| name | discover-artifacts |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | Discover and read artifacts published by other agents |
| uses | [] |
| requires | {"tools":[],"env":[]} |
| security | {"risk_level":"read","capabilities":["artifact:read"],"requires_approval":false} |
Discover Artifacts
Find and read work products published by other agents. Artifacts are the primary way agents share results — reviews, analyses, reports, and decisions.
Execution Model
This is a builtin skill (handler: type: builtin). When list_artifacts is invoked, the executor scans artifact directories (.os/memory/{type}/) and returns metadata and paths. The tool schema in tool.yaml defines the external contract; the executor handles the directory listing and frontmatter parsing directly.
When to Use
- Finding work products from other agents (reviews, analyses, reports)
- Checking if someone has already analyzed a topic
- Getting the latest review or report on a subject
- Reacting to new artifacts published on the bus
- Building on previous work rather than starting from scratch
Methodology
1. Determine What You Need
Before searching, clarify:
- Artifact type: What kind of artifact? (review, analysis, report, summary, decision)
- Subject: What topic or entity? (e.g., PR #23, module X)
- Recency: Do you need the latest, or historical?
2. Search by Type
Artifacts are organized by type in directories:
| Type | Location | Contains |
|---|
review | .os/memory/review/ | Code review feedback, PR comments |
analysis | .os/memory/analysis/ | Investigation results, research findings |
report | .os/memory/report/ | Status reports, progress summaries |
summary | .os/memory/summary/ | Condensed information, digests |
decision | .os/memory/decision/ | Architectural decisions, ADRs |
3. Read Artifact Metadata
Each artifact has YAML frontmatter with:
type — artifact type
subject — what it's about
created_by — which agent created it
created_at — when it was created
related_to — related artifacts (optional)
4. Use the Artifact
After reading, integrate the artifact into your work:
- Don't duplicate work that's already been done
- Reference the artifact in your own output
- Note if the artifact is stale (check
created_at)
Output Format
## Artifact Discovery
### Search
- Type filter: [type or all]
- Creator filter: [agent or all]
- Results found: [count]
### Artifacts
| # | Type | Subject | Creator | Created | Path |
|---|------|---------|---------|---------|------|
| 1 | [type] | [subject] | [agent] | [date] | [path] |
### Selected
- Path: [full path]
- Summary: [first few lines of content]
Quality Criteria
- Search is scoped appropriately (not too broad, not too narrow)
- Artifact metadata is parsed correctly from frontmatter
- Results are sorted by relevance or recency
- Stale artifacts are identified (check creation date)
- Artifacts are read and used, not just discovered
- Previous work is referenced rather than duplicated
Common Mistakes
- Not checking for existing artifacts: Starting work from scratch when someone already did the analysis. Always check for artifacts before beginning.
- Ignoring artifact age: Using a week-old review summary when the code has changed since. Check
created_at and compare to recent commits.
- Wrong directory: Looking in
.os/memory/review/ for a decision record. Use the type taxonomy to find the right directory.
- Duplicating work: Redoing an analysis that another agent already completed and published. Discover first, then build on it.
- Not parsing frontmatter: Skipping the YAML frontmatter and missing important metadata (creator, date, related artifacts).
Completion
Artifact discovery is complete when:
- The correct artifact type and scope are identified
- Available artifacts are found and listed
- Relevant artifacts are read and their content understood
- Artifact metadata (age, creator, relevance) is assessed