Defaults

The defaults block sets topology-wide default values. Instead of repeating the same field on every agent, define it once in defaults and let agents inherit it automatically.

Basic Syntax

defaults {
  model: sonnet
  permissions: supervised
  depth: moderate
}

How Defaults Work

Any field set in defaults applies to all agents that do not explicitly override it:

topology dev-team : [pipeline] {
  defaults {
    model: sonnet
    permissions: supervised
    depth: moderate
  }

  # Inherits model: sonnet, permissions: supervised, depth: moderate
  agent researcher {
    tools: [Read, WebSearch]
  }

  # Inherits permissions: supervised, depth: moderate
  # Overrides model
  agent reviewer {
    model: opus
    tools: [Read, Grep]
  }

  # Inherits model: sonnet, depth: moderate
  # Overrides permissions
  agent deployer {
    permissions: autonomous
    tools: [Bash]
  }
}

Common Default Fields

Field	Description
`model`	Default model for all agents
`permissions`	Default permission level
`depth`	Default depth level
`isolation`	Whether agents run in isolated contexts
`retry`	Default retry count on failure
`behavior`	Default behavior mode (`blocking` or `advisory`)

Multiple Defaults

Set as many defaults as you want:

defaults {
  model: sonnet
  permissions: supervised
  depth: moderate
  retry: 2
  isolation: true
}

Overriding Defaults

An agent can override any default by specifying the field explicitly. The agent-level value always wins:

defaults {
  model: sonnet
  retry: 1
}

agent critical-agent {
  model: opus
  retry: 3
  # model and retry are overridden; other defaults still apply
}

Full Example

topology content-pipeline : [pipeline] {
  defaults {
    model: sonnet
    permissions: supervised
    depth: moderate
    retry: 1
  }

  agent researcher {
    role: "Researches topics and gathers sources"
    tools: [WebSearch, Read]
  }

  agent writer {
    role: "Writes content based on research"
    tools: [Write]
    depth: thorough
  }

  agent editor {
    model: opus
    role: "Reviews and polishes content"
    tools: [Read, Write]
    depth: thorough
  }

  flow {
    researcher -> writer -> editor
  }
}

Tips

Use defaults to reduce repetition and keep your topology DRY.
Agent-level fields always override defaults. There is no conflict — the most specific value wins.
The defaults block is optional. Topologies work fine without it.
Defaults apply only to agents, not to other blocks like gates or hooks.

Defaults

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