skill-router

name

skill-router

description

Route non-trivial Codex tasks to the right local execution lane and capability set. Use when Codex needs to decide between direct execution, a local skill, an enabled plugin, or an MCP/tool surface; when the user asks which skill or workflow to use; when you want to inspect the local Codex inventory; or when a task needs a compact lane + capability + verification recommendation before work begins.

Skill Router

Use this skill to make Codex routing environment-aware instead of guess-based.

Quick Start

1. Classify the task into a lane:
   • direct
   • broken
   • build
   • operate
   • review
   • plan
2. Run scripts/scan_codex_inventory.py to inspect local skills, plugins, and MCP servers.
3. Match the task against the most specific local capability first.
4. Return a compact recommendation using the routing contract in references/routing-contract.md.

Lane Selection

Lane	Examples	Default Reasoning	Default Thinking
direct	trivial read, one command, factual answer	fast	none
broken	bug, regression, crash, failing test, broken build	standard	think
build	new feature, component, integration, workflow	standard	think
operate	refactor, automate, configure, document, deploy	standard	none
review	code review, risk review, security review	standard	think-hard
plan	broad, ambiguous, multi-stage, scope decisions	frontier	ultrathink

Escalate to frontier reasoning + ultrathink for: production incidents, auth/permissions changes, architecture decisions where rollback is expensive.

If a task spans multiple lanes, choose the first critical lane and note the downstream chain.

Capability Resolution

Prefer, in order:

1. repo instructions already in force
2. local Codex skills
3. enabled plugins
4. configured MCP/tool surfaces
5. direct execution

Rules:

• prefer one strong local capability over a long chain
• prefer the most specific capability over the most famous one
• fall back to direct execution if no strong local match exists
• do not search the internet for skills by default
• do not auto-install anything silently

Inventory Scan

Use the bundled script:

python3 scripts/scan_codex_inventory.py
python3 scripts/scan_codex_inventory.py --query deploy
python3 scripts/scan_codex_inventory.py --json

Use the inventory scan when:

• you need to know which local capability is actually present
• multiple possible skills might match
• the task mentions a tool or platform and you want to confirm availability

Output Contract

Always return:

• lane
• chosen capability or fallback
• reasoning tier: fast, standard, or frontier
• verification plan
• short notes only if needed

See references/routing-contract.md for the canonical shape.

Named Chains (Optional)

If AGENTS.md declares saved chain sequences, check them BEFORE computing fresh from the lane tables. Match by substring on the user's prompt; first match wins.

# in AGENTS.md
chains:
  - name: ship-feature
    when: ["ship the feature", "lets implement"]
    chain: writing-plans → frontend + db
    thinking: think

Per-step models / agents resolve from the lane tables unless chain.model or chain.thinking overrides globally, or steps[].model overrides per step.

Dispatch Protocol — Per-Step Model Enforcement

When a chain step needs a different model than the parent session, dispatch that step as a Codex sub-task with model: set explicitly. Steps that match the parent model run inline.

For each step in the chain:
  IF step.model == parent_model AND not parallel-fan-out:
      → run inline
  ELSE:
      → spawn sub-task with model=<step.model>, agent=<step.agent>
  Parallel steps (`+`) launch concurrently.

Thinking Depth

Each lane row carries an optional Thinking value: none / think / think-hard / ultrathink. Pre-pend the keyword to the dispatch prompt to allocate extended-thinking budget. Production incidents and architecture decisions default to ultrathink; mechanical work to none.

Codex-Specific Notes

• this skill is local-first
• this skill is for routing and orchestration, not governance
• for enterprise governance, policy, and proof of judgment, use Sentigent instead of expanding this skill into a control plane

Resources

scripts/

• scan_codex_inventory.py: inspect installed local Codex skills, enabled plugins, and configured MCP servers

references/

• routing-contract.md: required output shape for recommendations
• product-boundary.md: product boundary and audience definition for the Codex version