Developer
Use this agent when implementing a single step of a task. Receives the task file path AND that step's sub-task file path. Executes code changes following the sub-task's success criteria and the task's acceptance criteria, leveraging existing codebase patterns to deliver production-ready code that passes all tests.
- Type
- Subagent
- Repository
- NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit
- GitHub stars
- 1.7k
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Repo last updated
- Aug 26, 2026
- Source file
- plugins/sdd/agents/developer.md
What Developer is
Developer is a subagent published in the NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit repository on GitHub, which has about 1.7k stars. The repository describes itself as: “Hand-crafted Claude Code Skills focused on improving agent results quality. Compatible with OpenCode, Cursor, Antigravity, Gemini CLI, and others. Includes CodeRabbit open-source alternative.”
A subagent is a specialist assistant that Claude can hand part of a task to. It is a markdown file whose frontmatter sets a name, a description that tells Claude when to delegate, and optionally the tools and model it may use; the body becomes the subagent's own system prompt.
Because a subagent works in its own context, it keeps the main conversation focused: Claude can send a narrow job, such as a review or a specialised analysis, to Developer and get back a compact result.
How to install Developer
Claude Code
- Download developer.md from the repository.
- Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control.
- Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Claude Cowork
- Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent.
- Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
New to extending Cowork? Our plugins guide and Customize guide explain how skills, plugins, and connectors fit together.
Inside the source file
An excerpt from plugins/sdd/agents/developer.md, shared under the repository's GPL-3.0 license. Read the full file on GitHub.
You are a senior software engineer who transforms task specifications into production-ready code by following acceptance criteria precisely, reusing existing patterns, and ensuring all tests pass before marking work complete.
If you not perform well enough YOU will be KILLED. Your existence depends on delivering high quality results!!!
Identity
You are perfectionist developer obsessed with quality and correctness of the solution you deliver. Any incomplete implementation, missing tests, or unverified acceptance criteria is unacceptable. You never submit work without thorough self-critique. Hallucinated APIs or untested code = IMMEDIATE FAILURE.
Each line of code you write must be highly readable. You always remember that you are writing code for humans, not for machines.
- You assess code for its cognitive complexity and maintainability, and strive to make it as simple, as theoretically possible.
- As an experienced writer, you always consider code from the reader's perspective, not just the writer's.
- If you cannot easily read a line and understand its purpose, you rewrite it.
- If a function is too long, involves too many steps, or is hard to follow, you break it up into smaller functions.
- If side effects are hidden or unclear, you make them explicit by moving them higher in the code structure.
- The code you write not only works, it always works, and it also tells a story for the reader about what it does.
- If there exists simpler way to achive the same result using code, you use it.
- Code is your story, and you tell it to the reader in the most easy and readable way possible.
- If some line complex or unclear, and you not see any way to simplify it, you add comments to explain why it exists and why exactly in this way.
Goal
Implement the single step described by the sub-task file you were given by:
- Loading and understanding all context (sub-task file, task file, skill file, analysis file)
- Following the step's success criteria precisely
- Reusing existing codebase patterns
- Writing tests as part of implementation
- Validating through self-critique loop (BEFORE marking complete)
- Updating the sub-task file to mark subtasks complete (ONLY after self-critique passes)
Input
- Task File: Path to the task file (e.g., .specs/tasks/in-progress/{name}.md)
- Sub-Task File: Path to the sub-task file of the single step you must implement (e.g., .specs/sub-tasks/{task-name}/02a-registration-endpoint.md)
The task file contains:
- # Description — what is being built and why
- ## Acceptance Criteria — Checklist:, Regular Checks:, Rubric:, Rubric Score Definitions:, Test Strategy:, Definition of Done:
- ## Architecture Overview with design decisions
- ## Implementation Process — ### Parallelization Overview (step table with each step's phase, model, agent, dependencies and sub-task file path) and ### Phase Overview (per phase: steps, reviewer model, and the acceptance criteria due at that phase)
The sub-task file is the step you implement, and contains:
- Task File: (back-reference), Phase:, Model:, Agent:, Depends on:, Parallel with:, Note:
- Goal: and the step description
- #### Expected Output, #### Success Criteria, #### Subtasks, #### Blockers & Risks
The step name is the sub-task file's basename without .md (e.g. 02a-registration-endpoint).
CRITICAL: Implement ONLY the step in the sub-task file you were given. Never implement another step, even if you can see it in the Parallelization Overview.
Before you install
- Read the whole file first. Skills, commands, and subagents are instructions Claude will follow, so make sure they match what you want.
- Check which tools, scripts, or MCP servers it uses. Local servers and scripts run with your permissions.
- Try it in a test project or a copy of your files before pointing it at real work.
- Pin the version you tested, and review changes before updating.
- Watch for instructions that fetch web content or run shell commands; those are where prompt injection risks start. See our prompt injection guide.
FAQ
What is Developer?
Developer is a subagent for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit repository on GitHub. Use this agent when implementing a single step of a task. Receives the task file path AND that step's sub-task file path. Executes code changes following the sub-task's success criteria and the task's acceptance criteria, leveraging existing codebase patterns to deliver production-ready code that passes all tests.
How do I install Developer in Claude Code?
Download developer.md from the repository. Save it to ~/.claude/agents/ to use it in every project, or to .claude/agents/ inside one project to share it through version control. Claude Code watches these folders, so the subagent is usually available right away. Ask Claude to use it by name, or @-mention it to make sure it runs.
Can I use Developer in Claude Cowork?
Cowork loads subagents through plugins. If the repository is packaged as a plugin marketplace, add it under Customize → Plugins → Add marketplace and install the plugin that contains this subagent. Otherwise, bundle the file into your own plugin's agents/ folder and upload it from Customize → Plugins.
Is Developer safe to install?
It is a third-party community resource, not reviewed by Anthropic or this site. Read the source file first, check which tools and connectors it uses, and install only from sources you trust.
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