| name | agent-development |
| description | Guide for creating specialized subagents with AGENT.md files. Use when the user asks to "create an agent", "write AGENT.md", "subagent", "specialized agent", "agent tools", or needs guidance on agent design. |
| version | 0.6.2 |
Agent Development
Guide for creating specialized subagents with AGENT.md files.
Agent Structure
agents/
└── agent-name.md # Flat file (not subdirectory)
AGENT.md Format
---
name: my-agent
description: |
When Claude should delegate to this agent. Include trigger phrases
and example blocks for reliable invocation.
<example>
Context: Describe the situation
user: "Example request"
assistant: "I'll use the my-agent agent to handle this."
<commentary>
Why this triggers the agent.
</commentary>
</example>
tools:
- Read
- Grep
- Glob
model: sonnet
color: cyan
---
System prompt for the agent goes here in markdown.
Frontmatter Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|
name | Yes | Unique identifier (kebab-case) |
description | Yes | When to delegate + trigger phrases |
tools | No | Tools agent can use (inherits if omitted) |
disallowedTools | No | Tools to explicitly deny |
model | No | sonnet, opus, haiku, or inherit |
color | No | Visual identifier (cyan, magenta, green, etc.) |
permissionMode | No | default, plan, dontAsk, bypassPermissions |
skills | No | Skills to preload into context |
hooks | No | Agent-specific hooks |
Example Blocks (Critical)
<example> blocks in descriptions are essential for reliable triggering:
description: |
Database migration reviewer. Use when checking migration safety.
<example>
Context: User about to run a migration
user: "Can you check this migration?"
assistant: "I'll use the migration-reviewer agent."
<commentary>
Migration safety check requested.
</commentary>
</example>
Proactive Triggering
Include "use proactively" for automatic delegation:
description: Expert test runner. Use proactively after code changes.
Model Selection
| Model | Use Case |
|---|
haiku | Fast tasks (exploration, validation) |
sonnet | Balanced (most tasks) |
opus | Complex reasoning |
inherit | Use parent's model |
AI-Assisted Creation
Use the agent-creator agent for interactive design:
Help me create an agent for [purpose]
Quality Review
After creating an agent, use the skill-reviewer agent to check description quality, tool appropriateness, and system prompt clarity.
