rad-create-agent

name	rad-create-agent
description	Create new custom agents (.agent.md) for the orchestration system. Use when asked to "create an agent", "make a new agent", "scaffold an agent", or when adding a new specialized role to the orchestration pipeline.

Create Agent

A skill for creating new custom agents for the orchestration system. Generates properly structured agent files with dual-format YAML frontmatter (Claude Code and Github Copilot) and a consistent markdown body following the established patterns.

When to Use This Skill

• User asks to "create an agent", "make a new agent", or "scaffold an agent"
• Adding a new specialized role to the orchestration pipeline
• Duplicating or extending an existing agent with modified capabilities
• Migrating a .chatmode.md file to the new .agent.md format

Prerequisites

• Understanding of the agent's role and responsibilities
• Knowledge of which tools and skills the agent needs
• Clear boundaries: what the agent does and does NOT do

Inputs Required

Input	Source	Description
Agent role	Human	What this agent does — its specialized purpose
Tool needs	Human / Architecture	Which tool sets or individual tools the agent requires
Skill bindings	Human / Architecture	Which skills the agent should use
Subagent needs	Human / Architecture	Whether this agent can spawn other agents

Workflow

1. Determine the filename and name: Lowercase, hyphenated: {agent-name}.md (placed in .claude/agents/). The name: field must match the filename without extension (e.g., filename source-control.md → name: source-control) — Claude Code spawns agents by this name.
2. Select tools: Apply principle of least privilege — only grant what the agent needs. Populate BOTH tools: (comma-separated Pascal names) and allowedTools: (YAML list, same entries). See the Frontmatter Reference below.
3. Write the description: Keyword-rich — includes WHAT it does AND WHEN to use it (both hosts use this for agent discovery)
4. Write the body: Follow the Agent Body Template below
5. Validate: Use the checklist at the bottom of this skill

Key Rules

• Dual-format frontmatter is mandatory: Every agent must include BOTH name: + tools: (Claude Code — comma-separated Pascal names) AND allowedTools: (legacy Copilot chatmode — YAML list). Without the Claude Code pair, /rad-plan fails with Agent type not found. See the frontmatter reference for details.
• Keep the tool lists in sync: tools: and allowedTools: must list the same tools — if you grant Edit in one, grant it in the other.
• Principle of least privilege: Grant only the tools the agent needs — read-only agents don't get Edit/Write.
• Consistent body structure: Follow the established pattern — Role & Constraints → Workflow → Skills → Output Contract → Quality Standards.

Frontmatter Reference

See the bundled reference at references/frontmatter-reference.md for all available frontmatter fields, tool names, toolsets, and model names.

Quick Tool Selection Guide

Use these Pascal-case names in both the tools: string and the allowedTools: list.

Agent Archetype	Recommended Tools	Notes
Read-only / Orchestrator	Read, Grep, Glob, Agent	Include Agent only if it spawns subagents
Planning / Document writer	Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write, TodoWrite	No terminal access needed
Research / Explorer	Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write, TodoWrite, WebFetch	WebFetch for external sources
Code writer	Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write, Bash, TodoWrite	Bash for terminal, tests, builds
Reviewer	Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write, Bash, TodoWrite	Bash for running tests/builds

Template

Use the bundled agent template: templates/AGENT.md

Validation Checklist

Before finalizing an agent, verify:

• File is named {agent-name}.md with lowercase hyphenated name
• File is placed in .claude/agents/
• name: field matches the filename without .md (Claude Code spawns by this name)
• description: explains WHAT the agent does AND WHEN to use it (keyword-rich)
• tools: field is a comma-separated string of Pascal-case names (Claude Code)
• allowedTools: field is a YAML list containing the same entries as tools: (Copilot legacy chatmode)
• Tools use Pascal-case names: Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write, Bash, WebFetch, WebSearch, Agent, TodoWrite
• Body follows the standard structure: Role & Constraints → Workflow → Skills → Output Contract → Quality Standards
• "What you do NOT do" section clearly defines boundaries
• Write access is explicitly stated