> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://explore.airia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sub-agents

> Add catalog agents that Airia Agent can delegate tasks to during a conversation.

<Note>
  Not sure whether to use sub-agents or tools? Read [Extending Airia Agent](/admin-hub/airia-agent/extending-airia-agent) first.
</Note>

Sub-agents are agents with a **Sub-Agent interface** configured in Agent Studio that Airia Agent can invoke when a user's request is best handled by a specialized agent. See [Extending Airia Agent](/admin-hub/airia-agent/extending-airia-agent) for guidance on when to use sub-agents versus tools.

## Prerequisites

The agent you want to add must be:

1. **Built and tested** in Agent Studio
2. **Configured with a Sub-Agent interface** — agents without this interface do not appear in the sub-agent picker

Publishing the agent to the Airia Catalog is not required — the Sub-Agent interface is independent of Catalog and Chat, and the agent can even be in Draft status.

If the agent doesn't have this interface yet, open it in Agent Studio, go to the **Interfaces** tab, click **Add Interface**, and select **Sub-Agent**. Give it a name and description, optionally restrict access to specific users or groups, and save.

## Add a sub-agent

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Sub-agents tab">
    Navigate to **Settings → Airia Agent → Sub-agents**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Browse eligible agents">
    The picker shows all agents in your tenant that have a Sub-Agent interface configured. Use the search box to filter by name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select sub-agents">
    Click the agents you want to add. Selected agents appear in the **Configured Sub-agents** list.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **Save**. Airia Agent can now delegate to these agents.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Remove a sub-agent

1. In the **Sub-agents** tab, find the agent in the **Configured Sub-agents** list
2. Click the remove icon (or deselect the agent in the picker)
3. Click **Save**

Removing a sub-agent does not affect the underlying catalog agent — it remains published and accessible directly in the catalog.

## How delegation works

At runtime, Airia Agent evaluates each user message against all configured tools and sub-agents. When it identifies that a request falls within a sub-agent's domain, it invokes the sub-agent and incorporates the response into its reply.

Sub-agents run with their own:

* **System prompt** — the instructions you wrote when building the agent
* **Tools** — any tools the sub-agent is configured with
* **Knowledge** — any data sources or context the sub-agent has access to

This means the sub-agent's behavior is self-contained. Configuring a sub-agent in Airia Agent does not change how it behaves when users access it directly from the catalog.

<Note>
  Sub-agents must belong to the same tenant. Cross-tenant delegation is not supported.
</Note>