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Swarming

Iteration Swarms

An Iteration Swarm turns one request into several independent alternatives. Tell Swarm what kind of swarm you want, how many results to create, and what a great result should accomplish.

Tip: scale with intention
Set limits intentionally

Swarms use provider capacity and can cost money. Be precise about the result you want, then set conservative subagent limits in /permissions.

Check provider capacity

ChatGPT plan users often encounter practical concurrency limits around 10–20. Other providers may rate-limit requests based on your account or spend, so check before raising Swarm’s limit or requesting a mega swarm.

Know the ceilings

Swarm enforces an absolute hard limit of 256 participants per wave. We have tested 100-participant waves without issue, but that is not the recommended operating size.

Prefer focused batches

We recommend no more than 50 participants in one wave, and batches around 20 are usually more focused and reviewable for design work. More agents can quickly create noise, make redirection harder, and waste resources.

Types of swarms

Ask for the kind of variation you want to explore.

Idea generation

Idea Swarm

Generate many answers to one question.

Best for names, concepts, critiques, priorities, positioning, and other divergent thinking. Every participant receives the same question, and the results return to the conversation.

Try this
“Use an Idea swarm to give me 20 memorable names for this feature, then group the strongest directions.”
Designed artifacts

Designer Swarm

Create visual and interactive artifacts.

Best for HTML concepts, SVG compositions, motion studies, interface directions, diagrams, and other managed visual artifacts you want to compare in Desktop.

Try this
“Use a Designer swarm to make me 10 mind-blowing particle swarm visualizations. Make every direction interactive and dramatically different.”
Generated images

Image or Photo Swarm

Generate several image alternatives.

Best for photos, campaign images, illustrations, textures, and other still-image directions. Each result is generated directly by your connected image model and is billed by that provider.

Try this
“Use an image swarm to create eight cinematic product photos of this workstation. Explore different lighting and environments while preserving the product.”
PrerequisiteAuthenticated model required for photos
Photos require an image model

Before asking for an image or photo swarm, open Desktop Settings → Media and choose an authenticated default image model. Designer artifact swarms and Idea swarms do not require an image-generation model.

How to ask

Name the swarm, the count, and the outcome.

You do not need to write technical worker assignments. Ask Swarm for the result you want, state how many alternatives would be useful, and describe the qualities every iteration must preserve.

  • Name the type. Say Idea swarm, Designer swarm, or image swarm.
  • Choose a reviewable count. Ask for 5, 10, or another number you can realistically compare.
  • Describe the shared goal. State the purpose, audience, required content, and constraints once.
  • Invite useful variety. Ask for dramatically different directions, or name themes such as minimal, editorial, playful, or cinematic.
Simple pattern

“Use a [type] swarm to make [count] iterations of [outcome]. Preserve [important details]. Explore [dimensions that may vary].”

Typical flow

Create ten, choose two, then continue from those exact results.

Example Iteration Swarm10 directions → 2 selections → another focused wave
  1. You ask
    “Use a Designer swarm to make me 10 mind-blowing particle swarm visualizations.”
  2. Swarm creates

    Ten independent managed artifacts

    01020304050607 selected0809 selected10

    Wait for the swarm to finish. Ready results appear automatically in the artifact sidebar and Artifact Viewer.

  3. You review

    Compare the results and select the strongest two.

    Open the collection, inspect each result, and choose the iterations that contain the ideas you want to keep.

    Iteration 07 Organic motion and luminous trailsIteration 09 Dense field and dramatic depth
  4. Attach to chat

    Pass those exact artifacts back to Swarm.

    Use Attach to chat from the artifact sidebar, or select both iterations and choose Attach for changes in the full Artifact Viewer. Their exact references are added to the conversation.

  5. You continue
    “Remix these. Preserve the organic motion from 07 and the depth from 09, then create six more focused iterations.”

    Swarm starts the next wave from your selected artifacts, and the review loop continues.

Refine a winner

Use iterations for fast exploration, then give the strongest direction individual attention.

Iteration Swarms are great for quickly finding ideas and comparing distinct directions. Do not rely on iteration alone for the most fine-tuned result. Once a direction is working, select that exact artifact and shift from broad exploration to focused craft.

  • Attach the exact iteration you want Swarm to refine rather than describing it from memory.
  • Ask five individual Designers to refine the selected direction independently, giving each one the same locked choices and final-product goal.
  • Say what must remain unchanged and where the Designers should improve detail, hierarchy, consistency, accessibility, motion, or production readiness.
  • Compare the five polished results, choose the strongest refinement, and ask Swarm for one final bounded pass if needed.
  • Keep useful alternatives. Managed artifacts remain available unless you ask Swarm to remove them.
Fine-tuning pattern

“Take this iteration and refine it with five individual Designers. Preserve [approved direction and locked details]. Have each Designer independently improve [specific craft goals], then return five polished versions for comparison.”

Iterations find the direction; refinement finishes it

Attaching the ready result gives every Designer the authenticated source artifact, not a screenshot or approximate description. This preserves lineage while the focused refinement wave improves the work you actually chose.