Agent Delegation Testing

Verify agent hierarchy, delegation chains, and escalation paths.

When to Use

• After modifying agent hierarchy
• Verifying escalation paths work correctly
• Troubleshooting delegation issues
• CI/CD validation before merge

Quick Reference

# Test all delegation patterns
python3 tests/agents/test_delegation.py .claude/agents/

# Test specific agent delegation
./scripts/test_agent_delegation.sh implementation-specialist

# Visualize delegation tree
./scripts/visualize_delegation.sh

What Gets Tested

Hierarchy levels: Agents delegate to lower levels, escalate to higher levels

Delegation chains: L0 → L1 → L2 → L3 → L4 (proper tree structure)

Circular dependencies: Detect A → B → C → A patterns

Reference validity: All delegates_to/escalates_to targets exist

Level consistency: Level values correct and levels don't skip improperly

Validation Rules

Rule	Example ✅	Wrong ❌
Delegate downward	L2 → L3	L3 → L2
Escalate upward	L3 → L2	L3 → L4
No circles	A → B, A → C	A → B → A
Valid refs	Existing agent	Nonexistent agent

Common Issues

Circular dependency: Agent A → Agent B → Agent A

• Fix: Break circle by restructuring delegation

Skip-level delegation: L2 → L4 (skips L3)

• Fix: Document exception in agent description

Orphaned agent: No other agent delegates to it

• Fix: Add delegation or remove if unused

References

• /agents/delegation-rules.md

  - Complete delegation guidelines

• .claude/agents/

  - All agent configurations

• CLAUDE.md

  - Hierarchy documentation