What is a subagent in Claude Code?

A subagent is a specialized AI worker with a specific role, restricted tool access, and a focused prompt designed to handle one clear domain within your development workflow.

What is the purpose of the color-coding system?

Colors provide a visual shorthand for an agent's primary function in the UI—for example, blue for implementation, green for testing, and purple for auditing.

Why should I keep subagent prompts short?

Short prompts (50-200 words) save tokens, reduce context clutter, and improve the agent's focus on its specific task rather than getting lost in verbose instructions.

When should I create a skill instead of a subagent prompt?

Create a skill when you need procedural knowledge, multi-step workflows, or reusable assets that exceed 100 words; use prompts for simple orchestration and tool selection.

Subagent Architect

Name: Subagent Architect
Author: Mission42-ai

byMission42-ai

Productivity & Workflow

Streamlines the creation of modular, high-performance subagents using standardized templates and skill integration.

About

The Subagent Architect skill provides a structured methodology for building efficient, specialized subagents within the Claude Code ecosystem. It guides developers through a multi-step workflow—from defining single-responsibility domains to selecting minimal toolsets and applying a unified color-coding system. By prioritizing reusable skill-based logic over verbose prompts, this toolkit ensures subagents remain maintainable, cost-effective, and highly predictable while automating complex development tasks.

Key Features

Skill-based logic validation to keep prompts lean
Standardized subagent prompt templates and structure
Visual categorization using a universal color-coding system
Best practices for proactive agent triggering and orchestration
0 GitHub stars
Minimalist tool selection guidance for enhanced security

Use Cases

Designing task-specific agents for automated testing, API validation, and documentation
Refactoring monolithic prompts into specialized, modular subagents
Establishing standardized agent definitions across a development team

About

Key Features

Skill-based logic validation to keep prompts lean
Standardized subagent prompt templates and structure
Visual categorization using a universal color-coding system
Best practices for proactive agent triggering and orchestration
0 GitHub stars
Minimalist tool selection guidance for enhanced security

Use Cases

Designing task-specific agents for automated testing, API validation, and documentation
Refactoring monolithic prompts into specialized, modular subagents
Establishing standardized agent definitions across a development team