dispatch

Input:

<prompt> — verbatim prompt sent to sub-agent <description> — short run label shown by host <tier> — fast-cheap | standard (default) | deep <model-override> (optional) — concrete model or alias (e.g. Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-5.4, gpt-5-codex); bypasses tier lookup when set

Derived:

<concrete-model> = <model-override> if set, else derived from <tier> via table.

Process:

If <prompt> instructs sub-agent to read a file, don't read it yourself — sub-agent does. Spawn zero-context Dispatch sub-agent.

DO NOT DISPATCH SKILLS — read them. The skill itself tells you when (and how) to dispatch.

Claude Code:

Claude Model Aliases:

Tier	Class	model value
fast-cheap	haiku-class	haiku
standard	sonnet-class	sonnet
deep	opus-class	opus

Agent({
  subagent_type: "Dispatch",
  prompt: "<prompt>",
  model: "<concrete-model>",
  run_in_background: true,
  description: "<description>"
})

VS Code / Copilot:

Copilot Model Aliases:

Tier	Class	model value
fast-cheap	haiku-class	Claude Haiku 4.5
standard	sonnet-class	Claude Sonnet 4.6
deep	opus-class	Claude Opus 4.6

GPT alts (gpt-class): GPT-5.3-Codex (code), GPT-5.4 (prose), GPT-5.4 mini (fast-cheap prose). Update minimum models as needed.

runSubagent({
  agentName: "Dispatch",
  prompt: "<prompt>",
  model: "<concrete-model>",
  description: "<description>"
})

Fallback:

If the "Dispatch" agent is not installed: omit subagent_type / agentName and continue — behavior is identical. The agent adds context isolation and consistent performance. Notify the host after completion.

If the requested model is not available: stop and inform the caller; suggest an alternative.

Return: Return (passthrough) sub-agent output to caller.

Concurrency: When dispatching multiple instructions simultaneously, default max concurrent = 3. Use a rolling window: start up to 3, then as each returns dispatch the next pending instruction. Only exceed 3 if instructed by the caller.

See also: supplemental.md — context inheritance, CLI dispatch, hash-record. dispatch-pattern.md — design rationale. installation.md — agent install. setup/SKILL.md — VS Code/Cursor setup.