{
  "title": "Subagent delegation",
  "description": "Delegate a bounded task to a product-native child agent.",
  "slug": "subagent-delegation",
  "locale": "en",
  "seoTitle": "Subagent delegation compatibility — Can My Agent Use",
  "socialTitle": "Subagent delegation",
  "socialDescription": "Basic child-agent delegation tracked separately from nesting and permissions.",
  "llmSummary": "Basic delegation establishes one child-agent boundary but not recursion, MCP access, or write access.",
  "audience": "Engineers comparing multi-agent execution.",
  "contentKind": "feature",
  "status": "published",
  "tags": [
    "runtime",
    "subagents",
    "delegation"
  ],
  "updated": "2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "published": "2026-08-28T00:00:00.000Z",
  "category": "runtime",
  "summary": "Delegate a bounded task to another agent process.",
  "specLabel": "Common product term",
  "aliases": [
    "child agent",
    "task delegation"
  ],
  "capabilityKind": "atomic",
  "parent": "subagents",
  "related": [
    "nested-subagents",
    "subagent-concurrency",
    "subagent-context-isolation",
    "subagent-result-handoff"
  ],
  "relations": [],
  "highlight": false,
  "notes": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: OpenWork identifies agents as OpenCode primitives for specialized tasks that may use different models and extra context."
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Grok Bot can create focused named Bots, let Bots message each other asynchronously, and pass work among them. This is persistent peer-Bot delegation, not documented ephemeral child-session spawning."
    },
    {
      "id": 3,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Claude Code documents built-in and custom subagents that receive delegated tasks through the Agent tool, run in their own context, and return a summary to the parent conversation."
    },
    {
      "id": 4,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: ChatGPT Work and current local Codex releases can spawn specialized agents, expose their activity, and collect results into the parent response."
    },
    {
      "id": 5,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Gemini CLI exposes built-in and custom subagents as tools, with automatic delegation or explicit @agent prompting."
    },
    {
      "id": 6,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: Cursor Agent can automatically or explicitly launch built-in and custom subagents on editor, CLI, and Cloud Agent surfaces."
    },
    {
      "id": 7,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: GitHub Copilot CLI can automatically run built-in or custom agents as temporary subagents with separate context windows."
    },
    {
      "id": 8,
      "text": "Evidence checked 2026-08-28: VS Code documents the `agent/runSubagent` tool, built-in and custom child agents, autonomous child work, and final-result return to the main agent."
    }
  ],
  "issues": [],
  "resources": [
    {
      "id": "openwork-subagents",
      "title": "OpenWork — Architecture",
      "href": "https://github.com/different-ai/openwork/blob/dev/ARCHITECTURE.md",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "OpenWork",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "xai-grok-bot-collaboration",
      "title": "xAI — Grok Bot messaging and collaboration",
      "href": "https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/chat-and-collaboration",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "xAI",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28",
      "locator": "Let Bots hand work off"
    },
    {
      "id": "anthropic-claude-code-subagents",
      "title": "Anthropic — Create custom subagents",
      "href": "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "Anthropic",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28",
      "locator": "How subagents work"
    },
    {
      "id": "openai-subagents",
      "title": "OpenAI — Subagents in ChatGPT and Codex",
      "href": "https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/agent-configuration/subagents",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "OpenAI",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "google-gemini-cli-subagents",
      "title": "Google — Gemini CLI subagents",
      "href": "https://geminicli.com/docs/core/subagents/",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "Google",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "cursor-subagents",
      "title": "Cursor — Subagents",
      "href": "https://cursor.com/docs/subagents",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "Cursor",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "github-copilot-cli-custom-agents",
      "title": "GitHub — Custom agents and subagents in Copilot CLI",
      "href": "https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/copilot-cli/about-custom-agents",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "GitHub",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "vscode-subagents",
      "title": "Visual Studio Code — Subagents in Visual Studio Code",
      "href": "https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agents/run/subagents",
      "kind": "docs",
      "publisher": "Microsoft",
      "evidenceType": "documented",
      "reviewedAt": "2026-08-28",
      "locator": "Invoke a subagent"
    }
  ],
  "support": [
    {
      "harness": "chatgpt-web",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            4
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "hosted-observation",
            "revision": "2026-08-28 ChatGPT Work web documentation observation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "hosted-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "plan",
              "value": "subagent workflows and visible activity require an eligible account; Ultra may delegate proactively while other levels generally require an explicit request"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "openai-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "chatgpt-desktop",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            4
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current ChatGPT desktop documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "current local Codex releases delegate after a direct request or applicable AGENTS.md or skill instruction and surface each child thread"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "openai-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "codex-cli",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            4
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current Codex CLI documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "delegates after a direct request or applicable project or skill instruction; /agent opens child threads while the parent collects their results"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "openai-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "gemini-cli",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            5
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current Gemini CLI documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "the main agent can automatically choose a matching subagent or be nudged to a named specialist with @agent syntax"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "google-gemini-cli-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "cursor",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            6
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current Cursor subagent documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "applies to Cursor editor, CLI, and Cloud Agents; named subagents can be invoked with /name or natural language"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "cursor-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "copilot-cli",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            7
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current GitHub Copilot CLI documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "the main Copilot agent can automatically invoke built-in or custom agents as temporary subagents"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "github-copilot-cli-custom-agents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "claude-cli",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            3
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current Claude Code subagent documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "anthropic-claude-code-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "vscode-copilot",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            8
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current VS Code subagent documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "host-role",
              "value": "claim is scoped to GitHub Copilot's local VS Code agent surface with the subagent tool enabled"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "vscode-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "openwork-desktop",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "yes",
          "noteIds": [
            1
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "dated-documentation",
            "revision": "current OpenWork architecture documentation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "local-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "supplied by the embedded OpenCode agent runtime"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "openwork-subagents",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ],
          "stage": "stable"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "harness": "grok-bot-desktop",
      "versions": [
        {
          "track": "current",
          "status": "partial",
          "noteIds": [
            2
          ],
          "target": {
            "kind": "hosted-observation",
            "revision": "2026-08-28 Grok Bot desktop documentation observation",
            "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
          },
          "environmentProfile": "hosted-default",
          "qualifiers": [
            {
              "type": "runtime",
              "value": "delegation uses distinct persistent named Bots with asynchronous messages and visible handoffs, rather than documented ephemeral child sessions"
            },
            {
              "type": "policy",
              "value": "all Bots for an account share one hosted computer, so delegation does not create a separate filesystem, login, or credential security boundary"
            }
          ],
          "evidence": [
            {
              "resourceId": "xai-grok-bot-collaboration",
              "type": "documented",
              "observedAt": "2026-08-28"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "html": "/features/subagent-delegation",
  "markdown": "/features/subagent-delegation.md",
  "json": "/api/v1/features/subagent-delegation.json",
  "body": "This row establishes that one agent can create a distinct child execution boundary for a bounded task. A renamed tool call, background shell command, or single-model chain-of-thought step is not enough unless the product exposes a child-agent execution with its own task state.\n\nDeeper recursion, simultaneous children, inherited context, model choice, permissions, supervision, and result transfer are separate sibling capabilities."
}