)
subgraph_builder.add_node(subgraph_node_2)
subgraph_builder.add_edge(START, "subgraph_node_1")
subgraph_builder.add_edge("subgraph_node_1", "subgraph_node_2")
subgraph = subgraph_builder.compile()

# Define parent graph
class ParentState(TypedDict):
    foo: str

def node_1(state: ParentState):
    return {"foo": "hi! " + state["foo"]}

builder = StateGraph(ParentState)
builder.add_node("node_1", node_1)
builder.add_node("node_2", subgraph)
builder.add_edge(START, "node_1")
builder.add_edge("node_1", "node_2")
graph = builder.compile()

for chunk in graph.stream(
    {"foo": "foo"},
    stream_mode="updates",
    # Set subgraphs=True to stream outputs from subgraphs
    subgraphs=True,  
):
    print(chunk)

((), {'node_1': {'foo': 'hi! foo'}})
(('node_2:dfddc4ba-c3c5-6887-5012-a243b5b377c2',), {'subgraph_node_1': {'bar': 'bar'}})
(('node_2:dfddc4ba-c3c5-6887-5012-a243b5b377c2',), {'subgraph_node_2': {'foo': 'hi! foobar'}})
((), {'node_2': {'foo': 'hi! foobar'}})

Note that we are receiving not just the node updates, but we also the namespaces which tell us what graph (or subgraph) we are streaming from.

Debugging

Use the debug streaming mode to stream as much information as possible throughout the execution of the graph. The streamed outputs include the name of the node as well as the full state.

for chunk in graph.stream(
    {"topic": "ice cream"},
    stream_mode="debug",  
):
    print(chunk)

LLM tokens

Use the messages streaming mode to stream Large Language Model (LLM) outputs token by token from any part of your graph, including nodes, tools, subgraphs, or tasks.

The streamed output from messages mode is a tuple (message_chunk, metadata) where:

• message_chunk: the token or message segment from the LLM.
• metadata: a dictionary containing details about the graph node and LLM invocation.

If your LLM is not available as a LangChain integration, you can stream its outputs using custom mode instead. See use with any LLM for details.

Manual config required for async in Python < 3.11 When using Python < 3.11 with async code, you must explicitly pass RunnableConfig to ainvoke() to enable proper streaming. See Async with Python < 3.11 for details or upgrade to Python 3.11+.

from dataclasses import dataclass

from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START


@dataclass
class MyState:
    topic: str
    joke: str = ""


model = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini")

def call_model(state: MyState):
    """Call the LLM to generate a joke about a topic"""
    # Note that message events are emitted even when the LLM is run using .invoke rather than .stream
    model_response = model.invoke(  
        [
            {"role": "user", "content": f"Generate a joke about {state.topic}"}
        ]
    )
    return {"joke": model_response.content}

graph = (
    StateGraph(MyState)
    .add_node(call_model)
    .add_edge(START, "call_model")
    .compile()
)

# The "messages" stream mode returns an iterator of tuples (message_chunk, metadata)
# where message_chunk is the token streamed by the LLM and metadata is a dictionary
# with information about the graph node where the LLM was called and other information
for message_chunk, metadata in graph.stream(
    {"topic": "ice cream"},
    stream_mode="messages",  
):
    if message_chunk.content:
        print(message_chunk.content, end="|", flush=True)

Filter by LLM invocation

You can associate tags with LLM invocations to filter the streamed tokens by LLM invocation.

from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model

# model_1 is tagged with "joke"
model_1 = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini", tags=['joke'])
# model_2 is tagged with "poem"
model_2 = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini", tags=['poem'])

graph = ... # define a graph that uses these LLMs

# The stream_mode is set to "messages" to stream LLM tokens
# The metadata contains information about the LLM invocation, including the tags
async for msg, metadata in graph.astream(
    {"topic": "cats"},
    stream_mode="messages",  
):
    # Filter the streamed tokens by the tags field in the metadata to only include
    # the tokens from the LLM invocation with the "joke" tag
    if metadata["tags"] == ["joke"]:
        print(msg.content, end="|", flush=True)

Extended example: filtering by tags

from typing import TypedDict

from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model
from langgraph.graph import START, StateGraph

# The joke_model is tagged with "joke"
joke_model = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini", tags=["joke"])
# The poem_model is tagged with "poem"
poem_model = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini", tags=["poem"])


class State(TypedDict):
      topic: str
      joke: str
      poem: str


async def call_model(state, config):
      topic = state["topic"]
      print("Writing joke...")
      # Note: Passing the config through explicitly is required for python < 3.11
      # Since context var support wasn't added before then: https://docs.python.org/3/library/asyncio-task.html#creating-tasks
      # The config is passed through explicitly to ensure the context vars are propagated correctly
      # This is required for Python < 3.11 when using async code. Please see the async section for more details
      joke_response = await joke_model.ainvoke(
            [{"role": "user", "content": f"Write a joke about {topic}"}],
            config,
      )
      print("\n\nWriting poem...")
      poem_response = await poem_model.ainvoke(
            [{"role": "user", "content": f"Write a short poem about {topic}"}],
            config,
      )
      return {"joke": joke_response.content, "poem": poem_response.content}


graph = (
      StateGraph(State)
      .add_node(call_model)
      .add_edge(START, "call_model")
      .compile()
)

# The stream_mode is set to "messages" to stream LLM tokens
# The metadata contains information about the LLM invocation, including the tags
async for msg, metadata in graph.astream(
      {"topic": "cats"},
      stream_mode="messages",
):
    if metadata["tags"] == ["joke"]:
        print(msg.content, end="|", flush=True)

Filter by node

To stream tokens only from specific nodes, use stream_mode="messages" and filter the outputs by the langgraph_node field in the streamed metadata:

# The "messages" stream mode returns a tuple of (message_chunk, metadata)
# where message_chunk is the token streamed by the LLM and metadata is a dictionary
# with information about the graph node where the LLM was called and other information
for msg, metadata in graph.stream(
    inputs,
    stream_mode="messages",  
):
    # Filter the streamed tokens by the langgraph_node field in the metadata
    # to only include the tokens from the specified node
    if msg.content and metadata["langgraph_node"] == "some_node_name":
        ...

Extended example: streaming LLM tokens from specific nodes

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.graph import START, StateGraph
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI

model = ChatOpenAI(model="gpt-4o-mini")


class State(TypedDict):
      topic: str
      joke: str
      poem: str


def write_joke(state: State):
      topic = state["topic"]
      joke_response = model.invoke(
            [{"role": "user", "content": f"Write a joke about {topic}"}]
      )
      return {"joke": joke_response.content}


def write_poem(state: State):
      topic = state["topic"]
      poem_response = model.invoke(
            [{"role": "user", "content": f"Write a short poem about {topic}"}]
      )
      return {"poem": poem_response.content}


graph = (
      StateGraph(State)
      .add_node(write_joke)
      .add_node(write_poem)
      # write both the joke and the poem concurrently
      .add_edge(START, "write_joke")
      .add_edge(START, "write_poem")
      .compile()
)

# The "messages" stream mode returns a tuple of (message_chunk, metadata)
# where message_chunk is the token streamed by the LLM and metadata is a dictionary
# with information about the graph node where the LLM was called and other information
for msg, metadata in graph.stream(
    {"topic": "cats"},
    stream_mode="messages",  
):
    # Filter the streamed tokens by the langgraph_node field in the metadata
    # to only include the tokens from the write_poem node
    if msg.content and metadata["langgraph_node"] == "write_poem":
        print(msg.content, end="|", flush=True)

Stream custom data

To send custom user-defined data from inside a LangGraph node or tool, follow these steps:

1. Use get_stream_writer to access the stream writer and emit custom data.
2. Set stream_mode="custom" when calling .stream() or .astream() to get the custom data in the stream. You can combine multiple modes (e.g., ["updates", "custom"]), but at least one must be "custom".

No get_stream_writer in async for Python < 3.11 In async code running on Python < 3.11, get_stream_writer will not work. Instead, add a writer parameter to your node or tool and pass it manually. See Async with Python < 3.11 for usage examples.

node

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.config import get_stream_writer
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START

class State(TypedDict):
    query: str
    answer: str

def node(state: State):
    # Get the stream writer to send custom data
    writer = get_stream_writer()
    # Emit a custom key-value pair (e.g., progress update)
    writer({"custom_key": "Generating custom data inside node"})
    return {"answer": "some data"}

graph = (
    StateGraph(State)
    .add_node(node)
    .add_edge(START, "node")
    .compile()
)

inputs = {"query": "example"}

# Set stream_mode="custom" to receive the custom data in the stream
for chunk in graph.stream(inputs, stream_mode="custom"):
    print(chunk)

Use with any LLM

You can use stream_mode="custom" to stream data from any LLM API — even if that API does not implement the LangChain chat model interface.

This lets you integrate raw LLM clients or external services that provide their own streaming interfaces, making LangGraph highly flexible for custom setups.

from langgraph.config import get_stream_writer

def call_arbitrary_model(state):
    """Example node that calls an arbitrary model and streams the output"""
    # Get the stream writer to send custom data
    writer = get_stream_writer()  
    # Assume you have a streaming client that yields chunks
    # Generate LLM tokens using your custom streaming client
    for chunk in your_custom_streaming_client(state["topic"]):
        # Use the writer to send custom data to the stream
        writer({"custom_llm_chunk": chunk})  
    return {"result": "completed"}

graph = (
    StateGraph(State)
    .add_node(call_arbitrary_model)
    # Add other nodes and edges as needed
    .compile()
)
# Set stream_mode="custom" to receive the custom data in the stream
for chunk in graph.stream(
    {"topic": "cats"},
    stream_mode="custom",  

):
    # The chunk will contain the custom data streamed from the llm
    print(chunk)

Extended example: streaming arbitrary chat model

import operator
import json

from typing import TypedDict
from typing_extensions import Annotated
from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START

from openai import AsyncOpenAI

openai_client = AsyncOpenAI()
model_name = "gpt-4o-mini"


async def stream_tokens(model_name: str, messages: list[dict]):
    response = await openai_client.chat.completions.create(
        messages=messages, model=model_name, stream=True
    )
    role = None
    async for chunk in response:
        delta = chunk.choices[0].delta

        if delta.role is not None:
            role = delta.role

        if delta.content:
            yield {"role": role, "content": delta.content}


# this is our tool
async def get_items(place: str) -> str:
    """Use this tool to list items one might find in a place you're asked about."""
    writer = get_stream_writer()
    response = ""
    async for msg_chunk in stream_tokens(
        model_name,
        [
            {
                "role": "user",
                "content": (
                    "Can you tell me what kind of items "
                    f"i might find in the following place: '{place}'. "
                    "List at least 3 such items separating them by a comma. "
                    "And include a brief description of each item."
                ),
            }
        ],
    ):
        response += msg_chunk["content"]
        writer(msg_chunk)

    return response


class State(TypedDict):
    messages: Annotated[list[dict], operator.add]


# this is the tool-calling graph node
async def call_tool(state: State):
    ai_message = state["messages"][-1]
    tool_call = ai_message["tool_calls"][-1]

    function_name = tool_call["function"]["name"]
    if function_name != "get_items":
        raise ValueError(f"Tool {function_name} not supported")

    function_arguments = tool_call["function"]["arguments"]
    arguments = json.loads(function_arguments)

    function_response = await get_items(**arguments)
    tool_message = {
        "tool_call_id": tool_call["id"],
        "role": "tool",
        "name": function_name,
        "content": function_response,
    }
    return {"messages": [tool_message]}


graph = (
    StateGraph(State)
    .add_node(call_tool)
    .add_edge(START, "call_tool")
    .compile()
)

Let’s invoke the graph with an AIMessage that includes a tool call:

inputs = {
    "messages": [
        {
            "content": None,
            "role": "assistant",
            "tool_calls": [
                {
                    "id": "1",
                    "function": {
                        "arguments": '{"place":"bedroom"}',
                        "name": "get_items",
                    },
                    "type": "function",
                }
            ],
        }
    ]
}

async for chunk in graph.astream(
    inputs,
    stream_mode="custom",
):
    print(chunk["content"], end="|", flush=True)

Disable streaming for specific chat models

If your application mixes models that support streaming with those that do not, you may need to explicitly disable streaming for models that do not support it.

Set disable_streaming=True when initializing the model.

init_chat_model

from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model

model = init_chat_model(
    "anthropic:claude-sonnet-4-5",
    # Set disable_streaming=True to disable streaming for the chat model
    disable_streaming=True

)

Async with Python < 3.11

In Python versions < 3.11, asyncio tasks do not support the context parameter. This limits LangGraph ability to automatically propagate context, and affects LangGraph’s streaming mechanisms in two key ways:

1. You must explicitly pass RunnableConfig into async LLM calls (e.g., ainvoke()), as callbacks are not automatically propagated.
2. You cannot use get_stream_writer in async nodes or tools — you must pass a writer argument directly.

Extended example: async LLM call with manual config

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.graph import START, StateGraph
from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model

model = init_chat_model(model="openai:gpt-4o-mini")

class State(TypedDict):
    topic: str
    joke: str

# Accept config as an argument in the async node function
async def call_model(state, config):
    topic = state["topic"]
    print("Generating joke...")
    # Pass config to model.ainvoke() to ensure proper context propagation
    joke_response = await model.ainvoke(  
        [{"role": "user", "content": f"Write a joke about {topic}"}],
        config,
    )
    return {"joke": joke_response.content}

graph = (
    StateGraph(State)
    .add_node(call_model)
    .add_edge(START, "call_model")
    .compile()
)

# Set stream_mode="messages" to stream LLM tokens
async for chunk, metadata in graph.astream(
    {"topic": "ice cream"},
    stream_mode="messages",  
):
    if chunk.content:
        print(chunk.content, end="|", flush=True)

Extended example: async custom streaming with stream writer

from typing import TypedDict
from langgraph.types import StreamWriter

class State(TypedDict):
      topic: str
      joke: str

# Add writer as an argument in the function signature of the async node or tool
# LangGraph will automatically pass the stream writer to the function
async def generate_joke(state: State, writer: StreamWriter):  
      writer({"custom_key": "Streaming custom data while generating a joke"})
      return {"joke": f"This is a joke about {state['topic']}"}

graph = (
      StateGraph(State)
      .add_node(generate_joke)
      .add_edge(START, "generate_joke")
      .compile()
)

# Set stream_mode="custom" to receive the custom data in the stream  #
async for chunk in graph.astream(
      {"topic": "ice cream"},
      stream_mode="custom",
):
      print(chunk)

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