// Use whenever you need to create, switch, update, or complete a work item, or decide where work-scoped notes versus broader shared docs belong.
[HINT] Download the complete skill directory including SKILL.md and all related files
| name | meridian-work-coordination |
| type | reference |
| description | Use whenever you need to create, switch, update, or complete a work item, or decide where work-scoped notes versus broader shared docs belong. |
| model-invocable | false |
The orchestrator owns work state — subagents should not mutate it unless explicitly instructed, because concurrent mutations from multiple spawns create race conditions and inconsistent status.
Run work start before spawning anything. It attaches the work item to your session — spawns inherit the attachment and get $MERIDIAN_ACTIVE_WORK_DIR set automatically.
meridian work start "descriptive name" # create and attach
meridian work switch descriptive-name # attach to existing
After starting, use meridian work current to get the work directory path. Env vars set at launch don't update mid-session, so $MERIDIAN_ACTIVE_WORK_DIR may be stale or unset if you started work after launch.
meridian work current # -> /path/to/work/descriptive-name
ls "$(meridian work current)"/design/ # use inline in commands
cat "$(meridian work current)"/requirements.md # read work artifacts
Work context is session-scoped. A new session has no active work until you explicitly start or switch. Check meridian work to see what's in flight before creating a duplicate.
Work items can create a git worktree automatically:
meridian work start "auth refactor" --worktree # create work item + feature worktree
meridian work start "quick fix" --no-worktree # skip even if configured as default
With --worktree, meridian creates a branch and worktree, then launches spawns
inside it. All implementation happens in the worktree, not on main. Ship by
pushing the branch and creating a PR back to main.
Worktree cleanup happens automatically on meridian work done.
meridian work # dashboard — what's in flight
meridian work list # list active work items
meridian work list --done # list done/archived items
meridian work show auth-refactor # drill into one work item
Status values are free-form. Keep the current phase visible:
meridian work update auth-refactor --status designing
meridian work update auth-refactor --status implementing
meridian work reopen auth-refactor # restore archived work
meridian work delete stale-item # remove empty work items
meridian work delete old-item --force # remove even if it has artifacts
Only mark work done when you own the whole work item lifecycle, not just a task inside it. If your context only covers one phase, file set, review lane, or implementation slice, report your slice as complete and leave the work item active.
meridian work done auth-refactor # archives work directory, detaches from session
meridian work clear # detach without archiving (work stays active for others)
work done archives the work directory and detaches the session. A prose status update does not complete the work item — only work done archives it. Use work clear to detach from a work item you don't own.
active work — the directory returned by meridian work current. Write work-scoped artifacts here. Spawns get this as $MERIDIAN_ACTIVE_WORK_DIR automatically.
kb ($MERIDIAN_CONTEXT_KB_DIR) — long-lived reference material. Persists across work items.
Rule of thumb: this work item → work dir. Project-wide → kb.
Sessions can crash or compact. Work artifacts are the only thing that survives — commit them frequently, not just at the end.