OpenAgentsControl/.opencode/context/openagents-repo/guides/subagent-invocation.md

Guide: Subagent Invocation

Purpose: How to correctly invoke subagents using the task tool
Priority: HIGH - Critical for agent delegation

---

The Problem

Issue: Agents trying to invoke subagents with incorrect subagent_type format

Error:

Unknown agent type: ContextScout is not a valid agent type

Root Cause: The subagent_type parameter in the task tool must match the registered agent type in the OpenCode CLI, not the file path.

---

Correct Subagent Invocation

Available Subagent Types

Based on the OpenCode CLI registration, use these exact strings for subagent_type:

Core Subagents:

• "Task Manager" - Task breakdown and planning
• "Documentation" - Documentation generation
• "ContextScout" - Context file discovery

Code Subagents:

• "Coder Agent" - Code implementation
• "TestEngineer" - Test authoring
• "Reviewer" - Code review
• "Build Agent" - Build validation

System Builder Subagents:

• "Domain Analyzer" - Domain analysis
• "Agent Generator" - Agent generation
• "Context Organizer" - Context organization
• "Workflow Designer" - Workflow design
• "Command Creator" - Command creation

Utility Subagents:

• "Image Specialist" - Image generation/editing

---

Invocation Syntax

✅ Correct Format

task(
  subagent_type="Task Manager",
  description="Break down feature into subtasks",
  prompt="Detailed instructions..."
)

❌ Incorrect Formats

// ❌ Using file path
task(
  subagent_type="TaskManager",
  ...
)

// ❌ Using kebab-case ID
task(
  subagent_type="task-manager",
  ...
)

// ❌ Using registry path
task(
  subagent_type=".opencode/agent/TaskManager.md",
  ...
)

---

How to Find the Correct Type

Method 1: Check Registry

# List all subagent names
cat registry.json | jq -r '.components.subagents[] | "\(.name)"'

Output:

Task Manager
Image Specialist
Reviewer
TestEngineer
Documentation Writer
Coder Agent
Build Agent
Domain Analyzer
Agent Generator
Context Organizer
Workflow Designer
Command Creator
ContextScout

Method 2: Check OpenCode CLI

# List available agents (if CLI supports it)
opencode list agents

Method 3: Check Agent Frontmatter

Look at the name field in the subagent's frontmatter:

---
id: task-manager
name: Task Manager  # ← Use this for subagent_type
type: subagent
---

---

Common Subagent Invocations

Task Manager

task(
  subagent_type="Task Manager",
  description="Break down complex feature",
  prompt="Break down the following feature into atomic subtasks:
          
          Feature: {feature description}
          
          Requirements:
          - {requirement 1}
          - {requirement 2}
          
          Create subtask files in tasks/subtasks/{feature}/"
)

Documentation

task(
  subagent_type="Documentation",
  description="Update documentation for feature",
  prompt="Update documentation for {feature}:
          
          What changed:
          - {change 1}
          - {change 2}
          
          Files to update:
          - {doc 1}
          - {doc 2}"
)

TestEngineer

task(
  subagent_type="TestEngineer",
  description="Write tests for feature",
  prompt="Write comprehensive tests for {feature}:
          
          Files to test:
          - {file 1}
          - {file 2}
          
          Test coverage:
          - Positive cases
          - Negative cases
          - Edge cases"
)

Reviewer

task(
  subagent_type="Reviewer",
  description="Review implementation",
  prompt="Review the following implementation:
          
          Files:
          - {file 1}
          - {file 2}
          
          Focus areas:
          - Security
          - Performance
          - Code quality"
)

Coder Agent

task(
  subagent_type="Coder Agent",
  description="Implement subtask",
  prompt="Implement the following subtask:
          
          Subtask: {subtask description}
          
          Files to create/modify:
          - {file 1}
          
          Requirements:
          - {requirement 1}
          - {requirement 2}"
)

---

ContextScout Special Case

Status: ⚠️ May not be registered in OpenCode CLI yet

The ContextScout subagent exists in the repository but may not be registered in the OpenCode CLI's available agent types.

Workaround

Until ContextScout is properly registered, use direct file operations instead:

// ❌ This may fail
task(
  subagent_type="ContextScout",
  description="Find context files",
  prompt="Search for context related to {topic}"
)

// ✅ Use direct operations instead
// 1. Use glob to find context files
glob(pattern="**/*.md", path=".opencode/context")

// 2. Use grep to search content
grep(pattern="registry", path=".opencode/context")

// 3. Read relevant files directly
read(filePath=".opencode/context/openagents-repo/core-concepts/registry.md")

---

Fixing Existing Agents

Agents That Need Fixing

1. repo-manager.md - Uses ContextScout
2. opencoder.md - Check if uses incorrect format

Fix Process

1. Find incorrect invocations:

   grep -r 'subagent_type="subagents/' .opencode/agent --include="*.md"
   

2. Replace with correct format:

   # Example: Fix task-manager invocation
   # Old: subagent_type="TaskManager"
   # New: subagent_type="Task Manager"
   

3. Test the fix:

   # Run agent with test prompt
   # Verify subagent delegation works
   

---

Validation

Check Subagent Type Before Using

// Pseudo-code for validation
available_types = [
  "Task Manager",
  "Documentation",
  "TestEngineer",
  "Reviewer",
  "Coder Agent",
  "Build Agent",
  "Image Specialist",
  "Domain Analyzer",
  "Agent Generator",
  "Context Organizer",
  "Workflow Designer",
  "Command Creator"
]

if subagent_type not in available_types:
  error("Invalid subagent type: {subagent_type}")

---

Best Practices

✅ Use exact names - Match registry name field exactly
✅ Check registry first - Verify subagent exists before using
✅ Test invocations - Test delegation before committing
✅ Document dependencies - List required subagents in agent frontmatter

❌ Don't use paths - Never use file paths as subagent_type
❌ Don't use IDs - Don't use kebab-case IDs
❌ Don't assume - Always verify subagent is registered

---

Troubleshooting

Error: "Unknown agent type"

Cause: Subagent type not registered in CLI or incorrect format

Solutions:

1. Check registry for correct name
2. Verify subagent exists in .opencode/agent/subagents/
3. Use exact name from registry name field
4. If subagent not registered, use direct operations instead

Error: "Subagent not found"

Cause: Subagent file doesn't exist

Solutions:

1. Check file exists at expected path
2. Verify registry entry is correct
3. Run ./scripts/registry/validate-registry.sh

Delegation Fails Silently

Cause: Subagent invoked but doesn't execute

Solutions:

1. Check subagent has required tools enabled
2. Verify subagent permissions allow operation
3. Check subagent prompt is clear and actionable

---

Related Files

• Registry: registry.json - Component catalog
• Subagents: .opencode/agent/subagents/ - Subagent definitions
• Validation: scripts/registry/validate-registry.sh

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Last Updated: 2025-12-29
Version: 0.5.1