Create custom subagents changedsub-agents
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3232 <Tab title="Explore">
3333 A fast, read-only agent optimized for searching and analyzing codebases.
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35 * **Model**: inherits from the main conversation, capped at Opus on the Claude API, so Explore never runs on a more expensive model than the one you already chose for the session, unless you set `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL` and [force it onto every subagent](#run-every-subagent-on-one-model)
35 * **Model**: the main conversation's model. When the main conversation runs Fable, Explore's model depends on how you connect:
36 * With a Claude subscription, an Anthropic Console account, or an [LLM gateway](/docs/en/llm-gateway) reached through `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`, Explore runs on the Opus model that the [`opus` alias](/docs/en/model-config#model-aliases) resolves to.
37 * On Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform, Microsoft Foundry, [Claude Platform on AWS](/docs/en/claude-platform-on-aws), or a [Claude apps gateway](/docs/en/claude-apps-gateway), Explore stays on the main conversation's model.
3638 * **Tools**: read-only tools; Write and Edit are denied
3739 * **Purpose**: file discovery, code search, codebase exploration
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39 As of v2.1.198, Explore inherits the main conversation's model instead of always running on Haiku. On the Claude API, the inherited model is capped at Opus: a main conversation on a higher tier runs Explore on Opus, and a main conversation on Sonnet or Haiku runs Explore on that same model. On any other provider, such as [Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform, Microsoft Foundry, or Claude Platform on AWS](/docs/en/third-party-integrations), Explore inherits the main conversation's model directly.
41 A [user or project subagent](#choose-the-subagent-scope) named `Explore` overrides the built-in and keeps its own `model` field, so define one with `model: haiku` to run exploration on a lower-cost model. To force one model onto every subagent, Explore included, see [Run every subagent on one model](#run-every-subagent-on-one-model).
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41 A [user or project subagent](#choose-the-subagent-scope) named `Explore` overrides the built-in and keeps its own `model` field, so define one with `model: haiku` to keep exploration on a lower-cost model.
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4343 Claude delegates to Explore when it needs to search or understand a codebase without making changes. This keeps exploration results out of your main conversation context.
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4545 When invoking Explore, Claude specifies a thoroughness level: **quick** for targeted lookups, **medium** for balanced exploration, or **very thorough** for comprehensive analysis.
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391391`CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL` is a default, so a subagent's definition or a model Claude passes still takes precedence over it. To apply one model to every subagent, [teammate](/docs/en/agent-teams#specify-teammates-and-models), and [workflow agent](/docs/en/workflows), also set `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE` to `1`. Requires Claude Code v2.1.257 or later.
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393393* If you set both variables, subagents run on the model in `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL`.
394* If you set only `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE`, subagents run on the main conversation's model.
394* If you set only `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE`, subagents run on the main conversation's model, except that the built-in Explore subagent runs on the [model listed for it under Built-in subagents](#built-in-subagents).
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396396For example, to run every subagent on Haiku, set both variables in the `env` block of a [settings file](/docs/en/settings):
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407407To check that the setting took effect, run [`/tasks`](/docs/en/commands) while a subagent is running. The subagent's row shows the model it runs on.
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409While `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE` is [on](/docs/en/env-vars), Claude Code ignores the `model` field of every subagent definition, including the built-in Explore and Plan subagents, and Claude can't pass a model when it starts a subagent. Two kinds of subagent still run on the main conversation's model:
409While `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE` is [on](/docs/en/env-vars), Claude Code ignores the `model` field in subagent definitions, and Claude can't pass a model when it starts a subagent. These subagents still run on the main conversation's model:
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411411* A [fork](#fork-the-current-conversation)
412412* A [skill that runs in a subagent](/docs/en/skills#run-skills-in-a-subagent) with `model: inherit`
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414When you set only `CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE`, the built-in Explore subagent keeps its [model cap](#built-in-subagents).
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416414### Control subagent capabilities
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