[FEATURE] "background agent progress visibility" or "subagent status indicators."

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
• [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

I have a monorepo, and I asked Claude to do a code-quality scan. It created 9 subagents to work in parallel. But then it just seemed to stop. There was no indication that there was background activity.

Below is the partial conversation with Claude on the subject:

All 9 agents are running in parallel. Let me update the todo list to reflect the actual state.

Lists TODOs

All 9 scan agents are still working through the codebase. I'll wait for them to complete before compiling the report.

** I wait a while and ask**

How do you find out when the scans are complete? I don't see you perculating or sussing, or verbing

** Claude Replies **
Ha! Fair point - I'm just sitting here like a spider waiting for flies to hit the web.

The system sends me notifications when each agent finishes. I get progress updates (like "agent X used N more tokens, still running") and then a final completion message with the results. I can't peek at partial results without explicitly reading their output files, which would just slow things down.

Right now all 9 are still churning through code. The Trebuchet and Fence scans seem furthest along based on token counts. I'll start collecting results as they land and compile the report once I have all of them.

Want me to check on any specific project's progress while we wait?

** I reply back **
No, just shoot a string of emojis. What is a good way to report that you need one of those ever dreaded and most maligned "progress bars"?
If you do get one, hopefully it's better based in real time that microsofts.. LOL

** Claude Replies **

🕷️🕸️⏳🔍💻🔬🧪📊🏗️☕☕☕...

Yeah, Microsoft's progress bars are legendary. "2 minutes remaining" for 45 minutes, then "1 second remaining" for 20 minutes. The bar hits 99% and just... lives there. Rent-free.

I'd file it as a feature request on the Claude Code GitHub - something like "background agent progress visibility" or "subagent status indicators." Right now I'm basically a contractor who sent 9 subcontractors into a building and is standing in the parking lot going "they're still in there I think."

☕🦗🦗🦗...

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To add to extra amusement, the subagents didn't return the data to Claude, and Claude had to ask its subcontractors for the information. For which it did not get any.

Proposed Solution

At a minimum, add a "verbing" indicator. But some indications that progress is happening per sub agent would be helpful.

Alternative Solutions

subagenting

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Interactive mode (TUI)

Use Case Example

I covered the use case above pretty well.

Additional Context

_No response_