AgentDefinition Configuration
AdvancedConfigure subagent invocation, context passing, and spawning · Difficulty 3/5
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agent-definitionconfigurationcontext-passing
Prerequisites
Explanation
The AgentDefinition configures each subagent type in a multi-agent system, specifying its role, capabilities, and constraints.
Configuration Fields
- Description: What the subagent does, used by the coordinator to decide when to invoke it
- System prompt: Sets the subagent's behavior, context, and constraints
- Tool restrictions: Limits which tools the subagent can access (principle of least privilege)
Context Passing Best Practices
- Structured data formats: Separate content from metadata when passing between agents
- Include source URLs, document names, page numbers alongside content
- Preserves attribution through the pipeline
- Complete findings: Include full prior agent outputs in the subagent prompt
- Don't summarize away details the subagent might need
- Pass web search results AND document analysis outputs to synthesis agents
- Goal-oriented prompts: Specify research goals and quality criteria
- Avoid step-by-step procedural instructions
- Enable the subagent to adapt its approach to the specific query
Key Takeaways
- AgentDefinition includes description, system prompt, and tool restrictions per subagent type
- Use structured data formats to preserve attribution when passing context between agents
- Include complete findings from prior agents -- don't summarize away needed details
Related Concepts