How Do Subagents Work and How Do I Set Them Up?

Last updated: August 21, 2026

To set up subagents, open the coordinator agent, add existing agents in the Subagents section, and tell the coordinator when to delegate to each one. Use the default (Me) self-clone when you only need parallel copies of the same agent.

Set Up a Specialized Subagent

  1. Create the specialist agent first. Give it a focused purpose, the connectors and skills it needs, and a clear name and description.
  2. Open the agent that will coordinate the work.
  3. In Subagents, click Add and select the specialist agent. Only eligible agents that are not already attached appear.
  4. Make sure everyone who can run the coordinator also has access to the specialist agent.
  5. In the coordinator's instructions, explain exactly when to use the specialist and what result it should return.
  6. Save the agent, start a new chat, and give it a task that should trigger delegation.

Example coordinator instruction:

For lead research, delegate CRM and company-background checks to the Sales Research Agent. Ask it to return a short summary with sources. If several leads can be researched independently, run them in parallel.

Use Self-Cloning for Parallel Work

The (Me) entry is enabled by default. A self-clone keeps the coordinator's instructions and tools, so it works best when the same kind of task can be split into independent pieces—for example, researching several companies or summarizing several documents at once.

Use a named specialist instead when the delegated task needs different instructions, connectors, or domain expertise.

What to Expect When It Runs

  • Each subagent runs in its own conversation with its own context and sandbox.
  • The coordinator must send a clear prompt containing the goal, necessary inputs, constraints, and desired output format.
  • Files are not automatically copied from the coordinator's temporary sandbox. The coordinator must explicitly transfer the files the subagent needs.
  • The subagent uses the permissions and connected credentials available to the person who started the coordinator chat.
  • The coordinator receives the subagent's result and can combine it with other results before replying.

Self-clones cannot clone themselves again. Named agents can delegate to other allowed named agents, so use separate specialists if you need a multi-step chain.

If the Coordinator Does Not Delegate

  • Confirm the specialist appears in the coordinator's Subagents list.
  • Replace vague instructions such as “use subagents when helpful” with explicit routing rules.
  • Give the specialist a descriptive name and description so the coordinator can distinguish it from other agents.
  • Confirm the person testing the coordinator can also access the specialist agent.
  • Start a new chat after changing the subagent list or instructions.

How Do I Know It Worked?

The coordinator shows a subagent invocation during the chat, the delegated work appears as a separate conversation in chat history, and the coordinator uses the returned result in its final response.

Related Resources

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