ModelRefs / Subagent — AI Glossary
Subagent — AI Glossary
An agent invoked by a parent agent to execute a specific sub-task, returning its result as a tool call response. See also: agent-as-tool.
Overview
Subagents are the fundamental unit of agent composition. A parent orchestrator decomposes a goal and invokes subagents for specialized work (code execution, web research, data analysis). The subagent receives a narrowly scoped task, executes it with its own tools and context, and returns a structured result. See also: agent-as-tool.
Reference details
| Topic | agents |
|---|---|
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-24 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is Subagent?
An agent invoked by a parent agent to execute a specific sub-task, returning its result as a tool call response.
What concepts are related to Subagent?
Closely related concepts include agent as tool, worker agent, orchestrator.