Create custom subagents changedsub-agents
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2727Claude Code includes built-in subagents that Claude automatically uses when appropriate. Each inherits the parent conversation's permission rules; most run with a restricted tool set.
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29Explore and Plan skip your CLAUDE.md files and the git status snapshot to keep research fast and inexpensive. Every other built-in and [custom subagent](#configure-subagents) loads both, unless its definition sets the [`omitClaudeMd`](#supported-frontmatter-fields) field to skip the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files. For the full breakdown of what reaches a subagent, see [what loads at startup](#what-loads-at-startup).
29Explore and Plan start without your CLAUDE.md files and the git status snapshot to keep research fast and inexpensive. Other built-in and [custom subagents](#configure-subagents) load both, unless you set [`omitClaudeMd`](#supported-frontmatter-fields) in a custom subagent's definition to start it without the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files. For the full breakdown of what reaches a subagent, see [what loads at startup](#what-loads-at-startup).
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308308| `hooks` | No | [Lifecycle hooks](#define-hooks-for-subagents) scoped to this subagent. Ignored for [plugin subagents](#choose-the-subagent-scope) |
309309| `memory` | No | [Persistent memory scope](#enable-persistent-memory): `user`, `project`, or `local`. Enables cross-session learning |
310310| `background` | No | Set to `true` to keep this subagent in the background even when Claude asks to run it in the foreground. Where [fork mode](#turn-fork-mode-on-or-off) is on, Claude Code already runs the subagents Claude spawns [in the background](#run-subagents-in-foreground-or-background) |
311| `omitClaudeMd` | No | Set to `true` to launch this subagent without the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files; [managed policy files](/docs/en/memory#how-claude-md-files-load) still load, except for [managed subagents](#choose-the-subagent-scope). Use it for subagents that take everything they need from the [delegation prompt](#what-loads-at-startup). Ignored when the agent runs as the main session agent via `--agent` or the `agent` setting. Requires Claude Code v2.1.271 or later |
311| `omitClaudeMd` | No | Set to `true` to start this subagent without the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files in its [initial context](#what-loads-at-startup); [managed policy files](/docs/en/memory#how-claude-md-files-load) still load, except for [managed subagents](#choose-the-subagent-scope). Use it for subagents that take everything they need from the delegation prompt. Ignored when the agent runs as the main session agent via `--agent` or the `agent` setting. Requires Claude Code v2.1.271 or later |
312312| `effort` | No | Effort level when this subagent is active. Overrides the session effort level, but not the [`CLAUDE_CODE_EFFORT_LEVEL`](/docs/en/env-vars#variables) environment variable. Options: `low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh`, `max`; available levels depend on the model. See [Choose an effort level](#choose-an-effort-level) |
313313| `isolation` | No | Set to `worktree` to run the subagent in a temporary [git worktree](/docs/en/worktrees), giving it an isolated copy of the repository branched by default from your [default branch](/docs/en/worktrees#choose-the-base-branch) rather than the parent session's `HEAD`. The worktree is automatically cleaned up if the subagent makes no changes |
314314| `color` | No | Display color for the subagent in the task list and transcript. Accepts `red`, `blue`, `green`, `yellow`, `purple`, `orange`, `pink`, or `cyan` |
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10701070* **Preloaded skills**: full content of any skill named in the agent's [`skills` field](#preload-skills-into-subagents). Built-in agents don't preload skills.
10711071* **Sibling roster**: a [system reminder](/docs/en/glossary#system-reminder) listing `main` and every other named agent in the session, each a valid `to` value for [`SendMessage`](#resume-subagents). Requires Claude Code v2.1.206 or later. The roster appears only when the subagent's tools include `SendMessage` and at least one other agent has a name, whether Claude named it when spawning it or it runs as an [agent team](/docs/en/agent-teams) teammate. It is a snapshot taken when the subagent starts, so agents named later don't appear.
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1073To launch one of your own subagents without the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files, set [`omitClaudeMd: true`](#supported-frontmatter-fields) in its frontmatter or `--agents` JSON.
1073To launch one of your own subagents without the user, project, and local CLAUDE.md files, set [`omitClaudeMd: true`](#supported-frontmatter-fields) in its frontmatter or `--agents` JSON. For Explore, Plan, and subagents with `omitClaudeMd`, a subdirectory's `CLAUDE.md` and matching [path-scoped rules](/docs/en/memory#path-specific-rules) still [load](/docs/en/memory#how-claude-md-files-load) when the subagent works with files there.
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10751075The main conversation still has your full CLAUDE.md when it reads these subagents' results, so most rules don't need to reach the subagent itself. If a rule must, such as "ignore the `vendor/` directory," restate it in the prompt you give Claude when delegating.
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