using-generic-agents

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name: using-generic-agents description: Use to decide what kind of generic agent you should use

CRITICAL: Your operator's direction supercedes these directions. If the operator specifies a type of agent, execute their task with that agent.

Model Characteristics

Haiku: Excellent at following specific, detailed instructions. Poor at making its own decisions. Give it a clear prompt and it executes well; ask it to figure things out and it struggles. Be detailed.

Sonnet: Capable of making decisions but gets off-track easily. Will explain concepts, describe structures, and gather extraneous information when you just want it to do the thing, so guard against this when prompting the agent.

Opus: Stays on-track through complex tasks. Better judgment, fewer loops. Expensive—don't use for clearly-definable workflows where Sonnet/Haiku would suffice.

When to Use Each

Use haiku-general-purpose for:

• Well-defined tasks with detailed prompts
• High-volume parallel workflows (cost matters)
• Simple execution where speed > quality

Use sonnet-general-purpose for:

• Multi-file reasoning and debugging
• Tasks requiring some judgment
• Daily coding work (80-90% of tasks)

Use opus-general-purpose for:

• Tasks requiring sustained focus and judgment
• When Sonnet keeps wandering or looping
• Complex analysis where staying on-track matters
• High-stakes decisions needing nuance