Subagents Reference

Quick reference for creating specialized subagents.

Structure

Single Markdown file:

---
name: my-agent
description: What it does. Use proactively when [condition].
tools: Read, Write, Bash
model: sonnet
---

System prompt for this subagent.
Detailed role and approach instructions.

Location

Project: .claude/agents/agent-name.md
Personal: ~/.claude/agents/agent-name.md

Key Fields

name - lowercase-with-hyphens
description - Include "use proactively" for automatic invocation
tools - Optional; omit to inherit all tools
model - Optional: sonnet, opus, haiku, or inherit

Model Selection

sonnet (default) - Balanced capability
opus - Maximum capability
haiku - Fast, cost-effective
inherit - Use main conversation's model

Invocation

Automatic: Claude delegates based on description Explicit: User mentions agent by name

Simple Examples

Code reviewer:

---
name: code-reviewer
description: Expert code reviewer. Use proactively after writing code.
tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Bash(git diff:*)
model: inherit
---

You are a senior code reviewer.

When invoked:
1. Run git diff to see changes
2. Review for quality and security
3. Provide specific, actionable feedback

Focus on:
- Readable code
- Error handling
- Security issues
- Performance

Debugger:

---
name: debugger
description: Debug errors and test failures. Use proactively when issues occur.
tools: Read, Edit, Bash, Grep
---

You are an expert debugger.

Process:
1. Capture error message
2. Identify cause
3. Implement minimal fix
4. Verify solution

Provide root cause and fix.

Test runner:

---
name: test-runner
description: Run tests and fix failures. Use proactively after code changes.
---

You run tests and fix failures.

Steps:
1. Run appropriate tests
2. Analyze failures
3. Fix issues
4. Re-run tests

Tips

Single, clear responsibility per agent
Include "use proactively" for automatic use
Limit tools to what's needed
Test with relevant requests
Use /agents command to manage

When to Use

Subagents - Separate context, specialized tasks
Skills - Extend capabilities, loaded in main context

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