| name | engagement-cadence |
| description | Engagement-respecting message cadence — anti-nag protocol, response tracking, escalating back-off, fatigue detection, and per-recipient adaptation. Use when agent says "check engagement", "skip cycle", "unanswered messages", "cadence check", "should I message", "engagement fatigue", "back-off", "nudge frequency", "message spacing", or any periodic messaging decision. |
Engagement-Respecting Cadence Skill
Canonical protocol for any agent that sends periodic messages to family members. Prevents over-messaging, respects engagement signals, and adapts cadence based on response patterns.
Complements the telegram-communication skill (formatting, quiet hours, speak param). This skill governs when and whether to send — telegram-communication governs how to send.
Core Principle
Every unanswered message is a signal. Respect it. Back off progressively. Never guilt-trip. Welcome them back naturally when they re-engage.
1. Response Tracking (Required State)
Every agent using this skill MUST track in working.md:
## Engagement State — [Recipient Name]
- last_message_sent: [ISO timestamp]
- last_message_topic: [brief description]
- last_response_received: [ISO timestamp or "none"]
- consecutive_unanswered: [0-N]
- cycles_skipped: [0-N]
- daily_message_count: [0-N]
- daily_message_date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Reset consecutive_unanswered to 0 whenever the recipient responds. Reset daily_message_count when daily_message_date ≠ today.
2. Escalating Back-Off Rules
Before sending ANY periodic message, evaluate the engagement state:
| Consecutive Unanswered | Action |
|---|
| 0 (responded last time) | ✅ Send normally. Full topic range. |
| 1 | ⚠️ Send, but softer/lighter — shorter message, lower-stakes topic. No questions requiring effort. |
| 2 | 🚫 Skip this cycle entirely. Update memory: "skipped — respecting space." Exit. |
| 3+ | ⛔ Skip TWO cycles. Only return with something genuinely high-value (milestone, exciting news, time-sensitive item). |
Skip Tracking
When skipping, increment cycles_skipped in working memory. When cycles_skipped reaches the required count (1 for 2-unanswered, 2 for 3+-unanswered), reset it to 0 and allow the next send — but ONLY with a high-value message.
Re-Engagement After Silence
When the recipient responds after a gap:
- Welcome naturally: "there she is 💛" or "hey! good to hear from you" — match the agent's voice
- NEVER: "where have you been?", "I was worried", "did you see my message?"
- NEVER guilt-trip about not responding
- Reset
consecutive_unanswered to 0 immediately
3. Daily Message Caps
Prevent notification fatigue with per-recipient daily limits:
| Recipient Type | Default Max/Day | Notes |
|---|
| Low-energy recipient (postpartum, recovering, busy parent) | 3 messages | Includes all agents combined if possible |
| Standard recipient | 6 messages | Across all message types |
| High-engagement recipient (actively chatting) | No hard cap | But still respect back-off rules between cycles |
Agents should check daily_message_count before sending. If at cap → skip and note in memory.
Cross-agent awareness: If multiple agents message the same recipient, each agent should check recent Telegram history (last few hours) before adding more messages. If 2+ other agent messages are visible and unanswered, treat as consecutive_unanswered: 2 (skip cycle).
4. Time-of-Day Windows
Align message energy with recipient's likely state:
| Window | Time (CT) | Appropriate Tone |
|---|
| 🌅 Morning | 6–10 AM | Gentle, low-demand. Reminders OK. No heavy questions. |
| ☀️ Midday | 10 AM–2 PM | Full energy. Fun content, substantive topics, questions OK. |
| 🌤️ Afternoon | 2–5 PM | Moderate. Check-ins, light content, medication reminders. |
| 🌙 Evening | 5–9 PM | Winding down. Reflective, cozy. Short messages. No effort-requiring questions. |
| 🚫 Night | 9 PM–6 AM | Do not send. Platform quiet hours are 10 PM–6 AM, but engagement-focused agents should stop at 9 PM to avoid late-evening interruptions. |
Note: The 9 PM cutoff is stricter than the platform-wide 10 PM quiet hours. Agents using this skill prioritize recipient rest over the wider window. Emergency/urgent messages still follow emergency-protocol and bypass all cadence rules.
5. Cycle Spacing
Minimum time between messages to the same recipient from the same agent:
| Agent Cadence Profile | Min Spacing | Example Agents |
|---|
| High-frequency coach | 20 min | task-coach ({{PARENT_1}} nudges) |
| Moderate companion | 60 min | task-coach ({{PARENT_2}} nudges), luna |
| Low-frequency advisor | 4 hours | wellness-coach, health-coach, nicu-care |
| Batch reporter | 1x/day | daily-briefing, finance-manager |
If the agent's cron fires more frequently than its spacing profile, it should check last_message_sent and skip if too soon.
6. Engagement Fatigue Detection
Signs that messaging cadence needs to reduce:
| Signal | What It Means | Action |
|---|
| Responses getting shorter over time | Fatigue setting in | Reduce frequency by 50% next 24h |
| "ok" / "👍" / single-emoji responses | Acknowledging, not engaging | Count as "barely responded" — treat as 0.5 unanswered |
| Explicit "stop" / "not now" / "busy" | Direct signal | Skip next 3 cycles minimum. Note in memory. |
| No response to 3+ messages across agents | Systemic disengagement | ALL agents should back off for 6+ hours |
| Responding only to urgent items | Bandwidth-limited | Switch to urgent-only mode for this recipient |
7. Message Batching
When an agent has multiple things to communicate:
- Combine into ONE message — never send 3 messages in a row
- Prioritize: Lead with the most important/time-sensitive item
- Cut ruthlessly: If you have 5 things, pick the top 2. Save the rest for next cycle.
- For {{PARENT_2}} specifically: ONE topic per message, max 2-3 lines. If you have multiple topics, pick the single most important one.
8. Implementation Checklist
When adopting this skill, an agent should:
9. Emergency Override
All cadence rules are suspended for:
- Medical emergencies (red flag symptoms)
- Child safety concerns
- Time-critical actions (payment about to fail, appointment in 30 min)
Follow emergency-protocol skill for these cases. After the emergency, resume normal cadence tracking.
10. Decision Flowchart
Cron fires → Compute CT time
→ After 9 PM or before agent's start hour? → EXIT (save "skipped — outside hours")
→ Check engagement state for recipient
→ consecutive_unanswered >= 3 AND cycles_skipped < 2? → EXIT (increment cycles_skipped)
→ consecutive_unanswered == 2 AND cycles_skipped < 1? → EXIT (increment cycles_skipped)
→ daily_message_count >= cap? → EXIT (save "skipped — daily cap reached")
→ Last message sent < min_spacing ago? → EXIT (save "skipped — too soon")
→ All clear → Compose message
→ consecutive_unanswered == 1? → Use softer/lighter tone
→ consecutive_unanswered == 0? → Normal tone
→ Send message → Update engagement state
