How-To Guide
Configure Subagent Delegation — Parallel Task Execution
Set up subagent spawning so Hermes can delegate tasks to child agents for parallel workstreams and complex orchestration.
Quick answer
Subagent delegation lets a main Hermes agent spawn child agents that work in parallel, so research, batch processing, and multi-part tasks run concurrently instead of sequentially. Configure delegation limits in config; it trades higher token spend for wall-clock speed, so cap concurrency to control cost.
Subagent delegation lets Hermes spawn child agents for parallel workstreams. Instead of doing everything sequentially, the main agent can delegate tasks to children that work concurrently. Perfect for research tasks, batch processing, or complex multi-step workflows.
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Before you start:
- ☑Hermes Agent installed
- ☑Understanding of context isolation
- ☑Sufficient API quota for multiple parallel agents
Steps
- 1
Understand delegation
The delegate_task tool spawns child agents with isolated context for parallel work
- 2
Configure max iterations
Set delegation: max_iterations: 50 to limit tool calls per child agent
- 3
Set concurrency limit
Set delegation: max_concurrent_children: 3 for parallel child agents
- 4
Enable orchestrator mode (optional)
Set delegation: orchestrator_enabled: true and max_spawn_depth: 2 for hierarchical delegation
- 5
Override child model (optional)
Set delegation: model: google/gemini-3-flash-preview to use a different model for children
Pro Tips
- 💡Child agents have isolated context — they can't see the parent's full conversation history
- 💡Use batch mode (default 3 parallel) for tasks like 'research these 5 topics'
- 💡Orchestrator mode (max_spawn_depth: 2+) allows children to spawn their own workers — powerful but costly
- 💡Override the child model to use a cheaper/faster model for simple delegated tasks
Troubleshooting
❌ Child agents not spawning
✅ Check that delegation: orchestrator_enabled: true is set. Some configs disable delegation by default.
❌ Too many concurrent children causing rate limits
✅ Reduce max_concurrent_children from 3 to 1 or 2 to avoid hitting API rate limits.
❌ Children running too long
✅ Reduce max_iterations from 50 to 20-30 to limit child agent runtime.
❌ High costs from delegation
✅ Set delegation: model: to a cheaper model like gemini-flash for children. Parent uses main model, children use cheap model.
FAQ
What is subagent delegation good for?
Parallel work — research across sources, batch processing, and multi-part tasks. The main agent delegates to children that run concurrently instead of doing everything in sequence.
Does delegation increase cost?
Yes. Multiple concurrent agents mean more total tokens. Cap concurrency and scope subagent tasks so you buy speed without runaway spend.
When should I not use subagents?
For simple, linear tasks where one agent suffices. Delegation's overhead only pays off when work genuinely parallelizes.