Orchestrate teams of Claude Code sessions changedagent-teams
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60Enabling agent teams also changes ordinary delegation. Claude may [name a subagent](/docs/en/sub-agents#subagent-names) on its own, and while agent teams are enabled, a subagent that Claude names launches as a teammate, so teams can form even when you didn't ask for one. For the exact conditions, see [How Claude starts agent teams](#how-claude-starts-agent-teams); to turn the behavior off, see [Claude spawns teammates instead of subagents](#claude-spawns-teammates-instead-of-subagents).
60Enabling agent teams also changes ordinary delegation. Claude may [name a subagent](/docs/en/sub-agents#subagent-names) on its own, and while agent teams are enabled, a subagent that Claude names launches as a teammate, so teams can form even when you didn't ask for one. For more, see [How Claude starts agent teams](#how-claude-starts-agent-teams); to turn the behavior off, see [Claude spawns teammates instead of subagents](#claude-spawns-teammates-instead-of-subagents).
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6262Spawning teammates also requires an interactive session. In [non-interactive mode](/docs/en/headless) with the `-p` flag, including Agent SDK sessions, Claude doesn't spawn teammates, and a subagent that Claude names runs as an ordinary [subagent](/docs/en/sub-agents) even with agent teams enabled.
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209209### How Claude starts agent teams
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211An agent team forms when the first teammate is spawned, with the main session acting as the lead. Claude spawns a teammate the same way it spawns a [subagent](/docs/en/sub-agents), by calling the [Agent tool](/docs/en/tools-reference), adding a `name` parameter to the call. Claude Code doesn't ask you to confirm before the teammate starts. Claude adds a `name` in situations such as:
211To start a team, ask Claude for teammates. Claude launches a teammate when it calls the [Agent tool](/docs/en/tools-reference) with a [`name`](/docs/en/sub-agents#subagent-names) while agent teams are enabled, and Claude Code doesn't ask you to confirm. Claude also names ordinary subagents on its own so it can message them later, and while agent teams are enabled, a named subagent launches as a teammate, so teams can form even when you didn't ask for one.
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213* **You request teammates**: give Claude a task that benefits from parallel work and explicitly ask for teammates. Claude spawns them based on your instructions.
214* **Claude proposes teammates**: if Claude determines your task would benefit from parallel work, it may suggest a team and spawn teammates.
215* **Claude names a subagent**: Claude may name a subagent on its own so it can [message it later](/docs/en/sub-agents#resume-subagents), whether or not agent teams are enabled. In an interactive session with agent teams enabled, the subagent launches as a teammate unless the call also spawns a [fork](/docs/en/sub-agents#fork-the-current-conversation) or uses [`isolation`](/docs/en/worktrees), so a team can form during ordinary delegation you never framed as team work.
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217If teams form where you expect ordinary subagents, see [Claude spawns teammates instead of subagents](#claude-spawns-teammates-instead-of-subagents).
213If you want subagents instead, [turn agent teams off](#claude-spawns-teammates-instead-of-subagents).
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219215### Architecture
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