Sub-agents panel
Sub-agents are child workers spawned by the main agent via agent_spawn / delegate_to_agent. CRAFT roles (Explore, Implementer, Review, …) appear here live; the bottom section summarizes CRAFT blackboard tasks.
Code mode only. Office has no sub-agents sidebar entry.
How to open
| Entry | Notes |
|---|---|
| Sidebar → Agents | Full-height tracking |
| Audit grid → bottom-right | With checklist, scratchpad, LHT (UI tour) |
Title bar Show audit grid when harness data exists (Code).
Layout
Header stats (three columns)
| Column | Counts |
|---|---|
| Running | spawned | running |
| Completed | completed |
| Interrupted | interrupted (failed/cancelled terminals) |
Only rows with ids like agent_* (not parent call_* tool ids).
Agent cards (expandable)
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Status dot | Running pulse / complete green / interrupted red |
| Title | nickname or type + badge |
| agent_id | Full monospace id |
| Objective | First ~200 chars of spawn prompt |
| progressStatus | Latest progress line while running (SSE) |
| Steps done/max | vs max_steps (default cap 100) |
| Step cap Ns | From step_timeout_ms |
| Stuck suspected | No heartbeat past timeout + buffer |
| Work package task_id | CRAFT blackboard / scratchpad run |
| Footer | Tool count · tokens · duration |
| Expanded | Full objective, tool calls, resultSummary |
Updates via runtime SSE and polling.
Agent types and tools
Spawn type / agent_type (CRAFT):
| Type | Aliases | Tool clip |
|---|---|---|
| explore | exploration, explorer | Read-only: list/read/grep/glob/file_search/web/note |
| review | reviewer, code_review | Read-only + exec_shell (verify commands) |
| implementer | implement, builder | Inherits parent |
| verifier | verify, tester | Inherits parent |
| auditor | audit, fact_checker | Audit prompts + tools |
| plan | planning | Planning |
| general | default, worker | Inherits parent |
| custom | — | Requires explicit allowed_tools |
Review uses exec_shell for cargo check, npm test, etc. Implementer may get a git stash snapshot before edits (non-fatal rollback).
CRAFT tasks section
When .zagens/blackboards/*.json exists, bottom CRAFT tasks list (sorted by task_id):
| Field | Source |
|---|---|
| task_id | Blackboard filename |
| Explorer yes/— | explorer partition present |
| Implementer rounds | implementer.rounds length |
| Reviewer | reviewer.verdict — PASS / BLOCKER / MAJOR / FAIL |
| Verifier | verifier.summary if any |
Quick fix-loop status without opening JSON.
Settings
Settings → System → Security:
| Setting | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-agents enabled | On/off | On |
| Max sub-agents | 1–20 | From config |
| Step timeout | 120–1800 s | 600s |
Spawn step_timeout_ms overrides one job. Large Explore: 10–30 min typical.
Strict: [features] subagents = false in config.
See execution policy.
Scratchpad / LHT linkage
- Scratchpad audit quadrant shows N sub-agents active — matches running count here.
- Narrative spawn warning when chat claims spawn but no
agent_*rows. - LHT macro loop CRAFT Review appears here and under CRAFT tasks.
Step journals (v0.8.6+)
Sub-agents persist a compact step journal under .zagens/state/subagent-journals/{agent_id}.json (tool name, path/pattern summary, result bytes — not full transcripts). Failed/interrupted cards can show step progress and export the journal.
Tips
- One
task_idper fix-loop; order Explore → Implementer → Review → Verifier (CRAFT). - On stuck suspected, ask parent to cancel or narrow scope.
- Finish review before new scope in the same macro cycle.
- Parallel Explore is read-only; concurrent Implementer writes follow runtime ownership rules.
Related: CRAFT · Audit scratchpad · LHT settings