Claude Code adds dynamic workflows (research preview) for large parallel agent runs
Dynamic workflows in Claude Code let Claude write orchestration scripts, fan out work across tens to hundreds of parallel subagents, verify results, and resume long-running jobs.
Anthropic shipped dynamic workflows in Claude Code as a research preview, designed for unusually large engineering tasks like codebase-wide audits and migrations.
What's new
Dynamic workflows let Claude write an orchestration script on the fly, break work into subtasks, and then run tens to hundreds of parallel subagents in a single session, verifying results before reporting back (Claude blog).
Anthropic positions this for problems that are difficult to complete with a single agent pass, including:
- Codebase-wide bug hunts, optimization audits, and security audits (Claude blog)
- Large migrations and modernization efforts across thousands of files (Claude blog)
- High-stakes work where you want independent attempts and adversarial checking before you see results (Claude blog)
Availability
Dynamic workflows are now available on all paid plans (on Pro, turn them on from the Dynamic workflows row in /config), with Anthropic API access, and on Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform, and Microsoft Foundry (Claude Code docs). At launch, Anthropic listed Max, Team, and Enterprise plans (Claude blog).
How to try it
Anthropic says you can start a workflow in two main ways:
- Ask Claude to create one directly (for example, "Create a workflow"), or
- Turn on
ultracodewith/effort ultracode, which has Claude plan a workflow for each substantive task at whichever effort level the session runs at. Launching withclaude --effort ultracodealso sets effort toxhigh(Claude Code docs).
Notes on Usage
Anthropic notes that dynamic workflows can consume substantially more tokens than a typical Claude Code session, and the first time a workflow triggers Claude Code will show what's about to run and ask you to confirm (Claude blog).
For when to use a workflow instead of subagents, agent teams, or Projects, see our Claude Code subagents vs agent teams vs workflows guide.
Corrections and Updates
- October 9, 2026: Plan availability widened after launch. Anthropic's docs now list all paid plans, including Pro through
/config, and say ultracode runs at the session's current effort level; only theclaude --effort ultracodelaunch flag setsxhigh.
Sources
- Anthropic, "Introducing dynamic workflows in Claude Code": https://claude.com/blog/introducing-dynamic-workflows-in-claude-code
- Claude Code docs, dynamic workflows: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/workflows
Read next
Related coverage- Claude Code
Claude Code Subagents vs Agent Teams vs Dynamic Workflows: Which Parallel Approach to Use
Claude Code runs parallel work five ways. Use subagents for side tasks inside one session, agent view to dispatch background sessions, agent teams when workers must talk to each other, dynamic workflows for dozens to hundreds of cross-checked agents, and Projects for cloud work spanning days.
- Claude
Claude Opus 4.8 Fast Mode: 2.5x Faster Output Tokens; Opus 5.5 Is Now the Default
Anthropic launched fast mode for Claude Opus 4.8 on May 28, 2026: the same model at 2.5x the output speed, three times cheaper than before. Opus 5.5 is now the fast mode default in Claude Code v2.1.280 and later, at $8/$40 per MTok; Opus 4.8 still supports it at $10/$50, billed to usage credits on subscription plans.
