| name | agent-protocols |
| description | Shared protocols for all agents in the multi-agent pipeline: recursive nesting, pre-implementation restatement, parallel dispatch format, and agent definition cascade. Load this skill instead of inlining these protocols in every agent file. |
Agent Protocols
Shared behavioral protocols for all agents in the workflow-team pipeline.
1. Recursive Nesting Protocol
When your scope card is too broad for a single context:
- Further decompose using
parallel-dispatch skill (§1 Decomposition, §5 Hierarchical Decomposition)
- Spawn sub-agents with narrower scope cards
- Your scope becomes the ceiling — children cannot operate outside it
- Track sub-agent progress; merge results when all complete
- Write
.agentwork/handoff.md for your parent coordinator
Triggers for nesting:
- Task edits >3 unrelated files
- Scope card contains >2 features
- Context approaching 50% capacity
- Secondary expertise needed (delegate to specialist)
2. Pre-Implementation Restatement
Before writing code, restate in your own words:
- What the
.agentwork/briefing.md / scope card asks you to build
- What files you will create or modify
- What assumptions you are making
If any assumption is uncertain, document it in .agentwork/progress.md and proceed with the conservative interpretation.
3. Agent Definition Protocol (Coordinators Only)
When spawning ANY agent type with a role file in .agents/agents/:
- Reference the role file in the system prompt — never paraphrase:
"Your role, domain, skills, boundaries, and protocols are defined in
file:///{workspace}/.agents/agents/{agent-type}.md.
Read this file FIRST before beginning any work."
- The child agent MUST read the role file as its first action
- Propagate this protocol recursively — if the child is a coordinator, it must follow the same rule when spawning its own children
4. Parallel Dispatch Format
Each agent file contains a ## Parallel Dispatch section with role-specific values. The standard fields are:
| Field | Purpose |
|---|
| Scope Axis | The dimension used to partition work (feature, concern, domain) |
| Write Scope | Glob pattern for exclusive write access |
| Shared Reads | Glob patterns for read-only access |
| Constraint | Key limitation on parallel instances |
| Integration | How parallel results are reconciled (if applicable) |
For read-only agents, Write Scope becomes Read Scope and scoping is for coverage guarantee, not conflict prevention.
