// Use when the workflow needs multi-step processing with sequential, parallel, or conditional tool compositions and proper data flow.
| name | chain |
| description | Use when the workflow needs multi-step processing with sequential, parallel, or conditional tool compositions and proper data flow. |
| argument-hint | [pipeline description] |
| category | enhancement |
| version | 2.0.0 |
| user-invocable | true |
Invoke /agent-workflow — it contains workflow principles, anti-patterns, and the Context Gathering Protocol. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no workflow context exists yet, you MUST run /teach-maestro first. Consult the tool-orchestration reference in the agent-workflow skill for composition patterns and error handling.
Design tool chains that do complex work reliably. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Sequential: A → B → C (each step depends on the previous) Parallel: [A, B, C] → Merge (independent steps run simultaneously) Conditional: A → (if X then B, else C) → D (branching based on results) Iterative: A → Check → (if not done) → A again (loop until convergence)
For each chain, define:
## Chain: [Name]
### Steps
1. [Tool A] — [what it does] — Input: [schema] — Output: [schema]
2. [Tool B] — [what it does] — Input: [output of step 1] — Output: [schema]
3. [Tool C] — [what it does] — Input: [output of step 2] — Output: [schema]
### Data Flow
Step 1 output.field_a → Step 2 input.source_data
Step 2 output.results → Step 3 input.items
### Error Handling
Step 1 failure → [retry 3x, then return error]
Step 2 failure → [return partial results from step 1]
Step 3 failure → [retry with simplified input]
### Constraints
Max total execution time: 60s
Max retries per step: 3
After building the chain, run /fortify to add error handling at each step, then /evaluate to test the full pipeline.
NEVER:
Use when the workflow is too slow, too expensive, or both and needs latency, cost, or token usage optimization.
Use when porting a workflow to a different AI provider, deployment environment, model tier, or organizational context.
Use when any Maestro command is invoked — provides foundational workflow design principles across prompt engineering, context management, tool orchestration, agent architecture, feedback loops, knowledge systems, and guardrails.
Use when the workflow works but needs to handle more complex cases or produce higher-quality output through better tools, context, prompts, or models.
Use when workflow components are inconsistent, naming conventions vary, or a new team member's work needs alignment to project standards.
Capture a session summary — what was done, what decisions were made, and what to do next.