Getting Started with Claude Code Agents

Claude Code agents are specialized AI assistants designed to accelerate your development workflow. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.

What are Claude Code Agents?

Claude Code agents are pre-configured AI specialists that excel in specific domains like:

Architecture review and system design

Security auditing and vulnerability assessment

Language-specific development (Python, JavaScript, Rust, etc.)

DevOps and infrastructure management

Data science and machine learning

Each agent is optimized for different Claude models:

Haiku: Fast, lightweight tasks like data analysis and documentation

Sonnet: Standard development and engineering work

Opus: Complex tasks requiring deep reasoning like security auditing

Installation and Setup

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

Claude Code CLI installed and configured

Access to your preferred Claude model (Haiku, Sonnet, or Opus)

Basic familiarity with command-line tools

Step 1: Create the Agents Directory

First, create the agents directory in your Claude configuration:

mkdir -p ~/.claude/agents

Step 2: Download Agents

You can download individual agents or the entire collection:

Download the entire collection
git clone https://github.com/wshobson/agents.git ~/.claude/agents
Or download individual agents
curl -o ~/.claude/agents/security-auditor.md https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wshobson/agents/main/security-auditor.md

Step 3: Verify Installation

List your installed agents:

ls ~/.claude/agents/

Using Claude Code Agents

Automatic Invocation

Agents can be automatically invoked based on context. For example:

Working on Python code automatically engages the Python Pro agent

Security-related queries trigger the Security Auditor

Database work activates the Database Administrator

Explicit Invocation

You can also explicitly call specific agents:

claude code --agent security-auditor "Review this authentication system"
claude code --agent python-pro "Optimize this data processing pipeline"

Best Practices

1. Choose the Right Agent

Select agents based on your specific needs:

Use language specialists for code-specific tasks

Employ architecture reviewers for system design

Leverage security auditors for vulnerability assessment

2. Understand Model Trade-offs

Haiku: Use for quick tasks, documentation, simple analysis

Sonnet: Default choice for most development work

Opus: Reserve for complex reasoning, security audits, architecture decisions

3. Combine Agents Effectively

Create workflows that utilize multiple agents:

Architecture Reviewer → designs system structure

Language Specialist → implements core functionality

Security Auditor → reviews for vulnerabilities

Test Automator → creates comprehensive tests

Common Use Cases

Code Review Workflow

Code Reviewer analyzes code quality and style

Security Auditor checks for vulnerabilities

Performance Engineer identifies optimization opportunities

New Feature Development

Business Analyst clarifies requirements

Backend Architect designs system architecture

Frontend Developer creates user interface

Test Automator develops test suite

Legacy System Modernization

Legacy Modernizer analyzes existing system

Architecture Reviewer designs new structure

Deployment Engineer plans migration strategy

Risk Manager identifies potential issues

Troubleshooting

Agent Not Found

If an agent isn't being recognized:

Verify the file is in ~/.claude/agents/

Check file permissions

Ensure proper markdown formatting

Performance Issues

If agents are running slowly:

Consider using Haiku for simpler tasks

Break complex requests into smaller parts

Check your Claude API rate limits

Unexpected Results

If agents aren't performing as expected:

Be more specific in your requests

Try different agents for the same task

Combine multiple agents for complex problems

Next Steps

Now that you have Claude Code agents set up:

Explore Categories: Browse our agent categories to find specialists for your needs

Read Advanced Guides: Learn about multi-agent workflows and customization

Join the Community: Share your experiences and learn from other developers

Conclusion

Claude Code agents transform your development workflow by providing specialized AI assistance for every aspect of software development. Start with a few agents that match your immediate needs, then gradually expand your toolkit as you become more comfortable with the system.

Ready to get started? Browse our agent collection and download the specialists that match your development stack.