Orchestrate teams of Claude Code sessions changedagent-teams
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3535 <img src="https://mintcdn.com/claude-code/nsvRFSDNfpSU5nT7/images/subagents-vs-agent-teams-dark.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=nsvRFSDNfpSU5nT7&q=85&s=d573a037540f2ada6a9ae7d8285b46fd" className="hidden dark:block" alt="Diagram comparing subagent and agent team architectures. Subagents are spawned by the main agent, do work, and report results back. Agent teams coordinate through a shared task list, with teammates communicating directly with each other." width="4245" height="1615" data-path="images/subagents-vs-agent-teams-dark.png" />
3636</Frame>
3737
38| | Subagents | Agent teams |
39| :---------------- | :----------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------- |
40| **Context** | Own context window; results return to the caller | Own context window; fully independent |
41| **Communication** | Report results back to the main agent only | Teammates message each other directly |
42| **Coordination** | Main agent manages all work | Shared task list with self-coordination |
43| **Best for** | Focused tasks where only the result matters | Complex work requiring discussion and collaboration |
44| **Token cost** | Lower: results summarized back to main context | Higher: each teammate is a separate Claude instance |
38| | Subagents | Agent teams |
39| :---------------- | :----------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
40| **Context** | Own context window; results return to the caller | Own context window; fully independent |
41| **Communication** | Report results back to the main agent only | Teammates message each other directly |
42| **Coordination** | Main agent manages all work | Self-coordination through messages, plus a shared task list for [agents that have the Task tools](/docs/en/tools-reference#task-tool-availability) |
43| **Best for** | Focused tasks where only the result matters | Complex work requiring discussion and collaboration |
44| **Token cost** | Lower: results summarized back to main context | Higher: each teammate is a separate Claude instance |
4545
4646Use subagents when you need quick, focused workers that report back. Use agent teams when teammates need to share findings, challenge each other, and coordinate on their own.
4747
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175175
176176The shared task list coordinates work across the team. The lead creates tasks and teammates work through them. Tasks have three states: pending, in progress, and completed. Tasks can also depend on other tasks: a pending task with unresolved dependencies cannot be claimed until those dependencies are completed.
177177
178Agents [without the Task tools](/docs/en/tools-reference#task-tool-availability) coordinate through messages instead of the shared task list.
179
178180The lead can assign tasks explicitly, or teammates can self-claim:
179181
180182* **Lead assigns**: tell the lead which task to give to which teammate
from line 256
254256Spawn a teammate using the security-reviewer agent type to audit the auth module.
255257```
256258
257The teammate honors that definition's `tools` allowlist and `model`, and the definition's body is appended to the teammate's system prompt as additional instructions rather than replacing it. Team coordination tools such as `SendMessage` and the task management tools are always available to a teammate even when `tools` restricts other tools.
259The teammate honors that definition's `tools` allowlist and `model`, and the definition's body is appended to the teammate's system prompt as additional instructions rather than replacing it. For an in-process teammate, Claude Code adds `SendMessage` to that allowlist. In a [session that has the Task tools](/docs/en/tools-reference#task-tool-availability), Claude Code adds `TaskCreate`, `TaskGet`, `TaskList`, and `TaskUpdate` to it too.
258260
259261<Note>
260262 The `skills` and `mcpServers` frontmatter fields in a subagent definition are not applied when that definition runs as a teammate. Teammates load skills and MCP servers from your project and user settings, the same as a regular session.
No line in this hunk matches that.