delegate_task runs inside the parent turn and is cancelled when the parent is interrupted (new user message, /stop, /new). The child status payload (status=interrupted, exit_reason=interrupted) is already honest, but the tool schema and user-facing docs did not set the expectation, so users reasonably assumed delegated subagents would keep running in the background after interrupting the parent.
Updates:
- tools/delegate_tool.py DELEGATE_TASK_SCHEMA description adds a WHEN NOT TO USE bullet pointing at cronjob / terminal(background=True, notify_on_complete=True) for durable long-running work.
- website/docs/user-guide/features/delegation.md gains a Lifetime and Durability callout above Key Properties.
- website/docs/guides/delegation-patterns.md expands the Use something else list and the Constraints section with the same guidance.
Reported by LizLiz (@lizliz404) via Teknium.
Co-authored-by: teknium1 <teknium@users.noreply.github.com>
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