Sweep 19 Sep 2026 · 02:36Z Build v2.1.278 500 read Stable v2.1.267 Latest v2.1.278 Next v2.1.278 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt Unofficial
Claude Code v2.1.271 ·

Task/Agent tool description gains a 'delegation costs first' mode

Task/Agent tool's built-in instructions can now include a 'delegation costs first' framing, depending on the build

TierUnder the hoodhow much it should matter to you
Useful1my rating, 1 to 5
Signal1worth watching, 1 to 5
AreaSubagentswhat it touches
KindInternal Changesin v2.1.271,
Under the hood

Task/Agent tool's built-in instructions can now include a 'delegation costs first' framing, depending on the build

What

The Task tool (used to hand off work to a subagent, a separate Claude instance handling part of a task) now supports a delegationCostsFirst mode when its description is built. A new helper picks between two related settings depending on whether the client is a "compiled-only" build, choosing either delegationCostsFirstCompiledOnly or delegationCostsFirst.

A prompt capture taken under this release shows the Agent tool's stock description is 7,081 characters (its longest text across model variants), unchanged since the previous release.

Why

This adds a way to have the tool's instructions emphasize the cost of delegating to a subagent before other considerations, though the description text itself has not changed yet in what's been captured.

How sure we are
Something disagreesSomething we can check disagrees with this entry, or the writer said they could not settle it.
The writer flagged doubtWhat the delegationCostsFirst text actually says or when it's shown is not described beyond the setting names.

See this entry in the whole of v2.1.271 →