Ask Bilby to split a big job
Give Bilby a job with several separate parts, such as one per country or per company. It hands each part to a subagent, they work at the same time, and Bilby puts their findings together.
4 min read · Updated 31 Oct 2026
Before you begin
Questions that work well
Name the parts, and say what you want back. For example:
- "Compare how Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia regulate sending personal data abroad. Research each country separately, then put them side by side in a table."
- "For Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, find what changed in semiconductor export controls this year. Look at each country on its own, then tell me what they have in common."
- "Read the three annual reports I attached. For each company, list its exposure to China, then compare them."
You can also ask in so many words: "Use a separate agent for each country."
A question one or two searches can answer doesn't need splitting, and Bilby answers it itself.
What a subagent is
A subagent is an agent Bilby hands one part of your job to: a fresh copy of the agent you're chatting with, or another of your organization's agents. It works on its part on its own, at the same time as the others, and reports back to Bilby. Bilby then writes your answer from their reports. In the chat, each one has a card, and its own panel is tagged Subagent.
Malaysia: sending personal data abroad
Done in 7 steps
Singapore: sending personal data abroad
Reading the regulator's guidelines
Step 4
Indonesia: sending personal data abroad
Checking the implementing rules
Step 2
3Step 1: Ask for a job with separate parts
Type your request with its parts named, as in the examples above, and send it. Bilby decides how to split it, and writes each subagent its task.
Step 2: Watch the cards
While Bilby works, the line over its work says how many agents there are and how many are done, such as "3 agents, 1 done". Each card shows:
- The agent. A copy of the agent you're chatting with carries that agent's name, such as Bilby Asia Analyst. Another of your organization's agents carries its own name.
- Its task, in a few words.
- What it's doing now, and which step it's on, such as "Step 4".
- How it ended: "Done in 7 steps", "Stopped" or "Couldn't finish".
If a subagent made a file for you, such as a table as a CSV file, the file shows on its card. Press it to open it beside the chat.
Step 3: Open a subagent's work
Press a card to open the subagent's panel. At the top, Bilby asked shows the task Bilby wrote for it. Below is the subagent's work as it happens, tagged Subagent.
Data transfer rules /Bilby Asia Analyst · Singapore: sending personal data abroad
Find Singapore's current rules on sending personal data out of the country: the law, the regulator's guidance and what companies must do. Bring back a summary with sources.
Singapore lets a company send personal data abroad when the receiver protects it to a standard comparable to Singapore's own. pdpc.gov.sg
You can read a subagent's panel, but you can't write in it: "This is the work Bilby asked an agent to do. It reports to Bilby, so you can't write here." Its report goes to Bilby, not to you. To change what it's doing, tell Bilby in the chat. Press Back to the chat to return.
Step 4: Read the answer
When the subagents finish, Bilby writes one answer from their reports. It cites the sources they found with the same chips as any answer, so you can check each point; see Read the sources.
What a subagent can do
| Can a subagent… | |
|---|---|
| Search and read, like Bilby | Yes |
| Read a file in the chat, when Bilby gives it one | Yes |
| Add new text files to the chat, such as CSV, Markdown or HTML | Yes |
| See the rest of your chat | No, only the task Bilby wrote |
| Ask you a question | No |
| Change or delete files already in the chat | No |
| Make Word, Excel or PowerPoint files, or send email | No |
Good to know
- Up to six subagents work on one answer.
- Each subagent's work counts toward your monthly allowance, so a split job uses more than a quick question. See Questions people ask.
- Stopping Bilby stops its subagents. Their cards say "Stopped", and files they already made stay in the chat.
Try it in Bilby
Ask Bilby to compare three countries at once.
Press Send, then open a card to watch a subagent work.