Topic-level versus action-level instructions
Key Takeaway
Subagent instructions shape how the agent behaves inside a job and which action fits which situation. Action instructions describe what one action does, when to use it, and how to fill its inputs and return its outputs. Neither level is the place for sensitive or deterministic business rules. Build those rules into the reference action itself, such as an Apex class or flow.
Agentforce agents get guidance from instructions written at two levels: on subagents and on actions. Knowing which level controls which behavior tells you where to fix an agent that picks the wrong action, passes bad inputs, or ignores a rule.
Topics, subagents, and the levels of instructions
Beginning in April 2026, agent topics are called subagents, and their functionality did not change. Topic instructions are the instructions on what is now called a subagent.
Each kind of instruction covers a different part of the agent:
- Agent-level instructions cover everything. They apply to every interaction.
- Subagent instructions cover one subagent.
- Action instructions cover one action.
When the agent builds its prompt for the LLM, the prompt includes these parts:
- The agent-level instructions
- The recent conversation history
- The subagent's resolved instructions
- The actions that the subagent allows