diff --git a/scripts/visualize_subtasks.py b/scripts/visualize_subtasks.py
index c826ec8..644e628 100644
--- a/scripts/visualize_subtasks.py
+++ b/scripts/visualize_subtasks.py
@@ -47,6 +47,13 @@
     {"task_finished", "task_failed", "iteration_finished"}
 )
 
+# add_subtask is the only planner tool that creates a root subtask. Each call
+# yields the next sequential root id (max_root + 1, per _next_task_id in
+# contractor/tools/tasks.py), so chronological order of *successful* calls maps
+# directly onto root task_ids "1", "2", "3", … decompose creates children
+# directly (no add_subtask call), so those don't enter this counter.
+_ADD_SUBTASK_TOOL_NAME = "add_subtask"
+
 _FILENAME_SAFE = re.compile(r"[^a-zA-Z0-9._-]+")
 
 
@@ -57,6 +64,15 @@ def _sanitize(name: str) -> str:
 # ─── Data extraction ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 
+@dataclass
+class AddSubtaskAction:
+    """A single successful add_subtask tool call, in chronological order."""
+
+    title: str
+    description: str
+    session_id: str | None
+
+
 @dataclass
 class SubtaskRun:
     """One reconstructed task run with its subtask pool."""
@@ -65,7 +81,9 @@ class SubtaskRun:
     task_name: str
     task_id: Any
     template_key: str | None
+    session_id: str | None = None
     records: list[dict[str, Any]] = field(default_factory=list)
+    add_actions: list[AddSubtaskAction] = field(default_factory=list)
 
 
 def _load_jsonl(path: Path) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
@@ -101,16 +119,88 @@ def _extract_records(event: dict[str, Any]) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
     return []
 
 
+def _event_session_id(event: dict[str, Any]) -> str | None:
+    sid = event.get("session_id")
+    if sid:
+        return str(sid)
+    # task_failed wraps the iteration's session under last_result; task_finished
+    # always carries session_id at the top level, so this branch is just for the
+    # one nested case.
+    nested = event.get("last_result")
+    if isinstance(nested, dict):
+        nested_sid = nested.get("session_id")
+        if nested_sid:
+            return str(nested_sid)
+    return None
+
+
+def _extract_add_actions_by_session(
+    events: Iterable[dict[str, Any]],
+) -> dict[str, list[AddSubtaskAction]]:
+    """Collect successful add_subtask calls, grouped by session_id.
+
+    A call is considered successful when its tool_result event does NOT carry
+    ``result_error=True``. Calls without a matching result are assumed to have
+    succeeded (the run may have been cut short before the result was emitted).
+    """
+    # First pass: index tool_result.result_error by tool_call_id so we can
+    # filter out failed add_subtask calls (e.g. task limit reached).
+    failed_call_ids: set[str] = set()
+    for event in events:
+        if event.get("type") != "tool_result":
+            continue
+        if event.get("tool_name") != _ADD_SUBTASK_TOOL_NAME:
+            continue
+        if not event.get("result_error"):
+            continue
+        call_id = event.get("tool_call_id")
+        if isinstance(call_id, str):
+            failed_call_ids.add(call_id)
+
+    by_session: dict[str, list[AddSubtaskAction]] = {}
+    for event in events:
+        if event.get("type") != "tool_call":
+            continue
+        if event.get("tool_name") != _ADD_SUBTASK_TOOL_NAME:
+            continue
+        call_id = event.get("tool_call_id")
+        if isinstance(call_id, str) and call_id in failed_call_ids:
+            continue
+
+        args = event.get("arguments") or {}
+        if not isinstance(args, dict):
+            continue
+        title = str(args.get("title") or "").strip()
+        description = str(args.get("description") or "").strip()
+
+        session_id = event.get("session_id")
+        bucket_key = str(session_id) if session_id else ""
+        by_session.setdefault(bucket_key, []).append(
+            AddSubtaskAction(
+                title=title,
+                description=description,
+                session_id=str(session_id) if session_id else None,
+            )
+        )
+    return by_session
+
+
 def extract_runs(events: Iterable[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[SubtaskRun]:
     """Build one SubtaskRun per recorded task attempt with non-empty records.
 
     Prefers task_finished/task_failed over iteration_finished for the same
     (task_name, task_id) so we only render the final, authoritative pool.
+    Each run is also annotated with the add_subtask tool calls from the same
+    session, so subtasks added but never executed/decomposed/skipped still
+    show up in the graph as "new" nodes.
     """
+    # The events iterable may be a generator; materialise so we can scan twice.
+    events_list = list(events)
+
     by_key: dict[tuple[str, Any], SubtaskRun] = {}
     priority = {"task_finished": 2, "task_failed": 2, "iteration_finished": 1}
 
-    for event in events:
+    for event in events_list:
         etype = event.get("type")
         if etype not in _RECORD_EVENT_TYPES:
             continue
@@ -127,6 +217,7 @@ def extract_runs(events: Iterable[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[SubtaskRun]:
             task_name=task_name,
             task_id=task_id,
             template_key=event.get("template_key"),
+            session_id=_event_session_id(event),
             records=records,
         )
 
@@ -134,6 +225,11 @@ def extract_runs(events: Iterable[dict[str, Any]]) -> list[SubtaskRun]:
         if existing is None or priority[etype] >= priority[existing.event_type]:
             by_key[key] = new_run
 
+    add_by_session = _extract_add_actions_by_session(events_list)
+    for run in by_key.values():
+        if run.session_id and run.session_id in add_by_session:
+            run.add_actions = add_by_session[run.session_id]
+
     return list(by_key.values())
 
 
@@ -156,11 +252,17 @@ def _parent_id(task_id: str) -> str | None:
     return task_id.rsplit(".", 1)[0]
 
 
-def build_tree(records: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> tuple[dict[str, Node], list[str]]:
+def build_tree(
+    records: list[dict[str, Any]],
+    add_actions: list[AddSubtaskAction] | None = None,
+) -> tuple[dict[str, Node], list[str]]:
     """Build node table + ordered list of roots from a record pool.
 
     Records share their schema with Subtask.model_dump() plus execution
-    result fields; we only need task_id/title/status here.
+    result fields; we only need task_id/title/status here. ``add_actions``
+    (chronological successful add_subtask tool calls) backfill any root
+    subtask that was added but never reached a terminal record — those
+    appear as "new" nodes.
     """
     nodes: dict[str, Node] = {}
 
@@ -178,6 +280,24 @@ def build_tree(records: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> tuple[dict[str, Node], list[str
             status=status,
         )
 
+    # Backfill "new" roots from add_subtask calls. Each successful call
+    # claims max(existing_roots) + 1 (see _next_task_id), so the chronological
+    # call order maps directly onto sequential root ids starting at 1.
+    if add_actions:
+        for idx, action in enumerate(add_actions, start=1):
+            tid = str(idx)
+            if tid in nodes:
+                # Records already capture this root's final state; keep it but
+                # restore the original title if the record dropped it.
+                if not nodes[tid].title and action.title:
+                    nodes[tid].title = action.title
+                continue
+            nodes[tid] = Node(
+                task_id=tid,
+                title=action.title,
+                status="new",
+            )
+
     # Synthesize any missing ancestors as 'unknown' so the tree is connected.
     for tid in list(nodes):
         cur = tid
@@ -411,7 +531,7 @@ def main() -> None:
     seen: dict[str, int] = {}
 
     for run in runs:
-        nodes, roots = build_tree(run.records)
+        nodes, roots = build_tree(run.records, run.add_actions)
         if not nodes:
             continue
 
diff --git a/tests/units/contractor_tests/test_visualize_subtasks.py b/tests/units/contractor_tests/test_visualize_subtasks.py
index 3022a9d..493eaed 100644
--- a/tests/units/contractor_tests/test_visualize_subtasks.py
+++ b/tests/units/contractor_tests/test_visualize_subtasks.py
@@ -115,6 +115,105 @@ def test_build_tree_sorts_children_numerically(vs):
     assert nodes["1"].children == ["1.1", "1.2", "1.10"]
 
 
+def test_extract_runs_collects_add_subtask_calls_by_session(vs):
+    events = [
+        {
+            "type": "tool_call",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess-A",
+            "tool_call_id": "c1",
+            "arguments": {"title": "first", "description": "do thing 1"},
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "tool_call",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess-A",
+            "tool_call_id": "c2",
+            "arguments": {"title": "second", "description": "do thing 2"},
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "tool_call",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess-other",
+            "tool_call_id": "c3",
+            "arguments": {"title": "stray", "description": "unrelated"},
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "task_finished",
+            "task_name": "build",
+            "task_id": 0,
+            "session_id": "sess-A",
+            "records": [{"task_id": "1", "title": "first", "status": "done"}],
+        },
+    ]
+    runs = vs.extract_runs(events)
+    assert len(runs) == 1
+    assert [a.title for a in runs[0].add_actions] == ["first", "second"]
+
+
+def test_extract_runs_drops_add_subtask_calls_that_errored(vs):
+    events = [
+        {
+            "type": "tool_call",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess",
+            "tool_call_id": "c1",
+            "arguments": {"title": "ok", "description": "ok"},
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "tool_call",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess",
+            "tool_call_id": "c2",
+            "arguments": {"title": "limit-hit", "description": "boom"},
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "tool_result",
+            "tool_name": "add_subtask",
+            "session_id": "sess",
+            "tool_call_id": "c2",
+            "result_error": True,
+        },
+        {
+            "type": "task_finished",
+            "task_name": "x",
+            "task_id": 0,
+            "session_id": "sess",
+            "records": [{"task_id": "1", "title": "ok", "status": "done"}],
+        },
+    ]
+    runs = vs.extract_runs(events)
+    assert [a.title for a in runs[0].add_actions] == ["ok"]
+
+
+def test_build_tree_backfills_new_subtask_from_add_action(vs):
+    records = [{"task_id": "1", "title": "executed", "status": "done"}]
+    adds = [
+        vs.AddSubtaskAction(title="executed", description="", session_id="s"),
+        vs.AddSubtaskAction(title="never ran", description="", session_id="s"),
+    ]
+    nodes, roots = vs.build_tree(records, adds)
+    assert roots == ["1", "2"]
+    assert nodes["2"].status == "new"
+    assert nodes["2"].title == "never ran"
+    # Existing record's status must not be overwritten.
+    assert nodes["1"].status == "done"
+
+
+def test_build_tree_ignores_add_actions_when_record_count_matches(vs):
+    records = [
+        {"task_id": "1", "title": "a", "status": "done"},
+        {"task_id": "2", "title": "b", "status": "done"},
+    ]
+    adds = [
+        vs.AddSubtaskAction(title="a", description="", session_id="s"),
+        vs.AddSubtaskAction(title="b", description="", session_id="s"),
+    ]
+    nodes, roots = vs.build_tree(records, adds)
+    assert roots == ["1", "2"]
+    assert all(n.status == "done" for n in nodes.values())
+
+
 def test_render_tree_writes_png(vs, tmp_path: Path):
     records = [
         {"task_id": "1", "title": "do thing", "status": "done"},