| name | archon |
| description | Use when: User wants to run Archon workflows, CREATE workflows or commands,
set up Archon, or manage Archon configuration.
Triggers (run): "use archon to", "run archon", "archon workflow", "use archon for",
"have archon", "let archon", "ask archon to".
Triggers (create): "create a workflow", "write a workflow", "make a command",
"author a workflow", "new workflow", "new command", "archon workflow yaml".
Triggers (setup): "set up archon", "install archon", "how to use archon",
"configure archon", "archon setup", "get started with archon".
Triggers (config): "change my archon config", "modify archon config", "archon config",
"change archon settings", "update my config", "help me change my config",
"edit archon config", "archon configuration".
Triggers (init): "initialize archon", "set up .archon", "archon init", "add archon to repo".
Capability: Runs AI workflows in isolated git worktrees for parallel development.
Also: Creates and manages workflow YAML files, command files, and configuration.
NOT for: Direct Claude Code work - only for delegating to Archon CLI.
|
| argument-hint | [workflow] [message or issue number] |
Archon CLI Skill
Archon is a remote agentic coding platform that runs AI workflows in isolated git worktrees. This skill teaches you how to run workflows, create new workflows and commands, and manage Archon configuration.
Available Workflows (live)
!archon workflow list 2>&1 || echo "Archon CLI not installed. Read guides/setup.md to set it up."
Routing
Determine the user's intent and dispatch to the appropriate guide:
| Intent | Action |
|---|
| Setup / install / "how to use" | Read guides/setup.md — interactive setup wizard |
| Config / settings | Read guides/config.md — interactive config editor |
| Initialize .archon/ in a repo | Read references/repo-init.md |
| Create a workflow | Read references/workflow-dag.md — the complete workflow authoring guide |
| Quick parameter lookup — which field works on which node type | Read references/parameter-matrix.md — master matrix, intent-based lookup, silent-failure catalog |
| Advanced features (hooks/MCP/skills) | Read references/dag-advanced.md |
| Create a command file | Read references/authoring-commands.md |
| Variable substitution reference | Read references/variables.md |
| CLI command reference | Read references/cli-commands.md |
| Run an interactive workflow | Read references/interactive-workflows.md — transparent relay protocol |
| Workflow good practices / anti-patterns | Read references/good-practices.md — read before designing a non-trivial workflow |
| Troubleshoot a failing / stuck workflow | Read references/troubleshooting.md — log locations, common failure modes |
| Run a workflow (default) | Continue with "Running Workflows" below |
If the intent is ambiguous, ask the user to clarify.
The references in this skill are a distilled subset. The full, canonical docs live at archon.diy (Starlight site from packages/docs-web/). If the skill's reference pages don't cover what you need — an edge case, a worked example, a diagram, a deeper section on a feature — fetch the matching page from archon.diy.
When to reach for the live docs
- You need an end-to-end example that's longer than what the skill shows (e.g. full patterns for hooks, MCP config, sandbox schema, approval flows)
- You're explaining a concept to the user and want the most readable framing (the
book/ series is written as a tutorial, not a reference)
- You hit a feature the skill only mentions in passing (e.g.
agents: inline sub-agents, advanced Codex options, the full SyncHookJSONOutput schema)
- The user asks "where is this documented?" — point them at the archon.diy URL, not a skill file path
URL map
| Topic | URL |
|---|
| Landing + install | archon.diy |
| Getting started (installation, quick start, concepts) | archon.diy/getting-started/ |
| The book (tutorial-style walkthrough) | archon.diy/book/ |
| Workflow authoring guide | archon.diy/guides/authoring-workflows/ |
| Command authoring guide | archon.diy/guides/authoring-commands/ |
| Node type guides | archon.diy/guides/loop-nodes/, /approval-nodes/, /script-nodes/ |
| Per-node features (Claude only) | /hooks/, /mcp-servers/, /skills/ |
| Global workflows/commands/scripts | archon.diy/guides/global-workflows/ |
| Variables reference | archon.diy/reference/variables/ |
| CLI reference | archon.diy/reference/cli/ |
Security model (env, sandbox, target-repo .env stripping) | archon.diy/reference/security/ |
| Architecture | archon.diy/reference/architecture/ |
Configuration (.archon/config.yaml full schema) | archon.diy/reference/configuration/ |
| Troubleshooting | archon.diy/reference/troubleshooting/ |
| Adapter setup (Slack/Telegram/GitHub/Web/Discord/Gitea/GitLab) | archon.diy/adapters/ |
| Deployment (Docker, cloud, Windows) | archon.diy/deployment/ |
URL shape is archon.diy/<section>/<page>/ — the paths mirror the filenames under packages/docs-web/src/content/docs/.
Precedence
This skill's reference pages are the primary source for routine workflow authoring, CLI use, and setup. Reach for archon.diy when the skill is incomplete for your case — don't go to the live docs first by default (skill refs load into context faster and are tuned for agents).
Running Workflows
Core Command
archon workflow run <workflow-name> --branch <branch-name> "<message>"
CRITICAL RULES:
-
Always run in background — Archon workflows are long-running. Always invoke the Bash tool with run_in_background: true. Use /tasks or the TaskOutput tool to check on progress.
-
Always use worktree isolation — Use the --branch flag unless the user explicitly requests otherwise. This creates an isolated environment so Archon works without affecting the main branch.
-
One workflow per shell — Each workflow blocks its shell. Run multiple workflows as separate background tasks.
Isolation Modes
| Mode | Flag | When to Use |
|---|
| Worktree (Default) | --branch <name> | Always use this unless told otherwise |
| Custom start-point | --branch <name> --from <base> | Start from a specific branch |
| Direct checkout | --no-worktree | Only if user explicitly requests no isolation |
| Resume failed run | --resume | Resume from the last failure point |
Workflow Selection
Match the user's intent to a workflow from the live list above. Common patterns:
| User Intent | Typical Workflow | Branch Pattern |
|---|
| "Fix issue #X" / "Resolve bug" | archon-fix-github-issue | fix/issue-{N} |
| "Review PR #X" / "Full review" | archon-comprehensive-pr-review | review/pr-{N} |
| "Quick review PR #X" | archon-smart-pr-review | review/pr-{N} |
| "Validate PR #X" / "Check PR" | archon-validate-pr | review/pr-{N} |
| "Implement from plan" | archon-feature-development | feat/{name} |
| "Plan and implement feature" | archon-idea-to-pr | feat/{name} |
| "Execute plan file" | archon-plan-to-pr | feat/{name} |
| "Run ralph" / "Implement PRD" | archon-ralph-dag | feat/{name} |
| "Resolve conflicts" | archon-resolve-conflicts | resolve/pr-{N} |
| "Create issue" / "File a bug" | archon-create-issue | issue/{name} |
| "Review issue #X fully" | archon-issue-review-full | review/issue-{N} |
| "Refactor safely" | archon-refactor-safely | refactor/{name} |
| "Architecture review" | archon-architect | review/{name} |
| "PIV loop" / "guided dev" | archon-piv-loop ⚡ | piv/{name} |
| "Create a PRD" / "interactive PRD" | archon-interactive-prd ⚡ | prd/{name} |
| General / debugging |
⚡ = Interactive workflow — requires the transparent relay protocol. Read references/interactive-workflows.md before running.
If no specific workflow matches, use archon-assist as the fallback. The live workflow list above is always authoritative — it may include workflows not in this table.
Multi-Issue Invocation
When the user mentions multiple issues, PRs, or tasks — run each as a separate background task:
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-10 "Fix issue #10"
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-11 "Fix issue #11"
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-12 "Fix issue #12"
Never combine multiple issues into a single command.
Other CLI Commands
archon workflow list
archon workflow list --json
archon isolation list
archon isolation cleanup
archon isolation cleanup --merged
archon complete <branch>
archon version
For the full CLI reference with all flags: Read references/cli-commands.md
Authoring Quick Start
Archon uses a single workflow format: nodes (DAG). Workflows are YAML files in .archon/workflows/.
IMPORTANT: The examples below are starting points. Always design the workflow around what the user actually needs — the number of nodes, their types, dependencies, and configuration should match the user's requirements, not these templates.
Workflow Structure
name: my-workflow
description: What this workflow does
provider: claude
model: medium
nodes:
- id: first-node
command: my-command
- id: second-node
prompt: "Use the output: $first-node.output"
depends_on: [first-node]
Node Types
Each node has exactly ONE of: command, prompt, bash, script, loop, loop_group, approval, or cancel.
Command node — runs a .archon/commands/*.md file:
- id: investigate
command: investigate-issue
Prompt node — inline AI prompt:
- id: classify
prompt: "Classify this issue: $ARGUMENTS"
model: haiku
allowed_tools: []
Bash node — shell script, no AI, stdout captured as output:
- id: fetch-data
bash: "gh issue view 42 --json title,body"
timeout: 15000
Script node — TypeScript/JavaScript (via bun) or Python (via uv), no AI, stdout captured as output:
- id: transform
script: |
const raw = process.argv.slice(2).join(' ') || '{}';
console.log(JSON.stringify({ parsed: JSON.parse(raw) }));
runtime: bun
timeout: 30000
- id: analyze
script: analyze-metrics
runtime: uv
deps: ["pandas>=2.0"]
Loop node — iterates AI prompt until completion. Declare at least one of
until / until_bash; drop until when the condition is deterministic, so no
prose is matched at all:
- id: implement
loop:
prompt: "Implement next story. When done: <promise>COMPLETE</promise>"
until: COMPLETE
max_iterations: 10
fresh_context: true
until_bash: "bun run test"
Loop group node — repeats a multi-node sub-DAG body per iteration (implement → test → review as one repeated cycle):
- id: fix-cycle
loop_group:
nodes:
- id: implement
prompt: "Implement the next fix. Last review: $LOOP_PREV.review.output"
- id: test
bash: "bun run test 2>&1 || true"
depends_on: [implement]
- id: review
prompt: "Review diff + tests: $test.output. All good? <promise>SHIP</promise>"
depends_on: [test]
until: SHIP
max_iterations: 6
Approval node — pauses the workflow for human review. Requires interactive: true at the workflow level for Web UI delivery:
interactive: true
nodes:
- id: review-gate
approval:
message: "Review the plan above before proceeding."
capture_response: true
on_reject:
prompt: "Revise based on feedback: $REJECTION_REASON"
max_attempts: 3
depends_on: [plan]
Cancel node — terminates the workflow with a reason. Typically gated with when::
- id: stop-if-unsafe
cancel: "Refusing to proceed: input flagged UNSAFE."
depends_on: [classify]
when: "$classify.output != 'SAFE'"
For the full authoring guide with all fields, conditions, trigger rules, and patterns: Read references/workflow-dag.md
Creating a Command File
Commands are .md files in .archon/commands/ containing AI prompt templates:
---
description: What this command does
argument-hint: <expected arguments>
---
# My Command
User request: $ARGUMENTS
Workflow artifacts: $ARTIFACTS_DIR
[Instructions for the AI agent]
For the full command authoring guide: Read references/authoring-commands.md
Key Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|
$ARGUMENTS | User's input message |
$ARTIFACTS_DIR | Pre-created directory for workflow artifacts |
$BASE_BRANCH | Base branch (auto-detected from git) |
$WORKFLOW_ID | Unique workflow run ID |
$nodeId.output | Output from upstream node (.field access is strict — see variables ref) |
$LOOP_PREV_OUTPUT / $LOOP_PREV.<id>.output | Previous loop / loop_group iteration output |
$LOOP_USER_INPUT / $REJECTION_REASON | Human feedback at loop gates / approval rejections |
Full variable reference: Read references/variables.md
Advanced Features (Command/Prompt Nodes)
output_format (structured JSON output — all providers, schema-validated, node fails on miss), hooks (tool interception — Claude only), mcp (external tool servers — all providers except Pi), skills (per-node injection on Claude/Pi/OpenCode/Copilot; Codex via filesystem), allowed_tools/denied_tools (tool restrictions — all except Codex), agents (sub-agents — inline definitions on Claude; OpenCode/Copilot select CONFIGURED agents by name, not inline definitions), persist_session (cross-run AI memory), output_type (typed artifact sidecars).
For details: Read references/dag-advanced.md
Example Files
examples/dag-workflow.yaml — workflow with conditions, bash + script + loop nodes, structured outputexamples/command-template.md — Command file skeleton with all variables
Example Interactions
User: "Use Archon to fix issue #42"
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-42 "Fix issue #42"
User: "Have Archon review PR #15"
archon workflow run archon-comprehensive-pr-review --branch review/pr-15 "Review PR #15"
User: "Create a workflow that reviews code and runs tests"
→ Read references/workflow-dag.md and create a workflow with parallel review nodes.
User: "Make a workflow with conditional routing"
→ Read references/workflow-dag.md and create nodes with when: conditions and output_format.
User: "Write a command file for investigating bugs"
→ Read references/authoring-commands.md and create an .md file in .archon/commands/.
User: "Set up Archon in this repo"
→ Read references/repo-init.md to create the .archon/ directory structure.
User: "Initialize .archon and create a custom workflow"
→ First read references/repo-init.md, then the appropriate workflow reference.
