5.7 KiB
name, description
| name | description |
|---|---|
| agent-creator | This skill should be used when the user asks to "create an agent", "write a subagent", "generate agent definition", "add agent to plugin", "write agent frontmatter", "create autonomous agent", "build subagent", needs agent structure guidance, YAML frontmatter configuration, invocation criteria with examples, or wants to add specialized subagents to Claude Code plugins with proper capabilities lists and tool access definitions. |
Agent Creator
Overview
Creates subagent definitions for Claude Code. Subagents are specialized assistants that Claude can invoke for specific tasks.
When to use: User requests an agent, wants to add specialized subagent to plugin, or needs agent structure guidance.
References: Consult
plugins/meta/claude-docs/skills/official-docs/reference/plugins-reference.md and
plugins/meta/claude-docs/skills/official-docs/reference/sub-agents.md for specifications.
CRITICAL: Two Types of Agents
Claude Code has two distinct agent types with different requirements:
Plugin Agents (plugins/*/agents/)
Purpose: Agents distributed via plugins for team/community use
Required frontmatter fields:
description(required) - What this agent specializes incapabilities(required) - Array of specific capabilities
Location: plugins/<category>/<plugin-name>/agents/agent-name.md
Example:
---
description: Expert code reviewer validating security and quality
capabilities: ["vulnerability detection", "code quality review", "best practices"]
---
User/Project Agents (.claude/agents/)
Purpose: Personal agents for individual workflows
Required frontmatter fields:
name(required) - Agent identifierdescription(required) - When to invoke this agenttools(optional) - Comma-separated tool listmodel(optional) - Model alias (sonnet, opus, haiku)
Location: .claude/agents/agent-name.md or ~/.claude/agents/agent-name.md
Example:
---
name: code-reviewer
description: Expert code review. Use after code changes.
tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Bash
model: sonnet
---
Key difference: User agents have name field and system prompt. Plugin agents have capabilities array and documentation.
Agent Structure Requirements (Plugin Agents)
Every plugin agent MUST include:
- Frontmatter with
descriptionandcapabilitiesarray - Agent title as h1
- Capabilities section explaining what agent does
- When to Use section with invocation criteria
- Context and Examples with concrete scenarios
- Located in
agents/agent-name.mdwithin plugin
Creation Process
Step 0: Determine Agent Type
Ask the user:
- Is this for a plugin (team/community distribution)?
- Or for personal use (.claude/agents/)?
If personal use: Use user agent format with name, description, system prompt. See plugins/meta/claude-docs/skills/official-docs/reference/sub-agents.md for examples.
If plugin: Continue with plugin agent format below.
Step 1: Define Agent Purpose
Ask the user:
- What specialized task does this agent handle?
- What capabilities distinguish it from other agents?
- When should Claude invoke this vs doing work directly?
Step 2: Determine Agent Name
Create descriptive kebab-case name:
- "security review" →
security-reviewer - "performance testing" →
performance-tester - "API documentation" →
api-documenter
Step 3: List Capabilities
Identify 3-5 specific capabilities:
- Concrete actions the agent performs
- Specialized knowledge it applies
- Outputs it generates
Step 4: Structure the Agent
Use this template:
---
description: One-line agent description
capabilities: ["capability-1", "capability-2", "capability-3"]
---
# Agent Name
Detailed description of agent's role and expertise.
## Capabilities
- **Capability 1**: What this enables
- **Capability 2**: What this enables
- **Capability 3**: What this enables
## When to Use This Agent
Claude should invoke when:
- Specific condition 1
- Specific condition 2
- Specific condition 3
## Context and Examples
**Example 1: Scenario Name**
User requests: "Help with X"
Agent provides: Specific assistance using capabilities
**Example 2: Another Scenario**
When Y happens, agent does Z.
Step 5: Verify Against Official Docs
For plugin agents:
Check plugins/meta/claude-docs/skills/official-docs/reference/plugins-reference.md (requires capabilities array).
For user agents:
Check plugins/meta/claude-docs/skills/official-docs/reference/sub-agents.md (requires name field).
Key Principles
- Specialization: Agents should have focused expertise
- Clear Invocation: Claude must know when to use this agent
- Concrete Capabilities: List specific things agent can do
- Examples: Show real scenarios where agent helps
Examples
Example 1: Security Reviewer Agent
User: "Create an agent for security reviews"
Process:
- Purpose: Reviews code for security vulnerabilities
- Name:
security-reviewer - Capabilities: ["vulnerability detection", "security best practices", "threat modeling"]
- Structure: Include when to invoke, examples of security issues
- Create:
agents/security-reviewer.md
Output: Agent that Claude invokes for security-related code review
Example 2: Performance Tester Agent
User: "I need an agent for performance testing"
Process:
- Purpose: Designs and analyzes performance tests
- Name:
performance-tester - Capabilities: ["load testing", "benchmark design", "performance analysis"]
- Structure: When to use for optimization vs testing
- Create:
agents/performance-tester.md
Output: Agent that Claude invokes for performance concerns