Claude Orchestrator
Manage parallel Claude Code workers from any messaging platform. Spawn isolated workers, monitor their progress, and merge their PRs—all through natural conversation.
Quick Reference
| Command | What it Does |
|---|---|
orchestrator spawn <name> <task> |
Create a new worker |
orchestrator list |
Show all active workers |
orchestrator status [id] |
Get detailed worker status |
orchestrator send <id> <message> |
Send message to worker |
orchestrator stop <id> |
Stop a worker |
orchestrator merge <id> |
Merge worker's PR |
orchestrator project <description> |
Full autonomous project |
Natural Language Examples
Users can speak naturally. Recognize these patterns:
Spawning Workers
- "spawn a worker called auth-api to implement user authentication"
- "create 3 workers to build the payment system"
- "start a worker named dark-mode to add theme switching"
- "I need workers for config, API routes, and UI for OAuth"
Action: Parse worker names and tasks, then call:
orchestrator-bridge spawn <name> "<task>"
For multiple workers, spawn each one:
orchestrator-bridge spawn oauth-config "Set up OAuth provider configuration"
orchestrator-bridge spawn oauth-api "Implement OAuth callback routes"
orchestrator-bridge spawn oauth-ui "Build login/logout UI components"
Checking Status
- "what's the status of my workers?"
- "show orchestrator status"
- "list workers"
- "how is the auth worker doing?"
Action: Call orchestrator-bridge list or orchestrator-bridge status <id>
Sending Messages
- "tell the auth worker to also add password reset"
- "send 'fix the tests' to my-feature"
- "update the api worker about the new requirements"
Action: orchestrator-bridge send <worker-id> "<message>"
Merging and Stopping
- "merge the auth-db worker"
- "stop all workers"
- "merge my-feature"
- "cleanup completed workers"
Action: orchestrator-bridge merge <id> or orchestrator-bridge stop <id>
Full Project Mode
- "orchestrator project: build a dark mode toggle with tests"
- "create a project to add user notifications"
- "I need a complete feature for Stripe payments"
Action: orchestrator-bridge project "<description>"
This triggers the full autonomous workflow:
- Generate PRD and break into tasks
- Spawn workers for each task
- Monitor progress and run reviews
- Merge PRs when ready
- Report completion
Worker States
Workers progress through these states:
| State | Emoji | Description |
|---|---|---|
| SPAWNING | ⏳ | Process starting |
| INITIALIZING | 🔄 | Claude loading |
| WORKING | 💻 | Actively coding |
| PR_OPEN | 📬 | PR created, awaiting CI |
| REVIEWING | 🔍 | QA review in progress |
| MERGING | 🔀 | PR being merged |
| MERGED | ✅ | Complete |
| ERROR | ❌ | Needs intervention |
| STOPPED | 🛑 | Terminated |
Response Formatting
When listing workers, format like:
Workers:
────────────────────────────────────────
💻 auth-api WORKING
Path: ~/.worktrees/myapp/auth-api
Task: Implement user authentication...
📬 dark-mode PR_OPEN PR #42
Path: ~/.worktrees/myapp/dark-mode
Task: Add theme switching...
✅ db-migration MERGED PR #38
Path: ~/.worktrees/myapp/db-migration
Task: Add user profile fields...
When spawning, confirm:
Worker 'auth-api' spawned!
Path: ~/.worktrees/myapp/auth-api
Branch: feature/auth-api
PID: 12345
The worker is running in the background.
Use 'orchestrator status auth-api' to check progress.
API Mode
If the orchestrator HTTP server is running (port 3001 by default), use the REST API:
# Spawn worker
curl -X POST http://localhost:3001/api/workers \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"name":"auth-api","task":"Implement authentication"}'
# List workers
curl http://localhost:3001/api/workers
# Get status
curl http://localhost:3001/api/workers/auth-api
# Send message
curl -X POST http://localhost:3001/api/workers/auth-api/send \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"message":"Also add password reset"}'
# Stop worker
curl -X POST http://localhost:3001/api/workers/auth-api/stop
# Merge PR
curl -X POST http://localhost:3001/api/workers/auth-api/merge
WebSocket Updates
Connect to ws://localhost:3001/ws/status for real-time updates:
{"type":"state_change","workerId":"auth-api","from":"WORKING","to":"PR_OPEN"}
{"type":"pr_detected","workerId":"auth-api","prNumber":42,"prUrl":"..."}
{"type":"pr_merged","workerId":"auth-api","prNumber":42}
Prerequisites
- Node.js 18+
- Git with worktree support
- GitHub CLI (
gh) authenticated - Claude Code CLI installed
Installation
# Install orchestrator globally
cd ~/.claude-orchestrator
npm install
npm run build
npm link
# Or install skill via ClawdHub
clawdhub install claude-orchestrator
Tips
- Worker names should be descriptive - Use kebab-case like
auth-flow,dark-mode,db-migration - Tasks should be clear - Give workers specific, actionable tasks
- Monitor with status - Check progress before asking for updates
- Let workers finish - Workers will create PRs when ready
- Trust the process - The orchestrator handles CI, reviews, and merging
Troubleshooting
Worker stuck in WORKING?
- Check status:
orchestrator status <id> - Read output:
orchestrator-bridge read <id> - Nudge if needed:
orchestrator send <id> "continue"
PR not merging?
- Check CI status:
gh pr checks <pr-number> - Verify review passed
- Manual merge:
orchestrator merge <id>
Worker in ERROR state?
- Read the error:
orchestrator status <id> - Fix and restart or cleanup
Integration Notes
This skill works through:
- CLI wrapper (
orchestrator-bridge.sh) - Translates commands - HTTP API (port 3001) - REST endpoints for all operations
- WebSocket - Real-time status updates
The orchestrator manages:
- Git worktrees for isolation
- Claude Code background processes
- State persistence across restarts
- GitHub PR lifecycle
- QA reviews and security scans
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