How do I install the Taskmaster skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add modbender/taskmaster in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Taskmaster safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: executes scripts, reads secrets. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Taskmaster?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Taskmaster free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Taskmaster?

modbender (@modbender) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Taskmaster by modbender — Agent Skill

Name: Taskmaster
Rating: 4.666666666666667 (3 reviews)
Author: modbender

Taskmaster

Project manager and task delegation system. Use when you need to break down complex work into smaller tasks, assign appropriate AI models based on complexity, spawn sub-agents for parallel execution, track progress, and manage token budgets. Ideal for research projects, multi-step workflows, or when you want to delegate routine tasks to cheaper models while handling complex coordination yourself.

modbender Updated Sep 9, 2026 12 repo stars

File contents

TaskMaster: AI Project Manager & Task Delegation

Transform complex projects into managed workflows with smart model selection and sub-agent orchestration.

Core Capabilities

🎯 Smart Task Triage

Analyze complexity → assign appropriate model (Haiku/Sonnet/Opus)
Break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks
Prevent over-engineering (don't use Opus for simple web searches)

🤖 Sub-Agent Orchestration

Spawn isolated sub-agents with specific model constraints
Run tasks in parallel for faster completion
Consolidate results into coherent deliverables

💰 Budget Management

Track token costs per task and total project
Set budget limits to prevent runaway spending
Optimize model selection for cost-efficiency

📊 Progress Tracking

Real-time status of all active tasks
Failed task retry with escalation
Final deliverable compilation

Quick Start

1. Basic Task Delegation

TaskMaster: Research PDF processing libraries
- Budget: $2.00
- Priority: medium
- Deadline: 2 hours

2. Complex Project Breakdown

TaskMaster: Build recipe app MVP
- Components: UI mockup, backend API, data schema, deployment
- Budget: $15.00
- Timeline: 1 week
- Auto-assign models based on complexity

Model Selection Rules

Haiku ($0.25/$1.25) - Simple, repetitive tasks:

Web searches & summarization
Data formatting & extraction
Basic file operations
Status checks & monitoring

Sonnet ($3/$15) - Most development work:

Research & analysis
Code writing & debugging
Documentation creation
Technical design

Opus ($15/$75) - Complex reasoning:

Architecture decisions
Creative problem-solving
Code reviews & optimization
Strategic planning

Advanced Usage

Custom Model Assignment

Override automatic selection when you know better:

TaskMaster: Debug complex algorithm [FORCE: Opus]

Parallel Execution

Run multiple tasks simultaneously:

TaskMaster: Multi-research project
- Task A: Library comparison
- Task B: Performance benchmarks  
- Task C: Security analysis
[PARALLEL: true]

Budget Controls

Set spending limits:

TaskMaster: Market research
- Max budget: $5.00
- Escalate if >$3.00 spent
- Stop if any single task >$1.00

Key Resources

Model Selection: See references/model-selection-rules.md for detailed complexity guidelines
Task Templates: See references/task-templates.md for common task patterns
Delegation Engine: Uses scripts/delegate_task.py for core orchestration logic

Implementation Notes

Sessions Management: Each sub-agent gets isolated session with specific model constraints. No cross-talk unless explicitly designed.

Error Handling: Failed tasks automatically retry once on Sonnet, then escalate to human review.

Result Aggregation: TaskMaster compiles all sub-agent results into a single, coherent deliverable for the user.

Token Tracking: Real-time cost monitoring with alerts when approaching budget limits.

---name: taskmasterdescription: Project manager and task delegation system. Use when you need to break down complex work into smaller tasks, assign appropriate AI models based on complexity, spawn sub-agents for parallel execution, track progress, and manage token budgets. Ideal for research projects, multi-step workflows, or when you want to delegate routine tasks to cheaper models while handling complex coordination yourself.--- # TaskMaster: AI Project Manager & Task Delegation Transform complex projects into managed workflows with smart model selection and sub-agent orchestration. ## Core Capabilities **🎯 Smart Task Triage** - Analyze complexity → assign appropriate model (Haiku/Sonnet/Opus) - Break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks - Prevent over-engineering (don't use Opus for simple web searches) **🤖 Sub-Agent Orchestration** - Spawn isolated sub-agents with specific model constraints - Run tasks in parallel for faster completion - Consolidate results into coherent deliverables **💰 Budget Management** - Track token costs per task and total project - Set budget limits to prevent runaway spending - Optimize model selection for cost-efficiency **📊 Progress Tracking** - Real-time status of all active tasks - Failed task retry with escalation - Final deliverable compilation ## Quick Start ### 1. Basic Task Delegation ```markdown TaskMaster: Research PDF processing libraries - Budget: $2.00 - Priority: medium - Deadline: 2 hours ``` ### 2. Complex Project Breakdown ```markdown TaskMaster: Build recipe app MVP - Components: UI mockup, backend API, data schema, deployment - Budget: $15.00 - Timeline: 1 week - Auto-assign models based on complexity ``` ## Model Selection Rules **Haiku ($0.25/$1.25)** - Simple, repetitive tasks: - Web searches & summarization - Data formatting & extraction - Basic file operations - Status checks & monitoring **Sonnet ($3/$15)** - Most development work: - Research & analysis - Code writing & debugging - Documentation creation - Technical design **Opus ($15/$75)** - Complex reasoning: - Architecture decisions - Creative problem-solving - Code reviews & optimization - Strategic planning ## Advanced Usage ### Custom Model Assignment Override automatic selection when you know better: ```markdown TaskMaster: Debug complex algorithm [FORCE: Opus] ``` ### Parallel Execution Run multiple tasks simultaneously: ```markdown TaskMaster: Multi-research project - Task A: Library comparison - Task B: Performance benchmarks - Task C: Security analysis [PARALLEL: true] ``` ### Budget Controls Set spending limits: ```markdown TaskMaster: Market research - Max budget: $5.00 - Escalate if >$3.00 spent - Stop if any single task >$1.00 ``` ## Key Resources - **Model Selection**: See [references/model-selection-rules.md](references/model-selection-rules.md) for detailed complexity guidelines - **Task Templates**: See [references/task-templates.md](references/task-templates.md) for common task patterns - **Delegation Engine**: Uses `scripts/delegate_task.py` for core orchestration logic ## Implementation Notes **Sessions Management**: Each sub-agent gets isolated session with specific model constraints. No cross-talk unless explicitly designed. **Error Handling**: Failed tasks automatically retry once on Sonnet, then escalate to human review. **Result Aggregation**: TaskMaster compiles all sub-agent results into a single, coherent deliverable for the user. **Token Tracking**: Real-time cost monitoring with alerts when approaching budget limits.

Frequently asked questions