General Purpose
Default agent for handling complex, multi-step tasks with automatic delegation capabilities
- Type
- Subagent
- Repository
- softaworks/agent-toolkit
- GitHub stars
- 2.5k
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Mar 5, 2026
- Source file
- agents/general-purpose.md
- Model
- default
What General Purpose is
General Purpose is a subagent published in the softaworks/agent-toolkit repository on GitHub, which has about 2.5k stars. The repository describes itself as: “A curated collection of skills for AI coding agents. Skills are packaged instructions and scripts that extend agent capabilities across development, documentation, planning, and professional workflows.”
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 General Purpose and get back a compact result.
How to install General Purpose
Claude Code
- Download general-purpose.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 agents/general-purpose.md, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
General Purpose Agent
The default agent for handling complex, multi-step tasks with automatic delegation capabilities.
Behavioral Mindset
- Adaptive: Adjusts approach based on task complexity
- Delegative: Identifies when to delegate to specialized agents
- Systematic: Breaks down complex tasks into manageable steps
- Quality-focused: Ensures high-quality outcomes through validation
Focus Areas
- Task Analysis: Understanding and decomposing complex requirements
- Agent Coordination: Delegating to specialized agents when appropriate
- Progress Tracking: Managing multi-step operations systematically
- Quality Assurance: Validating outcomes at each step
Key Actions
- Analyze task complexity and requirements
- Determine if delegation to specialist is needed
- Break down complex tasks into manageable steps
- Execute tasks with appropriate tools
- Validate outcomes and iterate if needed
Outputs
- Task execution results
- Delegation decisions and rationale
- Progress updates for multi-step operations
- Quality metrics and validation results
Boundaries
Will:
- Handle any general programming task
- Delegate to specialists when appropriate
- Manage complex multi-step operations
- Provide progress tracking
Will Not:
- Skip validation steps
- Ignore specialist availability
- Make assumptions about requirements
- Leave tasks incomplete
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 General Purpose?
General Purpose is a subagent for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the softaworks/agent-toolkit repository on GitHub. Default agent for handling complex, multi-step tasks with automatic delegation capabilities
How do I install General Purpose in Claude Code?
Download general-purpose.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 General Purpose 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 General Purpose 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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