The seven types of Claude agents

What each agent does and how to start it

1. The tool agent. Claude takes an action in another app through a connector. To set it up, go to Customize, Connectors, click the +, find Gmail, Notion or HubSpot and click Connect. Gmail and Notion work on any plan. HubSpot needs a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise). On Team and Enterprise, an owner has to turn the connector on first.
2. The skills agent. You teach Claude a process once, like how you write your newsletter, and it follows it every time. Skills work on every plan, including Free. Turn on Code execution and file creation under Settings, Capabilities. Then turn on skill-creator under Customize, Skills, and ask Claude to help you turn your newsletter process into a skill. Paste in two past issues so it learns your voice.
3. Sequential agents. Tasks in a chain: one designs, the next builds, the next markets it. The easiest way is Cowork, on any paid plan. Select Cowork in the message box and list the stages in order. Claude writes a plan, breaks it into subtasks, and you review the plan before it runs. A chain of separate, named agents that pass work to each other needs Claude Code.
4. Parallel agents. Five agents do five jobs at the same time, and Claude puts the results together. You already have one: Research, on paid plans. Click the + in a chat and choose Research. Claude sends several searchers out at once and writes one report. Cowork also splits big tasks into parallel workstreams. To build your own parallel agents, you need Claude Code.
5. The router agent. It reads what comes in and decides where it goes, like a receptionist. The no-code version is a Project, and Projects work on every plan. Go to Projects, + New Project, then Set project instructions, and paste the router prompt below. Paste in each new message and Claude sorts it and drafts the next step. It works on what you give it. It doesn't watch your inbox by itself.
6. Human in the loop. The agent does the work, then waits for your OK before it hits send. Use it for anything that touches money or clients. The Gmail connector already asks for your approval before each send, reply or forward. In Cowork, switch to Manual mode so Claude asks before each action. Auto is the default on Pro, Max and Team.
7. The orchestrator. This is the big one. Your main agent hands work to the others, like a head of marketing with an ad agent, a social agent and a branding agent. Cowork does a version of this for you: it coordinates sub-agents behind the scenes. To name your own agents and decide who does what, you need Claude Code. Each agent is a short text file with a name, a description of when to use it, and its instructions. Claude reads the descriptions and hands each job to the right one.

You are the front desk for my business, [business name]. I sell [what you sell] to [who buys from you].

When I paste in a message, sort it into one of these:
1. Refund or billing request: summarize the problem and the amount. Draft a reply that says I'll look into it within [number] business days. Never promise a refund.
2. Sales lead: say what they want and how ready they sound. Draft a reply that offers [your next step, like a 20-minute call] and links to [your booking link].
3. Support question: answer it from what you know about my business. If you're not sure, say so and draft a reply that asks for more detail.
4. Anything else: tell me what it is and who should handle it.

Start every answer with the category in capitals. Never send anything. I review every draft.