tools-only /zerg:select-tool
Intelligent tool routing across MCP servers, native tools, and Task agent subtypes.
Synopsis
/zerg:select-tool <task description> [--domain ui|backend|infra|docs|test|security|perf]
[--format text|json|md]
[--verbose]
[--no-agents]
[--no-mcp]
Description
The select-tool command analyzes a task description and recommends the optimal combination of tools, MCP servers, and Task agent subtypes. It uses a multi-axis scoring system to match tasks to the most effective execution strategy.
Scoring Axes
The command evaluates tasks across five dimensions:
| Axis | Range | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
file_count |
0–1 | Number of files likely involved |
analysis_depth |
0–1 | Depth of reasoning required |
domain |
categorical | Technical domain (ui, backend, infra, docs, test, security, perf) |
parallelism |
0–1 | Opportunity for parallel execution |
interactivity |
0–1 | Need for user interaction during execution |
Recommendation Categories
Based on the composite score, the command recommends tools from three categories:
Native Tools: Built-in Claude Code tools (Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash). Recommended for simple, focused tasks.
MCP Servers: Specialized servers like Context7 (documentation), Sequential (analysis), Playwright (browser testing), Magic (UI), Morphllm (bulk edits), Serena (symbols). Recommended for domain-specific tasks.
Task Agents: Specialized subagent types (Explore, Plan, general-purpose, python-expert, etc.). Recommended for complex multi-step operations.
Options
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
<task description> |
(required) | Free-text description of the task to route. |
--domain |
auto-detect | Override domain detection: ui, backend, infra, docs, test, security, perf. |
--format |
text |
Output format: text, json, or md. |
--verbose |
off | Show per-dimension scoring breakdown. |
--no-agents |
off | Exclude Task agent recommendations. |
--no-mcp |
off | Exclude MCP server recommendations. |
Examples
Get tool recommendations for a task:
/zerg:select-tool "refactor the authentication module across 12 files"
Force a specific domain:
/zerg:select-tool "optimize the query layer" --domain perf
See detailed scoring:
/zerg:select-tool "add a responsive navbar with accessibility" --verbose
Exclude MCP servers from recommendations:
/zerg:select-tool "fix the login bug" --no-mcp
Output as JSON for automation:
/zerg:select-tool "migrate database schema" --format json
Error Handling
- If no task description is provided, the command reports usage instructions.
- If the domain cannot be auto-detected, it defaults to
backendwith a note. - If MCP servers are unavailable, they are excluded from recommendations with a warning.
Task Tracking
This command creates a Claude Code Task with the subject prefix [Select-Tool] on invocation, updates it to in_progress immediately, and marks it completed on success.
See Also
- [[zerg-plugins]] -- Plugin system that extends available tools
- [[zerg-debug]] -- Deep diagnostics that select-tool may recommend
- [[zerg-analyze]] -- Analysis tools that select-tool routes to