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Tool Configuration

How to configure tool access for agents.

Philosophy

Don't over-restrict. Agents work best with appropriate access. Only restrict when there's a specific safety reason.

Default: Inherit

Most agents should NOT specify tools. They inherit full access from parent.

---
name: code-reviewer
description: ...
model: inherit
---
# No tools field — inherits full access

When to Restrict

Only restrict when:

Agent's purpose is explicitly read-only
Specific safety concern exists
Want to prevent accidental modifications

Don't restrict when:

Agent needs flexibility to complete task
Being "cautious" without specific reason

Baseline Tools

When restricting, always include these:

tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet

These enable: file discovery, searching, reading, skill loading, sub-agent delegation, task tracking.

Common Patterns

Read-only analysis:

tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet

Read-only with git history:

tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, Bash(git show:*), Bash(git diff:*)

Research agent:

tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, WebSearch, WebFetch

Implementation agent:

tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet

Pattern Matching Syntax

# Full tool access
Bash

# Restrict to command family
Bash(git *)

# Restrict to specific subcommand
Bash(git status:*)

# File path patterns
Write(tests/**/*.ts)
Write(__tests__/**/*)

# MCP tools
mcp__server__tool
mcp__server__*

Examples

Security Auditor (read-only)

---
name: security-auditor
description: Read-only security analysis.
tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, Bash(git diff:*), Bash(git log:*)
model: inherit
---

Deployment Agent (specific commands)

---
name: k8s-deployer
description: Kubernetes deployment tasks.
tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, Bash(kubectl *), Bash(docker *)
model: inherit
---

Test Writer (file restrictions)

---
name: test-writer
description: Writes tests only in test directories.
tools: Glob, Grep, Read, Skill, Task, TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet, Write(tests/**), Write(__tests__/**)
model: inherit
---

Testing Tool Restrictions

Create agent with tools field
Ask Claude to use the agent
Verify agent has access to specified tools
Verify restricted tools require permission or fail

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