sync

name	sync
description	Merge a target branch into the current branch and push to origin. The ONLY framework skill that pushes to a remote. Requires explicit confirmation. Never rebases. Default-actor skill (agents and captain both use it; captain for captain-* branches, agents for their worktree branches).
agency-skill-version	2
when_to_use	On any non-master branch (worktree agent branch OR captain-* branch), when ready to push committed work to origin. NEVER from master (use PR flow instead). NEVER for auto-invocation — always requires confirmation.
argument-hint	[<target-branch>]
paths	[]
required_reading	["agency/REFERENCE-GIT-MERGE-NOT-REBASE.md","agency/REFERENCE-SAFE-TOOLS.md"]

sync

The framework's single authorized push path. Merges a target branch (default origin/master) into the current branch and pushes to origin. Every other push attempt is blocked by hookify (raw git push refused at the hook layer).

Name pattern: noun-verb (sync is both noun and verb by context). No actor qualifier because sync is default-actor — anyone on a non-master branch uses it.

Why this exists

Pushing is a privileged action. Without a single authorized path:

• Agents push broken branches (no QG run)
• Captain pushes to master accidentally (catastrophic — bypasses PR review)
• Forced pushes overwrite teammates' work

sync enforces: (a) not master, (b) clean tree, (c) single-worktree checkout, (d) confirmation before each destructive step, (e) merge not rebase. The underlying agency/tools/git-push tool adds its own layer of safety (blocks main/master, blocks bare --force).

Required reading

Before proceeding, Read the files listed in required_reading: frontmatter.

Usage

/sync                    # merge origin/master into current branch, push
/sync origin/main        # explicit target
/sync other-branch       # merge from a non-default target

Preconditions

• Current branch is NOT master (or main). Running on master aborts.
• Working tree is clean.
• Branch is checked out here (not in another worktree).

Flow / Steps

Step 1: Safety checks

1. Get current branch. If master, abort: "Never push directly to master. Use a PR."
2. Verify clean working tree.
3. Verify this branch is not checked out in another worktree (prevents dual-commit race).

Step 2: Fetch

./agency/tools/git-captain fetch

Step 3: Show what will be pushed

git log --oneline origin/<current-branch>..HEAD   # if tracking exists
git log --oneline <target>..HEAD                  # if no tracking

Captain shows commit list; principal verifies scope.

Step 4: Confirm

Prompt:

Merge <target> into <branch> and push to origin/<branch>?

Do not push without explicit confirmation.

Step 5: Merge target

git merge <target>

If conflicts: show conflict files, ask principal to resolve or abort. No auto-resolution.

Step 6: Push

./agency/tools/git-push <branch>

Never raw git push — blocked by hookify. git-push tool validates target (refuses main/master), checks force-with-lease semantics, and is the only authorized push path in the framework.

Step 7: Report

Sync complete:
  Branch: <branch>
  Pushed: N commits to origin/<branch>
  Base:   <target>

Failure modes

• On master: abort (Step 1). Never push master directly.
• Dirty tree: abort. Commit or stash.
• Branch checked out elsewhere: abort. Only one worktree at a time can sync.
• Merge conflict (Step 5): halt; principal resolves or aborts.
• Push rejected (non-fast-forward, branch protection, etc.): report; principal investigates.

What this does NOT do

• Does not push master: abort on master.
• Does not rebase: uses merge commits only (per REFERENCE-GIT-MERGE-NOT-REBASE.md).
• Does not force-push bare: only via --force-with-lease and only via git-push tool.
• Does not create PRs: that's /captain-release (captain) or /pr-submit (agent).
• Does not run QG: that's /pr-prep. Run QG BEFORE /sync if this push is PR-bound.

Explicit invocation only

Pushing is destructive and requires principal confirmation. This skill is intended to be invoked explicitly (principal/captain types /sync) rather than auto-invoked by the model. The skill's own Step 1–2 interactive confirmation is the operative gate; the paths: [] frontmatter keeps the skill out of file-path autocomplete but does not on its own block auto-invocation. If you need a hard per-skill auto-invocation block for a specific future case, disable-model-invocation: true is available per-skill (see REFERENCE-SKILL-CONVENTIONS.md §1).

Status

active (v2, refactored in-place from legacy sync 2026-04-19; name unchanged).

Related

• /captain-release — captain's one-flow release (includes sync internally)
• /pr-submit — agent signals captain; no direct push
• /pr-captain-land — captain's lifecycle for agent-owned branches
• /captain-sync-all — captain's master-sync (never pushes; different scope)
• /worktree-sync — worktree sync (never pushes; local master merge only)
• agency/tools/git-push — underlying authorized push tool
• agency/hookify/hookify.block-raw-git-push.md — blocks raw git push
• agency/REFERENCE-GIT-MERGE-NOT-REBASE.md — merge discipline

OFFENDERS WILL BE FED TO THE — CUTE — ATTACK KITTENS!