Agent delegation

Agentic AIArchitecture and orchestrationPublished By Simon Budziak

Agent delegation is the act of assigning a bounded task to another agent while the original agent keeps responsibility for the overall outcome. A good delegation specifies the goal, available context, permitted tools, expected output, and the condition that returns control to the delegating agent.

Anthropic’s guidance on trustworthy agents provides the primary reference used for this definition and its production boundaries.

How does agent delegation work in production?

A supervisor agent delegates a narrow job to subagents and later evaluates their results. This differs from an agent handoff, which transfers control. Delegation transfers work, not accountability.

When does agent delegation matter?

Delegate when specialist context or parallel effort improves the result. Include source locations and prohibit actions the worker does not need. Parallel agents can receive several delegations at once. The brief should make a wrong action harder than a useful one.

Frequently asked questions

What is agent delegation used for?

Delegate when specialist context or parallel effort improves the result. Include source locations and prohibit actions the worker does not need.

Is delegation the same as an agent handoff?

No. Delegation keeps the original agent in control; a handoff transfers control to the receiver.

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