Agent Coordination Skill

This skill provides patterns for invoking the Automatasaurus agents and managing bidirectional context flow.

Coordination Modes

Automatasaurus supports two modes for coordinating agent work:

Mode	Mechanism	Communication	Best For
Subagents (default)	Task tool	Report to orchestrator only	Single-role tasks, linear workflows
Agent Teams (experimental)	Team creation	Peer-to-peer messaging + shared tasks	Multi-role reviews, real-time collaboration

Decision criteria:

•Use subagents when tasks are independent and don't benefit from real-time coordination
•Use teams when agents should share findings and coordinate in real-time (e.g., review cycles)
•Check teamPreferForReviews and teamPreferForImplementation in settings for project defaults
•Always have a fallback to subagents — teams are experimental

For detailed team patterns, load the team-coordination skill.

Available Agents

Agent	Purpose	When to Use
`developer`	Implements issues, creates PRs	When code needs to be written
`architect`	Technical reviews, analysis	For PR reviews, discovery reviews, stuck issues
`designer`	UI/UX reviews, design specs	For PR reviews, discovery reviews, design specs
`researcher`	Deep research, technology evaluation	When any agent needs thorough research on a topic
`tester`	Testing, verification	For PR verification, running tests

Bidirectional Context Flow

Sub-agents start with fresh context (no conversation history). Use briefing and report files to communicate context and capture results.

Orchestration Folder Structure

code

orchestration/
├── discovery/
│   └── {date}-{feature-slug}/
│       ├── BRIEFING-architect-review.md
│       ├── REPORT-architect-review.md
│       └── ...
├── planning/
│   └── {date}-{plan-name}/
│       └── ...
└── issues/
    └── {issue-number}-{slug}/
        ├── BRIEFING-design-specs.md
        ├── REPORT-design-specs.md
        ├── BRIEFING-implement.md
        ├── REPORT-implement.md
        ├── BRIEFING-architect-review.md
        ├── REPORT-architect-review.md
        ├── BRIEFING-designer-review.md
        ├── REPORT-designer-review.md
        ├── BRIEFING-test.md
        └── REPORT-test.md

Before Spawning a Sub-agent

•
Determine folder path:
- •For issues: orchestration/issues/{issue-number}-{slug}/
- •For discovery: orchestration/discovery/{date}-{feature}/
- •For planning: orchestration/planning/{date}-{plan}/

•

Create folder if needed:

bash

mkdir -p orchestration/issues/{issue-number}-{slug}

•
Read prior reports in folder (if any) to understand what previous agents did.
•
Write BRIEFING-{step}.md with context for the sub-agent.

•

Include briefing path in Task prompt:

code

Read orchestration/issues/42-auth/BRIEFING-implement.md first, then proceed with implementation.

After Sub-agent Returns

•
Derive report path from briefing path (same folder, REPORT- prefix).
•
Read the report file to understand what the agent did.
•
When creating next briefing, include summary under "Prior Agent Activity".

Briefing Format (Parent→Child)

markdown

# Agent Briefing: {step-name}
Generated: {timestamp}

## Your Task
{What the sub-agent should do - be specific and actionable}

## Context
{Why this task exists, constraints, decisions made}
{Summarized recent activity if relevant}

## Prior Agent Activity
{Summaries from previous agents' reports - if any}

## Resources (Read as Needed)
- `discovery.md` - Project requirements
- `src/auth/middleware.ts` - Existing auth pattern
- Issue #42 comments - Designer specs

Briefing Template

markdown

# Agent Briefing: {step}
Generated: {timestamp}

## Your Task
{Clear, actionable description of what to do}

## Context
{Background information the agent needs}
- Issue/PR: #{number}
- Goal: {what success looks like}
- Constraints: {any limitations or requirements}

## Prior Agent Activity
{If previous agents worked on this, summarize their reports:}
- **Designer**: Created specs for login form, specified error states
- **Developer**: Implemented login endpoint, tests passing

## Resources (Read as Needed)
- {path} - {what it contains}
- {path} - {what it contains}

## Expected Output
{What the agent should produce/report}

Report Format (Child→Parent)

Sub-agents write a report before completing. This captures what happened for audit and context chaining.

markdown

# Agent Report: {step-name}
Completed: {timestamp}
Agent: {role}

## What Was Done
{Summary of actions taken}

## Key Decisions Made
{Any choices the agent made during work}

## Files Changed
- `src/auth/login.ts` - Added login endpoint
- `src/auth/middleware.ts` - Updated JWT validation

## Issues Encountered
{Problems hit, workarounds used}

## Notes for Next Agent
{Context that would help follow-up work}

Report Template

markdown

# Agent Report: {step}
Completed: {timestamp}
Agent: {role}

## What Was Done
{Bullet points of completed actions}

## Key Decisions Made
{Choices made and rationale}

## Files Changed
- `{path}` - {change description}

## Issues Encountered
{Problems and how they were resolved, or if still open}

## Notes for Next Agent
{Anything the next agent should know}

Invocation Patterns

Developer - Implement an Issue

code

1. Create briefing folder:
   mkdir -p orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}

2. Write BRIEFING-implement.md:
   # Agent Briefing: implement
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Implement issue #{number}: {title}

   ## Context
   - Acceptance criteria: {from issue body}
   - Design specs: {if applicable, from designer comment}
   - Mode: {single-issue/all-issues}

   ## Prior Agent Activity
   {If designer created specs, summarize here}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - Issue #{number}: gh issue view {number}
   - design-system.md: Available design tokens
   - Designer specs in issue comments

   ## Expected Output
   - Working implementation
   - Tests passing
   - PR created with "Closes #{number}"

3. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "developer"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-implement.md first.

     After completing your work, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-implement.md

4. After Task returns, read REPORT-implement.md

Architect - Review PR

code

1. Write BRIEFING-architect-review.md:
   # Agent Briefing: architect-review
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Review PR #{pr_number} for technical quality.

   ## Context
   - Issue: #{issue_number} - {title}
   - Developer completed implementation

   ## Prior Agent Activity
   - **Developer**: {summary from REPORT-implement.md}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - PR #{pr_number}: gh pr view {pr_number}
   - PR diff: gh pr diff {pr_number}

   ## Expected Output
   Post standardized review comment:
   - ✅ APPROVED - Architect
   - OR ❌ CHANGES REQUESTED - Architect

2. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "architect"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-architect-review.md first.

     After completing your review, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-architect-review.md

Designer - Add Specs to Issue

code

1. Write BRIEFING-design-specs.md:
   # Agent Briefing: design-specs
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Add UI/UX specifications to issue #{number}.

   ## Context
   - Issue involves UI work: {description}
   - No existing design specs found

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - Issue #{number}: gh issue view {number}
   - design-system.md: Available design tokens
   - Existing components for patterns

   ## Expected Output
   Post design specifications as issue comment following AGENT.md template.

2. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "designer"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-design-specs.md first.

     After completing your specs, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-design-specs.md

Designer - Review PR

code

1. Write BRIEFING-designer-review.md:
   # Agent Briefing: designer-review
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Review PR #{pr_number} for UI/UX quality.

   ## Context
   - Issue: #{issue_number}
   - Design specs were provided earlier

   ## Prior Agent Activity
   - **Developer**: {summary from REPORT-implement.md}
   - **Architect**: {summary from REPORT-architect-review.md}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - PR #{pr_number}: gh pr view {pr_number}
   - Original design specs in issue comments

   ## Expected Output
   Post standardized review comment:
   - ✅ APPROVED - Designer
   - OR ❌ CHANGES REQUESTED - Designer
   - OR N/A - No UI changes

2. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "designer"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-designer-review.md first.

     After completing your review, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-designer-review.md

Tester - Verify PR

code

1. Write BRIEFING-test.md:
   # Agent Briefing: test
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Verify PR #{pr_number}.

   ## Context
   - Issue: #{issue_number}
   - Reviews completed by Architect and Designer

   ## Prior Agent Activity
   - **Developer**: {summary}
   - **Architect**: {review result}
   - **Designer**: {review result}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - PR #{pr_number}: gh pr view {pr_number}
   - Acceptance criteria in issue #{issue_number}

   ## Expected Output
   Post standardized review comment:
   - ✅ APPROVED - Tester
   - OR ❌ CHANGES REQUESTED - Tester

2. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "tester"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-test.md first.

     After completing verification, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-test.md

Architect - Analyze Stuck Issue

code

1. Write BRIEFING-analysis.md in the issue folder:
   # Agent Briefing: analysis
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Analyze issue #{number} - Developer is stuck.

   ## Context
   Developer has tried 5 times and cannot resolve the issue.

   ## Prior Agent Activity
   - **Developer**: {from REPORT-implement.md, including attempts and errors}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - Issue #{number}
   - PR #{pr_number} (if exists)
   - Error logs/output from developer attempts

   ## Expected Output
   Provide guidance with:
   - Root cause analysis
   - Recommended approach
   - Code example if helpful

2. Use Task tool with Architect agent, including briefing path.

Researcher - Investigate a Topic

code

1. Write BRIEFING-research.md:
   # Agent Briefing: research
   Generated: {timestamp}

   ## Your Task
   Research {topic} for issue #{number}.

   ## Context
   - Why this research is needed: {explanation}
   - What's already known: {existing knowledge}

   ## Research Questions
   1. {Specific question to answer}
   2. {Specific question to answer}

   ## Resources (Read as Needed)
   - Issue #{number}: gh issue view {number}
   - Relevant code: {paths if known}

   ## Expected Output
   Structured research report with findings, confidence levels, and sources.

2. Use Task tool with:
   subagent_type: "researcher"
   prompt: |
     Read orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/BRIEFING-research.md first.

     After completing your research, write your report to:
     orchestration/issues/{number}-{slug}/REPORT-research.md

Parallel Invocation

When reviews are independent, invoke agents in parallel. Each gets its own briefing:

code

# Create all briefings first
Write BRIEFING-architect-review.md
Write BRIEFING-designer-review.md
Write BRIEFING-test.md

# Then invoke in parallel (single message, multiple tool calls)
Use the architect agent with BRIEFING-architect-review.md
Use the designer agent with BRIEFING-designer-review.md
Use the tester agent with BRIEFING-test.md

# After all return, read all reports
Read REPORT-architect-review.md
Read REPORT-designer-review.md
Read REPORT-test.md

Team Invocation Patterns

When using agent teams instead of subagents, the orchestrator creates a team and acts as lead in delegate mode.

Review Team (Alternative to Parallel Subagent Reviews)

Instead of spawning architect, designer, and tester as separate subagents:

code

1. Write all BRIEFING files (same as subagent approach)

2. Create team:
   "Create a team to review PR #{pr_number} for issue #{issue_number}.

   Teammates:
   - Architect: Read BRIEFING-architect-review.md, review PR for technical quality
   - Tester: Read BRIEFING-test.md, verify PR with E2E testing
   - Designer: Read BRIEFING-designer-review.md, review UI/UX (if applicable)

   Each teammate: read briefing, perform review, post comment, write report."

3. After team completes, read all REPORT files
4. Write REPORT-team-review.md synthesizing findings

Implementation Team (Alternative to Sequential Designer → Developer)

Instead of spawning designer first, then developer:

code

1. Write BRIEFING files for both roles

2. Create team:
   "Create a team to implement issue #{issue_number}.

   Teammates:
   - Developer: Read BRIEFING-implement.md, implement feature, create PR
   - Designer: Read BRIEFING-design-specs.md, provide real-time UI feedback

   Developer messages Designer for UI decisions.
   Designer messages Developer when implementation doesn't match specs."

3. After team completes, read REPORT files

Team Briefing Format

Team briefings use the same format as subagent briefings (see templates above), with an added "Team Context" section:

markdown

## Team Context
You are part of a team. Your teammates are:
- {Role}: {their task}
Message teammates when you find something relevant to their review.

Fallback

If team creation fails, fall back to standard subagent invocation. See team-coordination skill for the full fallback protocol.

Quality Gates

Each agent has quality gates:

Agent	Gate (Subagent)	Gate (Team)
Developer	Tests passing, PR created	Same + shared UI progress with designer
Architect	Technical review complete	Same + cross-findings shared with teammates
Designer	Design review complete	Same + real-time feedback provided
Researcher	Structured report written with findings and sources	N/A (typically subagent only)
Tester	All tests pass, verification complete	Same + verified architect-flagged concerns

Escalation Flow

code

Developer stuck (5 attempts)
    ↓
Create BRIEFING-analysis.md with developer's report
    ↓
Architect analyzes
    ↓
If still stuck → Human escalation
    .claude/hooks/request-attention.sh stuck "..."

Context Chain Example

For issue #42 user authentication:

code

1. BRIEFING-design-specs.md created → Designer spawned
   ← REPORT-design-specs.md written

2. BRIEFING-implement.md created (includes designer's report summary)
   → Developer spawned
   ← REPORT-implement.md written

3. BRIEFING-architect-review.md created (includes developer's report)
   → Architect spawned
   ← REPORT-architect-review.md written

4. BRIEFING-designer-review.md created (includes dev + arch reports)
   → Designer spawned
   ← REPORT-designer-review.md written

5. BRIEFING-test.md created (includes all prior reports)
   → Tester spawned
   ← REPORT-test.md written

Each agent receives context about what previous agents did, enabling informed decisions.