Built-in Subagents - Claude Code

Claude Code ships with a handful of pre-built subagent types so you can delegate without writing your own first.

What it does

Built-in subagents include roles like researcher (gathers context without editing), auditor (reviews code for issues), and reviewer (checks changes). Each has a tuned system prompt and tool allowlist. You invoke them by name or let the main agent pick the right one for the task.

When to use it

• Starting point before you build custom subagent definitions.
• Situations where you just need a clear role label, not a bespoke prompt.
• Team onboarding - everyone has the same built-in types available.
• Quick delegation without the overhead of writing a new agent.

Gotchas

• Built-ins are generic. For repeat workflows, a custom subagent usually wins.
• The list and behavior of built-ins evolves between releases. Don't hard-code assumptions.
• You can shadow a built-in with a same-named custom agent - useful or confusing depending on context.

Official docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents.md#built-in-subagents