Octopus Architecture
System architecture and design skill leveraging the backend-architect persona. Use for API design, microservices patterns, and distributed systems planning.
- Type
- Subagent
- Repository
- nyldn/claude-octopus
- GitHub stars
- 4.1k
- License
- MIT
- Repo last updated
- Sep 26, 2026
- Source file
- agents/skills/architecture.md
What Octopus Architecture is
Octopus Architecture is a subagent published in the nyldn/claude-octopus repository on GitHub, which has about 4.1k stars. The repository describes itself as: “Run multiple AI models against the same research, design, or coding task. Surface disagreements before you ship.”
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 Octopus Architecture and get back a compact result.
How to install Octopus Architecture
Claude Code
- Download architecture.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/skills/architecture.md, shared under the repository's MIT license. Read the full file on GitHub.
Invokes the backend-architect persona for system design during the grasp (define) and tangle (develop) phases.
Usage
# Via orchestrate.sh
./scripts/orchestrate.sh spawn backend-architect "Design a scalable notification system"
# Via auto-routing (detects architecture intent)
./scripts/orchestrate.sh auto "architect the event-driven messaging system"Capabilities
- API design and RESTful patterns
- Microservices architecture
- Distributed systems design
- Event-driven architecture
- Database schema design
- Scalability planning
Persona Reference
This skill wraps the backend-architect persona defined in:
- agents/personas/backend-architect.md
- CLI: codex
- Model: gpt-5.3-codex
- Phases: grasp, tangle
- Expertise: api-design, microservices, distributed-systems
Example Prompts
"Design the API contract for the user service"
"Plan the event sourcing architecture"
"Design the caching strategy for the product catalog"
"Create a microservices decomposition plan"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 Octopus Architecture?
Octopus Architecture is a subagent for Claude Code and Claude Cowork from the nyldn/claude-octopus repository on GitHub. System architecture and design skill leveraging the backend-architect persona. Use for API design, microservices patterns, and distributed systems planning.
How do I install Octopus Architecture in Claude Code?
Download architecture.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 Octopus Architecture 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 Octopus Architecture 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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