update-agent

name	update-agent
description	Update agent files to align with template and apply specified changes. Use when modernizing agent definitions, batch updating agent configurations, or ensuring template compliance across agents.

Update Agent

Updates agent files to align with the latest template structure and applies any specified changes while preserving unique agent characteristics.

Purpose & Scope

This skill systematically updates agent files to maintain consistency with the current template while preserving each agent's unique personality, expertise, and collaboration networks.

What this skill does NOT do:

• Create new agent files (use /create-agent instead)
• Delete or remove agent files
• Modify agent core personality or expertise areas
• Change agent role assignments without explicit instruction

When to REJECT:

• No agents exist in the /agents directory
• Template file template:agent is missing or invalid
• Request to modify protected agent characteristics without justification
• Agent files are locked or in active use by running processes

Workflow

ultrathink: you'd perform the following steps

Step 1: Subagent Orchestration

Spawn parallel specialized subagents (one per agent file, max 8 parallel Task calls per dispatch) — each ultrathinks, reads template:agent and the agent file, and applies updates.

Planning & Discovery

1. Analyze Requirements

   • Parse $ARGUMENTS to extract:
     • Agent specifier (all, specific agent name, or pattern like *frontend*)
     • Change specifications (--changes parameter)
   • Validate agent files exist if specific agent specified
   • Count total agents if updating all

2. Load Template Reference

   • Read template:agent for latest agent structure
   • Identify template sections and required elements
   • Note any template updates since last agent refresh

3. Locate Agents

   • Discover all relevant agent files using Glob
   • Filter by specifier pattern if provided
   • Build list of agents to update

Execution with Parallel Subagents

1. Template Validation

   • Verify template:agent exists and is readable
   • Load template structure for reference
   • Identify mandatory sections that must be preserved

2. Delegation

   • Create parallel specialized subagents (one per agent file, max 8 parallel Task calls per dispatch) with:
     • Agent file path
     • All change specifications
     • Detailed instructions
     • Request to ultrathink

3. Progress Monitoring

   • Track completion status of each delegated agent
   • Handle any subagent failures or escalations
   • Ensure constitutional compliance in all updates

Verification

1. Template Compliance Verification

   • Verify each updated agent follows template:agent structure
   • Check all mandatory sections are present and properly formatted
   • Validate frontmatter and metadata consistency

2. Change Application Verification

   • Confirm all specified changes were applied correctly
   • Verify changes are reflected throughout the agent file
   • Check for any conflicting or contradictory specifications

3. Personality Preservation Check

   • Ensure unique agent characteristics remain intact
   • Verify collaboration networks are preserved
   • Confirm expertise areas unchanged (unless explicitly modified)

Aggregation

• Aggregate per-subagent results into the final Step 2 report

Step 2: Reporting

Output Format:

[✅/❌] Command: update-agent $ARGUMENTS

## Summary
- Agents processed: [count/total]
- Successfully updated: [count]
- Failed updates: [count]
- Template compliance: [PASS/FAIL]

## Actions Taken
1. [Batch processing of agents with results]
2. [Template alignment changes applied]
3. [Custom changes applied (if any)]

## Subagent Results
- Total subagents deployed: [count]
- Successful updates: [count]
- Failed updates: [count] (if any)

## Updated Agents
- [agent-name]: [Status] - [Changes applied]
- [agent-name]: [Status] - [Changes applied]

## Issues Found (if any)
- **Agent**: [agent-name]
  **Issue**: [Description of problem]
  **Resolution**: [Applied fix or manual intervention needed]

Examples

Update All Agents

/update-agent
# Spawns parallel subagents (one per agent file, max 8 parallel Task calls)
# Updates all agents in /agents directory to latest template

Update Specific Agent

/update-agent "james-mitchell"
# Updates only the james-mitchell agent file
# Aligns with template while preserving role-specific content

Update with Pattern Matching

/update-agent "*frontend*"
# Updates all agents with 'frontend' in their filename
# Useful for updating agents with similar roles or expertise

Update with Custom Changes

/update-agent --change="Add new security compliance gate"
# Updates all agents and applies additional changes
# Template alignment plus specified modifications

Update Specific Agent with Changes

/update-agent "james-mitchell" --change="Update collaboration network to include new DevOps role"
# Updates specific agent with both template alignment and custom changes
# Preserves agent identity while making requested modifications

Batch Update by Category

/update-agent "*-engineer*" --change="Update tool permissions for new security standards"
# Updates all engineer-type agents with security updates
# Efficient for role-based mass updates

Error Case Handling

/update-agent "non-existent-agent"
# Error: Agent file not found
# Suggestion: Use 'ls agents/' to see available agents
# Alternative: Use '/update-agent' to update all agents

Template Validation

/update-agent --verify
# Validates all agents against current template without making changes
# Reports compliance status and suggests improvements