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How sub-agents are spawned.

Sub-agents in Claude Code are spawned within Cowork/Agent mode. The parent agent spawns a sub-agent by providing it with a task description and relevant context. The sub-agent runs as a separate agent instance and returns results when complete. Verify current sub-agent spawn syntax and configuration at docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code.

Context transfer – what to give the sub-agent.

A sub-agent starts with a fresh context window. It does not inherit the parent's conversation history – it starts with only what you explicitly give it. Transfer:

• Task description: Specific, measurable goal for the sub-agent
• Scope: Which files or directories the sub-agent should work in
• Relevant background: What the sub-agent needs to know about the project to do its task
• Expected output format: How the sub-agent should report its findings

Do NOT transfer the entire parent conversation history – that defeats the purpose of a focused context window. Transfer only what this sub-agent needs for its specific task.

Task description quality for sub-agents.

Sub-agent task descriptions follow the same quality rules as Cowork mode tasks:

• Specific and measurable ("identify all SQL queries that are not using parameterized inputs in src/db/")
• Scoped file access ("only read files in src/db/ – do not modify any files")
• Defined output format ("return a list of file paths and line numbers for each finding, with a brief description of the issue")
• Defined stop conditions ("stop if you find more than 20 issues – return what you have found so far")

What sub-agents inherit.

Sub-agents in Claude Code inherit: the CLAUDE.md context for the project directory, available Skills, and the MCP servers configured for the project. They do NOT inherit: the parent's conversation history, intermediate findings, or decisions made during the parent session.