# What
`SubagentStart` runs once when Codex creates a thread-spawned subagent,
before that child sends its first model request. Thread-spawned
subagents use `SubagentStart` instead of the normal root-agent
`SessionStart` hook.
Configured handlers match on the subagent `agent_type`, using the same
value passed to `spawn_agent`. When no agent type is specified, Codex
uses the default agent type.
Hook input includes the normal session-start fields plus:
- `agent_id`: the child thread id.
- `agent_type`: the resolved subagent type.
`SubagentStart` may return `hookSpecificOutput.additionalContext`. That
context is added to the child conversation before the first model
request.
# Lifecycle Scope
Only thread-spawned subagents run `SubagentStart`.
Internal/system subagents such as Review, Compact, MemoryConsolidation,
and Other do not run normal `SessionStart` hooks and do not run
`SubagentStart`. This avoids exposing synthetic matcher labels for
internal implementation paths.
Also the `SessionStart` hook no longer fires for subagents, this matches
behavior with other coding agents' implementation
# Stack
1. This PR: add `SubagentStart`.
2. #22873: add `SubagentStop`.
3. #22882: add subagent identity to normal hook inputs.
Abhinav