Parent And Sub-agents
The Parent field on an agent node can associate it with a root agent on
the same Node-RED flow tab.
Root Agents
Section titled “Root Agents”An agent with no parent is a root agent. Agent Studio lists root agents as the main selectable agents and can show their related sub-agents in the graph.
Sub-agents
Section titled “Sub-agents”A sub-agent is still a normal agent node with its own flow wiring and selected
configuration. Assigning a parent creates the logical relationship and groups
the nodes under the same root agent identity used by the runtime and Studio.
Use sub-agents to separate responsibilities, for example:
- A coordinator and a specialist writer.
- A main support agent and a billing specialist.
- A general agent and a data-retrieval agent.
What Parent Does Not Do
Section titled “What Parent Does Not Do”Selecting a parent does not automatically:
- Wire the two nodes together.
- Send requests from the parent to the sub-agent.
- Copy the parent’s model, behaviour, memory, or skills.
- Make a skill available to both agents.
Build the message path explicitly in Node-RED. agent-in in Agent Response
mode can turn one agent’s response into a request for another agent when that is
the intended flow.
Runtime Identity And Storage
Section titled “Runtime Identity And Storage”A sub-agent currently uses its parent node’s ID as its runtime agent identity. This groups the parent and sub-agent under the same root in Agent Studio.
It also affects storage. When parent and sub-agent nodes point to the same Memory node, their facts and events use the same root agent identity and can share the same storage namespace. Session and user scope still apply within that namespace.
Use separate facts and events stores when parent and sub-agent data must remain isolated; separate Memory config nodes that reference the same stores are not enough. When agents intentionally share storage, use distinct fact keys and avoid concurrent workflows that can overwrite the same internal summary or plan.
Shared Configuration
Section titled “Shared Configuration”Parent and sub-agent nodes may reference the same config nodes, but sharing is optional. Remember that editing a shared config node changes every agent that uses it.
Current Limitations
Section titled “Current Limitations”Parent and sub-agent workflows are still evolving. Use the Node-RED flow as the authoritative view of actual wiring, and use Agent Studio to understand the logical grouping and selected configuration. Treat the current shared root identity as implementation behavior that may change as delegation support develops.