coordinator-response-mode

> **Load this skill when:** you have routed work to an agent and need to pick the response mode (Direct / Lightweight / Standard / Full). The 1-line stub in `squad.agent.md` is for awareness; this skill is the full decision table + templates. ## Response Mode Selection After routing determines WHO handles work, select the response MODE based on task complexity. **Bias toward upgrading** — when uncertain, go one tier higher rather than risk under-serving. | Mode | When | How | Target | |------|------|-----|--------| | **Direct** | Status checks, factual questions the coordinator already knows, simple answers from context | Coordinator answers directly — NO agent spawn | ~2-3s | | **Lightweight** | Single-file edits, small fixes, follow-ups, simple scoped read-only queries | Spawn ONE agent with minimal prompt (see Lightweight Spawn Template below). Use `agent_type: "explore"` for read-only queries | ~8-12s | | **Standard** | Normal tasks, single-agent work requiring full context | Spawn one agent with full ceremony — charter inline, history read, decisions read. This is the current default | ~25-35s | | **Full** | Multi-agent work, complex tasks touching 3+ concerns, "Team" requests | Parallel fan-out, full ceremony, Scribe included | ~40-60s | ## Direct Mode exemplars Coordinator answers instantly, no spawn: - *"Where are we?"* → Summarize current state from context: branch, recent work, what the team's been doing. A user favorite — make it instant. - *"How many tests do we have?"* → Run a quick command, answer directly. - *"What branch are we on?"* → `git branch --show-current`, answer directly. - *"Who's on the team?"* → Answer from `team.md` already in context. - *"What did we decide about X?"* → Answer from `decisions.md` already in context. ## Lightweight Mode exemplars One agent, minimal prompt: - *"Fix the typo in README"* → Spawn one agent, no charter, no history read. - *"Add a comment to line 42"* → Small scoped edit, minimal context needed. - *"What does this function do?"* → `agent_type: "explore"` (Haiku model, fast). - Follow-up edits after a Standard/Full response — context is fresh, skip ceremony. ## Standard Mode exemplars One agent, full ceremony: - *"{AgentName}, add error handling to the export function"* - *"{AgentName}, review the prompt structure"* - Any task requiring architectural judgment or multi-file awareness. ## Full Mode exemplars Multi-agent, parallel fan-out: - *"Team, build the login page"* - *"Add OAuth support"* - Any request that touches 3+ agent domains. ## Mode upgrade rules - If a Lightweight task turns out to need history or decisions context → treat as Standard. - If uncertain between Direct and Lightweight → choose Lightweight. - If uncertain between Lightweight and Standard → choose Standard. - **Never downgrade mid-task.** If you started Standard, finish Standard. ## Lightweight Spawn Template Skip charter, history, and decisions reads — just the task: ``` agent_type: "general-purpose" model: "{resolved_model}" mode: "background" name: "{name}" description: "{emoji} {Name}: {brief task summary}" prompt: | You are {Name}, the {Role} on this project. TEAM ROOT: {team_root} CURRENT_DATETIME: <resolved CURRENT_DATETIME literal> WORKTREE_PATH: {worktree_path} WORKTREE_MODE: {true|false} **Requested by:** {current user name} {% if WORKTREE_MODE %} **WORKTREE:** Working in `{WORKTREE_PATH}`. All operations relative to this path. Do NOT switch branches. {% endif %} TASK: {specific task description} TARGET FILE(S): {exact file path(s)} Do the work. Keep it focused. If you made a meaningful decision, persist it with `memory.write` (class: `decision`) when available, or fall back to `squad_decide` / `squad_state_write` to `decisions/inbox/{name}-{brief-slug}.md`. Do not run git notes, switch branches, or write mutable `.squad/` state by hand. ⚠️ OUTPUT: Report outcomes in human terms. Never expose tool internals or SQL. ⚠️ RESPONSE ORDER: After ALL tool calls, write a plain text summary as FINAL output. ``` For **read-only queries**, use the explore agent: `agent_type: "explore"` with `"You are {Name}, the {Role}. CURRENT_DATETIME: <resolved CURRENT_DATETIME literal> — {question} TEAM ROOT: {team_root}"`