> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.usesyndicate.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add and configure agents

> Add a specialist to a workspace, then tune its model, Soul, context, skills, and tools.

This guide covers the full workflow: adding an agent to an existing workspace and shaping how it behaves.

## Add an agent

Three entry points:

* **From the Marketplace**: open a specialization and use **Add to Team** (or create a solo agent from it).
* **From the sidebar**: the **Add Agent** link under a team with no agents yet.
* **During team creation**: the **+ Add Agent** button on the Review screen.

The Add Agent modal asks for:

1. **Agent Name**: for example "Schema Wrangler".
2. **Source**: **Syndicate** (built-ins), **User Made**, or **Community**.
3. **Specialization**: the role and its baked-in skills, or "General-Purpose (no baked skills)".
4. **Model**: any model from a connected provider.

Click **Add to Team** and the agent appears on the canvas, idle and ready.

## Configure it

Open the agent's settings icon for the configuration panel. What to check, in order of impact:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Model">
    Match the model to the role: strongest models for planning-heavy roles, code models for coders, fast models for high-volume monitors. See [Providers and models](/features/providers-and-models#choosing-models-for-a-team).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Permission mode">
    Pick from the shield selector: **Ask first**, **Auto-accept edits**, or **Full auto**. Start conservative; loosen as trust builds. See [Permissions and safety](/reference/permissions-and-safety).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Soul">
    The agent's system prompt. For user-made agents, click **Edit** to add project-specific guidance. Effective Soul additions are concrete:

    Weak: "Write good code."

    Better: "This project uses React 19 with Tailwind. Prefer existing components in src/components. Never introduce new dependencies without flagging it to Atlas first."
  </Step>

  <Step title="Skills">
    Review the **Skills (N)** list so you know which slash commands the agent answers to. Skills come from the specialization; to change the set, change the specialization or build a custom package with [Agent Creator](/guides/agent-marketplace/agent-maker).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Tools (MCP)">
    Toggle on only the MCP servers this role needs. Servers are installed globally in Settings, MCP, then enabled per agent here. See [MCP servers](/features/mcp).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Context">
    The defaults (Balanced) are right for most agents. If runs feel slow or the agent misses recent instructions, open the Context editor and check **Prompt Analytics** to see where the tokens go. See [Agents](/features/agents#context).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verify

Send the agent one small, role-typical message and confirm it responds in character, uses the right tools, and respects its permission mode. Then put it to work.

## Remove an agent

Configuration panel, **Danger Zone**, **Delete Agent** (two-step confirmation): "Remove this agent and all its config." Queued tasks assigned to it are removed from the board.