[DOCS] Subagent resume docs omit original spawn-depth behavior for nested subagents
Documentation Type
Missing documentation (feature not documented)
Documentation Location
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sub-agents
Section/Topic
Manage subagent context -> Resume subagents, with related context in Spawn nested subagents.
Current Documentation
The nested-subagent section documents the depth cap:
Depth is counted as the number of subagent levels below the main conversation, regardless of whether each level runs in the foreground or background. A subagent at depth five does not receive the Agent tool and cannot spawn further. The limit is fixed and not configurable.
It also documents forked subagents:
A fork still cannot spawn another fork. It can spawn other subagent types, and those count toward the depth limit.
The resume section says:
Resumed subagents retain their full conversation history, including all previous tool calls, results, and reasoning. The subagent picks up exactly where it stopped rather than starting fresh.
What's Wrong or Missing?
Claude Code v2.1.187 fixed subagent depth tracking so resumed subagents restore their original spawn depth, and forked subagents count toward the depth cap.
The forked-subagent part is covered, but the resume section does not explain that a resumed subagent restores the original spawn depth. Users working with nested subagents cannot tell whether resuming a subagent recalculates depth from the current sender or preserves the original nesting depth for Agent tool availability.
Suggested Improvement
Add a sentence to Resume subagents, for example:
When a nested subagent is resumed, it keeps the spawn depth from its original invocation. Resuming does not reset or recalculate the depth, so Agent tool availability continues to follow the same five-level depth limit described above.
Impact
Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand
Additional Context
v2.1.187 changelog context: Fixed subagent depth tracking: resumed subagents now restore their original spawn depth, and forked subagents now count toward the depth cap.
Duplicate search found related but not duplicate open issue #67240 about nested subagents generally. No open issue specifically covers resumed subagents restoring original spawn depth.