Try agent teams: sessions that coordinate

The steps

One step at a time. When a step’s check matches, tick it and the next one opens.

1. 01

   Step 1 of 4: Turn agent teams on

   One environment variable in your user settings.

   Add it to the env block of your user settings, then start a new session. While it’s on, a subagent Claude names may start as a teammate instead.

   ~/.claude/settings.json

   env.CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_AGENT_TEAMS: "1"

   Turns agent teams on for the sessions you start

   Check it worked

   Running claude doctor in your terminal reports no invalid settings files.

   It worked — next step Not yet
2. 02

   Step 2 of 4: Start a review team

   Three teammates, three angles, no code changes.

   The docs suggest a first team that reviews or researches rather than writes code. Run this on your branch:

   Paste into Claude CodeCopy

   Spawn three teammates to review the changes on this branch against the default branch:
   - one focused on security
   - one checking performance
   - one checking test coverage
   Call them security, performance and tests.
   Have each report its findings, then combine them into one list, most serious first.

   In order:

   1. You

      You ask the lead

   2. Claude

      The lead spawns three teammates

      Security, performance, tests

   3. Claude

      Each reviews from its angle

   4. Claude

      The lead combines the findings

   Check it worked

   Teammates appear in the agent panel below the prompt input. Subagents show there too, so if Claude used subagents, ask again for an agent team.

   If it didn’t work

   A teammate’s row disappeared.

   Idle rows hide after 30 seconds. Message the teammate by name and its row comes back.

   It worked — next step Not yet Back
3. 03

   Step 3 of 4: Talk to a teammate directly

   Select it in the agent panel and type.

   Use the arrow keys to select a teammate and press Enter to open its session. What you type goes to that teammate. /clear and /compact still act on the lead, so Claude Code asks first.

   In Claude Code

   – What happens: The security teammate is open.

   You type: › also check the new API route for missing auth

   Check it worked

   The teammate answers you in its own session.

   It worked — next step Not yet Back
4. 04

   Step 4 of 4: Decide when a team pays off

   Teams cost more; subagents are often enough.

   Subagents

   • Report back to the session that started them
   • Lower token cost
   • Best when only the result matters

   Agent teams

   • Message each other directly
   • Higher token cost: each teammate is a separate Claude
   • Best when the work needs discussion

   When you’re done, ask the lead to shut each teammate down, for example: “Ask the security teammate to shut down.”

   Check it worked

   You can name one task from your work that suits a team and one where subagents are enough.

   It worked — finish Not yet Back