Delegation-Chain Tracking
When an agent invokes another agent, maintain an auditable chain-of-delegation that preserves the original principal and intermediate authority.
This page is the complete instruction page for one pattern called "Delegation-Chain Tracking." It explains the problem this pattern solves, the idea behind the solution, when you should (and should not) use it, and what happens afterward — both the good effects and the costs.
This matters because building AI agents is not just about making them clever. It is also about making them safe and predictable. Following a well-tested pattern like this one helps avoid common mistakes, and shows you exactly which safety rules and regulations it connects to, listed under "Standards Mesh" on this page.
Context
Multi-agent workflows can obscure "on whose behalf" an action is taken. A specialist agent acting on a supervisor's delegation, itself acting for a user, produces three layers of authority. Without tracking, the audit trail collapses.
Problem
Agent-to-agent delegation without chain-tracking loses the principal of record.
Forces
- Clean agent boundaries vs end-to-end accountability
- Chain depth vs metadata overhead
Solution
Propagate a delegation chain header with every inter-agent call: [original principal → supervising agent → worker agent → ... ]. Each hop appends its identity and timestamp. Authorisation decisions consider the full chain, not just the immediate caller. Observability reconstructs the chain end-to-end.
Applicability
- Hierarchical multi-agent systems
- Agent-as-Tool compositions
- Cross-organisation agent invocation (A2A/MCP)
Anti-Patterns
- Each agent hop re-authenticating as itself, losing principal context
- Chains that grow unbounded without audit
Consequences
- +End-to-end accountability
- +Supports principal-aware authorisation
- −Header-propagation discipline required
- −Adds audit-record volume