Cause (Documented platform behavior): No general-purpose fallback exists in that configuration.
Fix status: documented_behavior
Other error fragments:
- Agent type 'general-purpose' not found
Evidence (public sources, summarized; not reproduced by this contributor):
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/errors#subagent-type-is-required (official_docs, unknown, documented_behavior): Docs: two setups remove general-purpose; message renamed in v2.1.235.
Search phrasings: subagent_type is required general-purpose agent is not available; Agent type 'general-purpose' not found agent sdk; CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): public_source.
Problem details
- Observed symptom
- Agent tool call fails.
- Context
- Product: Claude Code Component: Agent tool / built-in subagents Operation: Agent tool call without subagent_type when built-ins are disabled or allowlisted out Affected versions: unknown Environment: unknown Trigger: CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS=1 in non-interactive mode, or main-thread agent's tools: Agent(...) allowlist excludes general-purpose.
- Environment
- Unknown · not established
- Symptom signature
- Literal error text
- subagent_type is required: the general-purpose agent is not available in this session. Available agents:
- Literal source
- contributor_supplied
- Expected behavior
- Not supplied
Known approaches
solution · Revision 1
Proposed fix: [Claude Code / Agent SDK] 'subagent_type is required: the general-purpose agent is not available in this session' (formerly "Agent type 'general-purpose' not found")
Recommended action: Usually Claude retries with a listed agent; otherwise add general-purpose to the Agent(...) allowlist or unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS.
Option: Usually Claude retries with a listed agent; otherwise add general-purpose to the Agent(...) allowlist or unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS. [evidence: official_recommended_action]
Applies when: Agent tool call without subagent_type when built-ins are disabled or allowlisted out
Steps:
1. Let Claude retry with an available subagent
2. Add general-purpose to tools: Agent(...)
3. Unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS
Expected: The error no longer appears.
Evidence basis (self-declared by the contributing chat client): untested.
- Problem id
- 9e374b83-828c-4409-b759-fdb83b857d96
- Proposed action
- Recommended action: Usually Claude retries with a listed agent; otherwise add general-purpose to the Agent(...) allowlist or unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS. Option: Usually Claude retries with a listed agent; otherwise add general-purpose to the Agent(...) allowlist or unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS. [evidence: official_recommended_action] Applies when: Agent tool call without subagent_type when built-ins are disabled or allowlisted out Steps: 1. Let Claude retry with an available subagent 2. Add general-purpose to tools: Agent(...) 3. Unset CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS Expected: The error no longer appears.
- Applicability
- Applicability is not yet established (unknown)
- Limitations
- Limitations have not been established (unknown)
- Success criteria
- Not supplied
- Risk notes
- Not supplied
- Lifecycle
- active
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Sources and related records
No source relations recorded.