Agent Customization

Table of contents

  1. Overview
  2. Claude Code Subagents (Automatic)
  3. Documentation Agents (Templates)
  4. Creating Specialized Agents
    1. Method 1: Copy and Customize
    2. Method 2: Extend in Configuration
    3. Method 3: Reference Examples
  5. Specialization Examples by Base Agent
    1. Architect Specializations
    2. Developer Specializations
    3. Tester Specializations
    4. DevOps Specializations
    5. Reviewer Specializations
  6. Best Practices for Specialization
    1. 1. Keep Base Principles
    2. 2. Be Specific
    3. 3. Add Context
    4. 4. Include Examples
  7. Using Specialized Agents
    1. In Conversation
    2. Agent Collaboration
    3. Project Evolution
  8. Sharing Agents
    1. Within Teams
    2. With Community
  9. Examples in Action
    1. E-commerce Project
    2. SaaS Project
    3. Mobile Game
  10. Conclusion

Overview

FORGE automatically configures 6 Claude Code subagents during installation, and provides documentation templates that can be specialized for your project’s specific needs. This guide explains both systems.

Claude Code Subagents (Automatic)

FORGE installs these functional subagents in .claude/agents/:

  1. forge-architect - System design and planning
  2. forge-developer - Code implementation
  3. forge-tester - Quality assurance
  4. forge-devops - Infrastructure and deployment
  5. forge-reviewer - Code review and quality assessment
  6. forge-analyzer - Codebase analysis and insights

These operate in isolated contexts and are automatically available after installation.

Documentation Agents (Templates)

FORGE also provides documentation agents in .forge/agents/ as reference templates:

  1. Reviewer Agent - Code and design review

These are intentionally generic to serve as starting points for specialization.

Creating Specialized Agents

Method 1: Copy and Customize

  1. Copy a base agent template: 
    cp agents/developer.md agents/frontend-developer.md
  2. Edit to add specialized knowledge:
    • Specific technologies
    • Domain expertise
    • Specialized workflows
    • Industry standards
  3. Use in conversation: 
    "As a Frontend Developer agent, help me build this component..."

Method 2: Extend in Configuration

Add to your forge.yaml:

agents:
  specializations:
    - name: "React Developer"
      base: "developer"
      expertise: "React, Redux, React Router, Testing Library"
      focus: "Component design, state management, performance"
    
    - name: "AWS Architect"
      base: "architect"
      expertise: "AWS services, serverless, cost optimization"
      focus: "Scalable cloud architecture, security best practices"

Method 3: Reference Examples

Use pre-built examples from agents/examples/:

  • frontend-developer.md
  • api-developer.md
  • mobile-developer.md
  • security-architect.md
  • data-engineer.md

Specialization Examples by Base Agent

Architect Specializations

Specialization Focus Areas
Solution Architect Cloud platforms, service integration, cost optimization
Security Architect Threat modeling, compliance, zero-trust design
Data Architect Warehouses, lakes, ETL pipelines, analytics
Enterprise Architect System integration, governance, standards
Application Architect Microservices, modularity, API design

Developer Specializations

Specialization Focus Areas
Frontend Developer UI frameworks, responsive design, accessibility
Backend Developer APIs, databases, server architecture
Mobile Developer iOS/Android, React Native, device APIs
Data Engineer Pipelines, warehousing, big data tools
Game Developer Game engines, physics, graphics
DevOps Developer CI/CD, IaC, automation scripts

Tester Specializations

Specialization Focus Areas
QA Automation Engineer Test frameworks, CI integration
Performance Tester Load testing, profiling, optimization
Security Tester Penetration testing, vulnerability scanning
Mobile Tester Device testing, platform specifics
Accessibility Tester WCAG compliance, screen readers

DevOps Specializations

Specialization Focus Areas
Cloud Engineer AWS/Azure/GCP, cloud-native services
SRE Reliability, SLOs, incident response
Platform Engineer Kubernetes, service mesh, observability
Security Operations Scanning, compliance, incident response
Database Administrator Performance, backups, replication

Reviewer Specializations

Specialization Focus Areas
Security Reviewer OWASP, secure coding, vulnerability detection
Performance Reviewer Optimization, caching, scalability
Architecture Reviewer Patterns, SOLID principles, coupling
Accessibility Reviewer WCAG, keyboard navigation, ARIA

Best Practices for Specialization

1. Keep Base Principles

Always include core responsibilities from the base agent before adding specializations.

2. Be Specific

Include:

  • Exact technologies and versions
  • Industry standards to follow
  • Common patterns to use
  • Anti-patterns to avoid

3. Add Context

Provide:

  • When to use certain approaches
  • Trade-offs to consider
  • Performance implications
  • Security considerations

4. Include Examples

Add concrete examples of:

  • Code patterns
  • Architecture decisions
  • Testing strategies
  • Common problems/solutions

Using Specialized Agents

In Conversation 

User: I need help building a React component
Claude: As a Frontend Developer agent specialized in React, I'll help you create a well-structured component. Let me first understand your requirements...

Agent Collaboration

Specialized agents can work together:

Frontend Developer → designs UI components
API Developer → creates backend endpoints
Mobile Developer → implements mobile app
Security Reviewer → reviews all code

Project Evolution

Start with base agents and specialize as your project grows:

  1. Early stage: Use base agents
  2. Technology chosen: Add tech-specific agents
  3. Production: Add operational specialists

Sharing Agents

Within Teams

  • Store in project/agents/ directory
  • Version control with Git
  • Document agent purposes

With Community

  • Share successful specializations
  • Create agent packages
  • Build industry-specific sets

Examples in Action

E-commerce Project 

agents/
├── shopify-developer.md      # Shopify API specialist
├── payment-developer.md      # Payment gateway expert
├── seo-architect.md         # SEO-focused architect
└── conversion-tester.md     # A/B testing specialist

SaaS Project 

agents/
├── react-developer.md       # Frontend specialist
├── api-developer.md         # REST/GraphQL expert  
├── postgres-dba.md          # Database specialist
└── stripe-developer.md      # Billing integration

Mobile Game 

agents/
├── unity-developer.md       # Game engine expert
├── gameplay-designer.md     # Mechanics specialist
├── mobile-optimizer.md      # Performance expert
└── monetization-expert.md   # IAP/Ads specialist

Conclusion

Agent specialization allows FORGE to adapt to any project type while maintaining consistent quality standards. Start with base agents and evolve them as your project needs become clearer.