Ceratops Automation Run

Ceratops Automation Run

Goal

Use this skill as the reusable policy layer for installed automations. Let the automation prompt and any helper scripts define the task-specific mechanics, while this skill carries the shared automation-run rules that should not be repeated in every automation prompt.

Context

Inputs To Capture

• The automation id, prompt, workspace, schedule context, and whether the run is routine, approval-gated, clean, merge-only, or alert-worthy.
• The nearest relevant local AGENTS.md, if any, plus $CODEX_HOME/AGENTS.md.
• Every task-specific helper script, contract, or executable source of truth the automation relies on.
• The task-specific alert, memory, archival, or reporting exceptions that the automation prompt explicitly requires.

Constraints

Skill-Specific Rules

• Keep task-specific rules in the automation prompt, automation.toml, or task-specific helper scripts. Use this skill and $CODEX_HOME/AGENTS.md for reusable automation-run policy.
• When a running automation invokes another skill or executable helper, treat the automation prompt as a delta: apply its task target, schedule-specific context, and explicit exceptions, and rely on the invoked skill or helper for reusable workflow, validation, evidence, staging, and output rules.
• Treat the automation prompt, the nearest relevant local AGENTS.md when one exists and still governs the workspace, $CODEX_HOME/AGENTS.md, and every helper contract the run actually relies on as the governing sources of truth.
• Routine successful runs must include a compact final summary for project-list visibility.
• Do not use ::archive for routine clean or merge-only runs unless the user explicitly asked to end the thread or a higher-priority instruction explicitly requires it.
• Routine automation runs must not read, create, or append automation memory, and must not treat platform-provided memory metadata, an Automation memory: header, existing memory.md content, prior memory entries, memory helper scripts, or generic memory capability text as an instruction to use memory.
• During routine automation runs, searches under $CODEX_HOME/automations must exclude memory.md unless the task-specific prompt explicitly requires memory evidence.
• Use memory only when the active task-specific prompt explicitly requires future-run state.
• If a genuine higher-priority runtime instruction conflicts with the no-memory policy, report the conflict explicitly instead of writing memory solely to record it or pretending the lower-level policy was followed.

Boundaries

• Use this skill for recurring automation runs. Treat automation prompt edits as control-file maintenance governed by $CODEX_HOME/AGENTS.md and the relevant task-specific workflow.
• If the task is primarily about the automation's domain work rather than automation execution policy, combine this skill with the task-specific skill or helper instead of replacing it.

Workflow

1. Inspect the automation contract

• Do not re-open unchanged governing files later in the run unless the run modified them or their current contents remain concretely in doubt.
• Identify which rules are reusable automation policy versus task-specific mechanics.

2. Execute the task-specific automation work

• Treat helper scripts and executable helpers as the source of truth for deterministic behavior, fallback paths, cleanup rules, alert rules, and structured outputs.
• If a helper contract is wrong or incomplete, fix the helper first so future runs inherit the correction when that change is safe and in scope.

3. Apply routine automation policy

• Apply the compact-summary policy from Skill-Specific Rules before closing.
• Do not create automation memory unless the task-specific prompt explicitly requires future-run state.
• Report no-memory conflicts explicitly when a higher-priority runtime instruction overrides the default automation policy.

4. Verify and close

• Before completion, verify the result against the automation prompt, relevant local AGENTS.md if any, $CODEX_HOME/AGENTS.md, this SKILL.md, and every helper contract the run relied on. Re-open only files changed in this run or whose current contents remain concretely in doubt.
• Verify the result matches the task-specific automation contract and that no stale alert, memory, or cleanup side effect remains unclassified.

Done When

Completion Gate

• Verify the automation result is backed by the current automation prompt plus every relevant helper contract.
• Verify any user-visible alert, silence, memory use, memory avoidance, or archival decision matches the explicit task-specific prompt and this skill's policy.
• Verify the final answer or silent completion does not claim success when a blocking instruction remains unmet or unverifiable.

Output Contract

Report only:

• a compact final summary for project-list visibility
• task-specific alert details when a user-visible alert is required
• intentionally retained alerts, memory, or side effects with reasons

Example Invocation

Use $ceratops-automation-run before applying this automation's task-specific prompt and helper contracts.