CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL

Updated October 14, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL is a Claude Code environment variable: Runs every workflow agent on the named model while other subagents keep their own. A value of inherit disables the override, and the existing CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE still governs whether a forced model wins. Added in v2.1.296 and still present in v2.1.299. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.299
Added	Added in v2.1.296
Category	Agents and subagents
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL: Force a specific model for sub-agent operations.
CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_APPEND_SUBAGENT_PROMPT: Authorizes SDK callers to append a custom string to a subagent's system prompt via options.appendSubagentSystemPrompt.
CLAUDE_CODE_FORK_SUBAGENT: Changelog-confirmed[1]: set to 1 to run subagents as forked processes (v2.1.117 on external builds, v2.1.121 extended to non-interactive SDK/-p sessions).
CLAUDE_CODE_FORWARD_SUBAGENT_TEXT: Includes subagent text and thinking in stream-json output, paired with a new --forward-subagent-text flag.
CLAUDE_CODE_MAX_SUBAGENT_SPAWN_DEPTH: Nesting-depth cap on delegation, default 1 — subagents no longer spawn their own subagents, and the team roster stays flat.
CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODELU: The trailing-U variant flagged as a likely typo in v2.1.84 has been removed.
CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_PROMPT_CACHE_TTL

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL do?

Runs every workflow agent on the named model while other subagents keep their own. A value of inherit disables the override, and the existing CLAUDE_CODE_SUBAGENT_MODEL_FORCE still governs whether a forced model wins.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL?

Added in v2.1.296 and still present in v2.1.299.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.