# Subagent Patterns

Multi-agent workflows tend to fall into a handful of shapes. We will go over 4 of them that cover almost anything you would build.

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## Pattern 1: Fan-Out / Fan-In

**What it is:** Spawn multiple subagents in parallel for independent subtasks, then aggregate results.

**When to use:** Independent tasks with no dependencies between them.

**Example:** Evaluate 5 models on the same benchmark.

```
Parent: "Compare models"
├─ Subagent 1: Evaluate Model A → Score: 92%
├─ Subagent 2: Evaluate Model B → Score: 89%
├─ Subagent 3: Evaluate Model C → Score: 94%
├─ Subagent 4: Evaluate Model D → Score: 88%
└─ Subagent 5: Evaluate Model E → Score: 91%

Parent: Aggregate → Ranking report
```

**Pseudocode:**
```text
parent_agent:
    subagents = []
    for model in [A, B, C, D, E]:
        subagent = spawn(
            task=f"Evaluate {model}",
            context={model}
        )
        subagents.append(subagent)
    
    results = wait_all(subagents)
    report = aggregate(results)
    return report
```

**Pros:** Fully parallel, max speed, easy to scale

**Cons:** Total time = slowest subagent

## Pattern 2: Pipeline

**What it is:** Chain subagents where output of one becomes input to the next.

**When to use:** Sequential processing with data flowing through stages.

**Example:** Data processing: extract → clean → analyze → report

```
Raw Data
  ↓
[Subagent 1: Extract]
  ↓
Extracted Data
  ↓
[Subagent 2: Clean]
  ↓
Clean Data
  ↓
[Subagent 3: Analyze]
  ↓
Results
  ↓
[Subagent 4: Report]
  ↓
Final Report
```

**Pseudocode:**
```text
parent_agent:
    data = load_raw_data()
    
    extracted = spawn(task="Extract", input=data).wait()
    cleaned = spawn(task="Clean", input=extracted).wait()
    analyzed = spawn(task="Analyze", input=cleaned).wait()
    report = spawn(task="Report", input=analyzed).wait()
    
    return report
```

**Pros:** Clear stages, easy to track progress, failures are local

**Cons:** No parallelism—each stage waits for previous

## Pattern 3: Supervisor (Hierarchical)

**What it is:** Parent agent directs multiple specialized subagents, each with different tools and expertise.

**When to use:** Complex tasks requiring multiple specialist agents.

**Example:** Product launch report needs sales, engineering, and marketing data.

```
Parent Agent (Orchestrator)
├─ Sales Subagent (has: CRM tools, revenue metrics)
├─ Engineering Subagent (has: GitHub API, deployment tools)
└─ Marketing Subagent (has: analytics, social tools)

Parent aggregates → Launch Report
```

**Pseudocode:**
```text
parent_agent:
    sales = spawn(
        task="Get sales metrics",
        tools=[crm, revenue_db]
    )
    engineering = spawn(
        task="Get feature status",
        tools=[github, ci_cd]
    )
    marketing = spawn(
        task="Get market sentiment",
        tools=[analytics, social]
    )
    
    results = wait_all([sales, engineering, marketing])
    report = combine(results)
    return report
```

**Pros:** Specialized agents, clean separation of tools, parallel execution

**Cons:** More complex coordination

## Pattern 4: Swarm (Collaborative)

**What it is:** Multiple subagents work on the same problem, comparing approaches and converging on best solution.

**When to use:** Complex problems where multiple perspectives improve quality.

**Example:** Design review with architect, security, and performance subagents.

```
Parent: "Design new API"
├─ Subagent 1 (Architect): Review structure
├─ Subagent 2 (Security): Review for vulnerabilities
├─ Subagent 3 (Performance): Review for bottlenecks

Parent: Incorporate feedback → Final design
```

**Pseudocode:**
```text
parent_agent:
    design = "Initial API design..."
    
    # Round 1: Independent reviews
    architect_review = spawn(task=f"Review design as architect", input=design).wait()
    security_review = spawn(task=f"Review design for security", input=design).wait()
    perf_review = spawn(task=f"Review design for performance", input=design).wait()
    
    # Incorporate feedback
    improved_design = combine(design, architect_review, security_review, perf_review)
    
    return improved_design
```

**Pros:** Multiple perspectives improve quality, catches blind spots

**Cons:** Can be slow (requires multiple rounds)

## Pattern Comparison

| Pattern | Use Case | Parallelism | Coordination |
|---------|----------|-------------|--------------|
| **Fan-Out/Fan-In** | Independent tasks | High | Low |
| **Pipeline** | Sequential stages | None | Medium |
| **Supervisor** | Multiple specialists | Medium-High | Medium-High |
| **Swarm** | Collaborative design | Low-Medium | High |

## When NOT to Use Subagents

We covered the high-level guidance in the unit introduction. Here's how it plays out in practice with code examples.

### 1. Sequential Dependent Work
```text
# DON'T do this
subagent_a = spawn(task="Step 1: Set up environment").wait()
subagent_b = spawn(task="Step 2: Deploy code", input=subagent_a).wait()

# BETTER: Single agent for sequential work
single_agent(task="Set up environment, then deploy")
```

### 2. Same-File Parallel Edits
```text
# DON'T do this
subagent_a = spawn(task="Add feature A to app.py")
subagent_b = spawn(task="Add feature B to app.py")  # Conflict!

# BETTER: Fan-out on different files
subagent_a = spawn(task="Write feature A in feature_a.py")
subagent_b = spawn(task="Write feature B in feature_b.py")
```

### 3. Small Quick Tasks
```text
# DON'T do this for simple tasks
subagent = spawn(task="Format this JSON")  # Overhead: 1-2s, task: 0.1s

# BETTER: Do it in parent
formatted = json.dumps(data)
```

### 4. Too Many Specialist Agents
```text
# DON'T do this
for i in range(20):  # 20 specialist subagents
    subagent = spawn(task=f"Specialist {i} task")

# BETTER: Group specialists
senior_architect = spawn(task="Lead architecture design")
implementation_team = spawn(task="Implement based on design")
```

## Key Takeaways

Fan-out/fan-in parallelises independent work, pipeline chains stages, supervisor coordinates specialists, and swarm cross-reviews a single artefact. Reach for subagents when you have many files or several independent tasks; stick with a single agent for small jobs and tightly coupled workflows.

Next, how to actually invoke subagents in Claude Code and Codex.