Claude Code Subagents Explained: When to Split Work
July 2026 · 8 min read
Quick answer
Use Claude Code subagents for focused work where isolation helps: research, code review, test planning, migration audits, or checking a narrow area. Avoid subagents when the task needs full conversation context or fast back-and-forth decisions.
What a Subagent Is
A subagent is a separate Claude Code worker with its own context. It can inspect files, reason about a scoped task, and return a summary or result to the main session.
This is useful because not every task needs to fill your main context window.
Best Subagent Tasks
- Review one module for bugs.
- Research a framework migration.
- Find duplicated logic across files.
- Audit tests for missing coverage.
- Summarize a large directory.
- Compare two implementation options.
The work should be bounded enough that the subagent can finish and report back without needing constant steering.
When Not To Use a Subagent
Avoid subagents for tiny tasks, highly interactive design decisions, or work that depends on all previous conversation nuance. Delegation adds overhead.
If the task is "rename this button," do it directly. If the task is "audit every billing edge case," a subagent may help.
How To Write a Good Delegation Prompt
Give the subagent a clear scope, files or directories to inspect, output format, risk level, and what not to change. Ask for findings with evidence, not generic commentary.
The stronger your boundary, the more useful the returned work.
Sources and further reading
- Claude Code docs: Create custom subagents
- Claude Code docs: Extend Claude Code
- Anthropic: Steering Claude Code
FAQ
What are Claude Code subagents?
Subagents are isolated Claude Code workers that handle scoped tasks and return results to the main session.
When should I use subagents?
Use them for bounded research, review, audits, and investigation where isolation saves context or parallelizes work.
Can subagents see my whole conversation?
Subagents work from the delegated task and their own context, so include the details they need in the prompt.
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