Week 10 of 12 ðĪ
Subagents & Task Delegation
Subagents āđāļĨāļ°āļāļēāļĢāļĄāļāļāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāļāļēāļ
1. Introduction / āļāļāļāļģ
Subagents āļāļ·āļāļāļđāđāļāđāļ§āļĒ AI āđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļēāļāļāļĩāđ Claude āļŠāļĢāđāļēāļāļāļķāđāļāđāļāļ·āđāļāļāļąāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļēāļāđāļāļāļēāļ° āļāļĢāļ°āđāļ āļāđāļāļāļąāļ§ āđāļāđāđāļāđ Explore (āļāđāļāļŦāļēāđāļĢāđāļ§), Plan (āļŠāļāļēāļāļąāļāļĒāļāļĢāļĢāļĄ) āđāļĨāļ° general-purpose (āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļĄāļ·āļāļāļĢāļ) āļāļļāļāļĒāļąāļāļŠāļĢāđāļēāļ subagents āļāļĩāđāļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāļāļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļāđāļāļĢāđāļāļāļāđāđāļāđ
Subagents are specialized AI assistants that Claude can spawn to handle specific tasks. Built-in types include Explore (fast search), Plan (architecture), and general-purpose (full tools). You can also create custom subagents for your project.
Fun Facts / āļāđāļāđāļāđāļāļāļĢāļīāļāļāļĩāđāļāđāļēāļŠāļāđāļ
- Explore agents use Haiku for speed â they're read-only!
- Custom subagents are defined as Markdown files with frontmatter.
- Background agents auto-approve permissions so they don't block.
2. Vocabulary / āļāļģāļĻāļąāļāļāđ
Click a card to flip it. āļāļĨāļīāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļāđāļāļ·āđāļāļāļĨāļīāļ
agent
āđāļāđāļāļāļāđ
An AI assistant that works on tasks
subagent
āļāļąāļāđāļāđāļāļāļāđ
A helper agent spawned by the main agent
delegate
āļĄāļāļāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ
To give a task to someone else
parallel
āļāļāļēāļ
Running multiple tasks at the same time
background
āļāļ·āđāļāļŦāļĨāļąāļ
Running without blocking the main task
foreground
āđāļāļ·āđāļāļāļŦāļāđāļē
The currently active and visible task
worktree
āđāļ§āļīāļĢāđāļāļāļĢāļĩ
An isolated copy of a git repository
spawn
āļŠāļĢāđāļēāļ / āđāļĢāļĩāļĒāļ
To create a new subagent
isolation
āļāļēāļĢāđāļĒāļ
Keeping things separate to avoid conflicts
task
āļāļēāļ
A specific piece of work to be done
inherit
āļŠāļ·āļāļāļāļ
To receive settings from a parent
custom
āļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāļ
Created by the user for specific needs
3. Grammar Focus / āđāļ§āļĒāļēāļāļĢāļāđ
Passive Voice (is assigned, was completed) / Passive Voice (is assigned, was completed)
Thai:
Passive voice āđāļāđāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āļāļģāļŦāļĢāļ·āļāļāļĨāļĨāļąāļāļāđ āđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļāļđāđāļāļģ āļĢāļđāļāđāļāļ: be + āļāļĢāļīāļĒāļēāļāđāļāļ 3 āļāļąāļ§āļāļĒāđāļēāļ: 'The task is assigned to a subagent.' (āđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļāļ§āđāļēāđāļāļĢāļĄāļāļāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ) Active: 'Claude assigns the task.'
Passive voice āđāļāđāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āļāļģāļŦāļĢāļ·āļāļāļĨāļĨāļąāļāļāđ āđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļāļđāđāļāļģ āļĢāļđāļāđāļāļ: be + āļāļĢāļīāļĒāļēāļāđāļāļ 3 āļāļąāļ§āļāļĒāđāļēāļ: 'The task is assigned to a subagent.' (āđāļĄāđāđāļāđāļāļ§āđāļēāđāļāļĢāļĄāļāļāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒ) Active: 'Claude assigns the task.'
English:
Passive voice emphasizes the action or result, not who does it. Form: be + past participle. Example: 'The task is assigned to a subagent.' (We don't focus on who assigned it.) Active: 'Claude assigns the task.'
Passive voice emphasizes the action or result, not who does it. Form: be + past participle. Example: 'The task is assigned to a subagent.' (We don't focus on who assigned it.) Active: 'Claude assigns the task.'
āļāļēāļāļāļđāļāļĄāļāļāļŦāļĄāļēāļĒāđāļŦāđ subagent
The task is delegated to a subagent.
Custom agents āļāļđāļāļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāđāļāļĨāđ Markdown
Custom agents are defined in Markdown files.
āļāļĨāļĨāļąāļāļāđāļāļđāļāļŠāđāļāļāļ·āļāđāļāļĒ Explore agent
The results were returned by the Explore agent.
Section Check 1
Which agent type is read-only?
Agent āļāļĢāļ°āđāļ āļāđāļāđāļāđāļāđāļāļāļāđāļēāļāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ§?
Section Check 2
Which is passive voice?
āļāđāļāđāļāđāļāđāļ passive voice?
Section Check 3
Where are custom agents defined?
Custom agents āļāļđāļāļāļģāļŦāļāļāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļ?
4. Tutorial Steps / āļāļąāđāļāļāļāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļĢāļĩāļĒāļāļĢāļđāđ
1
Use built-in agents / āđāļāđ agents āđāļāļāļąāļ§
Ask Claude to 'use the Explore agent to find all API endpoints' â it spawns a fast search agent.
Ask Claude to 'use the Explore agent to find all API endpoints' â it spawns a fast search agent.
2
Create a custom agent / āļŠāļĢāđāļēāļ agent āļāļĩāđāļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāļ
Create .claude/agents/reviewer.md with name, description, and tool restrictions.
Create .claude/agents/reviewer.md with name, description, and tool restrictions.
3
Run agents in background / āļĢāļąāļ agents āđāļāļāļ·āđāļāļŦāļĨāļąāļ
Set background: true in frontmatter, or press Ctrl+B during execution.
Set background: true in frontmatter, or press Ctrl+B during execution.
4
Configure agent tools / āļāļąāđāļāļāđāļēāđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļĄāļ·āļ agent
Use 'tools' for allowlist or 'disallowedTools' for denylist in frontmatter.
Use 'tools' for allowlist or 'disallowedTools' for denylist in frontmatter.
5
Manage with /agents / āļāļąāļāļāļēāļĢāļāđāļ§āļĒ /agents
Type /agents to view, enable, or disable configured subagents.
Type /agents to view, enable, or disable configured subagents.
5. Hands-On Activity / āļāļīāļāļāļĢāļĢāļĄāļĨāļāļĄāļ·āļāļāļģ
āđāļāļāļāļķāļāļŦāļąāļ: āļŠāļĢāđāļēāļ code-reviewer subagent āļāļĩāđāļĄāļĩāđāļāļāļēāļ°āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļĄāļ·āļ Read āđāļĨāļ° Grep āļāļāļŠāļāļāđāļāļĒāļāļāđāļŦāđ Claude āđāļāđāļĄāļąāļāļāļĢāļ§āļāļŠāļāļāđāļāđāļ
Practice: Create a custom code-reviewer subagent that only has Read and Grep tools. Test it by asking Claude to use it for a code review.
6. Reference Table / āļāļēāļĢāļēāļāļāđāļēāļāļāļīāļ
| Command / Tool | English | āļ āļēāļĐāļēāđāļāļĒ |
|---|---|---|
Explore | Fast read-only search (Haiku) | āļāđāļāļŦāļēāđāļĢāđāļ§āđāļāļāļāđāļēāļāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ§ |
Plan | Architecture research | āļ§āļīāļāļąāļĒāļŠāļāļēāļāļąāļāļĒāļāļĢāļĢāļĄ |
general-purpose | Full tools, complex tasks | āđāļāļĢāļ·āđāļāļāļĄāļ·āļāļāļĢāļ āļāļēāļāļāļąāļāļāđāļāļ |
.claude/agents/ | Custom agent directory | āđāļāđāļĢāļāļāļāļĢāļĩ agent āļāļĩāđāļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāļ |
/agents | Manage agents | āļāļąāļāļāļēāļĢ agents |
7. Summary / āļŠāļĢāļļāļ
Subagents āļāļąāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļēāļāđāļāļāļēāļ°āļāļēāļ āļāļĢāļ°āđāļ āļāđāļāļāļąāļ§: Explore, Plan, general-purpose Custom agents āļāļ·āļāđāļāļĨāđ Markdown āđāļ .claude/agents/ Passive voice (be + āļāļĢāļīāļĒāļēāļāđāļāļ 3) āđāļāđāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļĢāļ°āļāļģāļĄāļēāļāļāļ§āđāļēāļāļđāđāļāļĢāļ°āļāļģ
Subagents handle specialized tasks. Built-in types: Explore, Plan, general-purpose. Custom agents are Markdown files in .claude/agents/. Passive voice (be + past participle) emphasizes actions over actors.
Homework / āļāļēāļĢāļāđāļēāļ
1. āļŠāļĢāđāļēāļ subagent āļāļĩāđāļāļģāļŦāļāļāđāļāļāļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļāđāļāļĢāđāļāļāļāđ
2. āđāļāļĢāļĩāļĒāļāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ Explore, Plan āđāļĨāļ° general-purpose agents
3. āđāļāļĩāļĒāļāļāļĢāļ°āđāļĒāļ active 5 āļāļĢāļ°āđāļĒāļāđāļŦāļĄāđāđāļāđāļ passive voice
2. āđāļāļĢāļĩāļĒāļāđāļāļĩāļĒāļ Explore, Plan āđāļĨāļ° general-purpose agents
3. āđāļāļĩāļĒāļāļāļĢāļ°āđāļĒāļ active 5 āļāļĢāļ°āđāļĒāļāđāļŦāļĄāđāđāļāđāļ passive voice
1. Create a custom subagent for your project.
2. Compare Explore, Plan, and general-purpose agents.
3. Rewrite 5 active sentences into passive voice.
2. Compare Explore, Plan, and general-purpose agents.
3. Rewrite 5 active sentences into passive voice.