Agent Relay

Agent Relay

Use this skill when Codex needs real-time coordination across multiple agents. It gives Codex a repeatable workflow for:

• connecting to a Relaycast workspace
• spawning relay-aware workers
• sending direct messages, channel updates, and thread replies
• keeping lead and worker state synchronized through ACK, STATUS, BLOCKED, and DONE signals

Relay fills the peer-to-peer gap in Codex sub-agent workflows. Codex can spawn and collect worker results, but Relaycast gives those workers a shared message bus so they can talk to the lead and to each other.

Auto-setup

On first activation, this skill auto-configures Codex by running scripts/setup.sh. This adds the Relaycast MCP server to .codex/config.toml, enables hooks, installs hooks.json, and copies the relay-worker.toml agent definition. No manual setup is required after installing the skill.

Startup protocol

Every relay-connected Codex agent must complete these steps IN ORDER before substantive work:

1. Check for a workspace. Call workspace.list to see if a workspace is already active.

   • If no workspace is active and RELAY_API_KEY is set in the environment, call workspace.set_key with that key.
   • If no workspace is active and no key is available, call workspace.create to auto-create one. This returns a workspace key — save it for workers.
   • If a workspace is already active, skip to step 2.

2. Register as an agent. Call agent.register with your agent name and type: "agent". Use RELAY_AGENT_NAME from the environment if set, otherwise derive a name from the task context (e.g., lead, auth-worker).

3. Tell the user they can follow the conversation live at https://agentrelay.dev/observer?key=<workspace_key> (use the workspace key from step 1). This lets them watch all agent messages in real time.

4. Check the relay inbox. Call inbox.check to see if there are any pending messages or task assignments.

5. Send an ACK. If you received a task assignment, send ACK: <one-sentence understanding> to your lead via dm.send. If the assignment is unclear, send BLOCKED: <question> instead of guessing.

6. When the task is complete, send DONE: <summary with evidence> before stopping.

If workspace creation or registration fails, retry once, then report the failure to the user — do not proceed without a relay connection.

Critical rule

Do not assume the current MCP session already has an active Relaycast workspace. Always check with workspace.list first and create or set one if missing.

Working rules

• Include as: "<agent-name>" on relay calls that support explicit attribution.
• Keep the relay identity stable for the whole task. Do not switch names mid-task.
• Check the inbox again after meaningful milestones, before long-running work, and before stopping.
• Prefer direct messages for lead/worker coordination. Use channels only when multiple agents need the same update.
• Keep status messages short, factual, and scoped to the assigned work.
• Do not spawn additional relay workers unless the lead explicitly asks for more delegation.
• If the lead updates the task, follow the newest explicit instruction.

Message templates

• ACK: I understand the assignment and I am starting work on <scope>.
• STATUS: Finished <milestone>; next I am doing <next-step>.
• BLOCKED: I cannot continue because <blocker>.
• DONE: Completed <scope>. Evidence: <files changed, commands run, tests, or decisions>.

Two kinds of workers

There are two ways to create workers. Use the right one for the job:

Relaycast workspace agents (preferred for messaging tasks)

Use agent.add to create a Relaycast-native agent. Best for tasks that are primarily about messaging, inbox checks, coordination, or lightweight work that doesn't need a full Codex sub-agent runtime.

Lead steps:

1. Ensure workspace exists (call workspace.list, then workspace.create if needed).
2. Register the lead (agent.register).
3. Add the worker with agent.add(name: "worker-name", type: "agent").
4. Send the assignment via dm.send(to: "worker-name", text: "...").
5. Poll lead inbox for ACK (inbox.check).

Worker steps:

1. Check inbox (inbox.check).
2. Send ACK to lead via dm.send.
3. Perform the assigned scope.
4. Send DONE to lead via dm.send.

Codex sub-agents (for code-heavy tasks)

Use spawn_agent with the relay-worker agent definition for tasks that need full code editing, file access, and tool use. The worker gets its own Codex runtime with Relaycast MCP tools available.

Lead steps:

1. Ensure workspace exists and lead is registered (same as above).
2. Spawn the worker: include relay name, lead name, workspace key, exact scope, and completion criteria in the task prompt.
3. Poll lead inbox for ACK.

Worker steps:

1. Call workspace.set_key with the workspace key from the task prompt.
2. Register with agent.register.
3. Check inbox, send ACK, do work, send DONE.

Worker ACK fallback

If a worker does not ACK within 30 seconds:

1. Check whether the worker appears in agent.list.
2. If not listed, register or add the worker directly with agent.add.
3. Send (or re-send) the assignment via dm.send.
4. Poll the lead inbox again for ACK.
5. If still no ACK after a second attempt, report the exact failed step to the user.

Handoff template

Worker: api-worker
Type: relay workspace agent (use agent.add, not spawn_agent)
Lead: lead
Scope: check the Relaycast inbox and confirm connectivity
Protocol:
  1. Check inbox
  2. DM lead with ACK
  3. Perform scope
  4. DM lead with DONE

For code-heavy tasks, change the type line to:

Type: Codex sub-agent (use spawn_agent with relay-worker)