Pipeline Orchestrator

Pipeline Orchestrator

I'm using the pipeline-orchestrator skill to execute a multi-stage pipeline.

Iron Law

NO STAGE ADVANCES WITHOUT VERIFIED OUTPUTS FROM THE PREVIOUS STAGE.

Input Contract

Receive a pipeline JSON object with:

• name — pipeline identifier
• description — what this pipeline produces
• mode — interactive (all gates active) or autonomous (skip approval gates)
• stages — ordered array of stage definitions
• context — user's original request/description (passed by the calling agent)

Execution Protocol

1. Initialize

1. Read the pipeline JSON (passed inline or from a references/pipelines/*.json file)
2. Resolve template variables in all outputs paths:
   • {date} → YYYY-MM-DD (today)
   • {name} → slugified pipeline name or user-provided name
   • {project} → current directory name
3. Create a task list from stages using TodoWrite
4. Announce: "Executing pipeline: {name} — {description}"
5. List all stages with descriptions for the user

2. Execute Stages (sequential order)

For each stage in stages:

Type: skill

1. Announce: "Stage {id}: {description}"
2. Resolve inputs — interpolate ${stage_id.outputs.key} from prior stage outputs
3. Invoke the skill via the Skill tool (path format: category/skill-name)
4. Verify declared outputs exist on disk (Read or Glob)
5. Record outputs for downstream interpolation

Type: skill-chain

1. Announce: "Stage {id}: {description} ({n} skills in sequence)"
2. For each skill in skills array:
   • Invoke via Skill tool
   • Pass context from the previous skill in the chain
3. Verify final outputs exist

Type: parallel

1. Announce: "Stage {id}: {description} — dispatching {n} parallel branches"
2. Validate branches are independent (no shared output paths)
3. Dispatch each branch as a subagent using the Task tool:
   • Each branch gets its own resolved inputs
   • Branch prompt includes: skill(s) to invoke, inputs, expected outputs
   • Follow dispatching-parallel-agents constraints: focused, self-contained, specific
4. Wait for all branches to complete
5. Review branch results for conflicts
6. Verify all declared outputs exist

3. Enforce Gates

When a stage has a gate:

approval gate

• Interactive mode: Present the gate prompt to the user via AskUserQuestion. Options: "Continue" / "Review changes" / "Abort pipeline"
• Autonomous mode: Skip, log "Gate skipped (autonomous mode)"

quality gate

• Dispatch a code-reviewer subagent using requesting-code-review pattern
• Review feedback: fix Critical issues immediately, fix Important before proceeding
• Both modes: always enforce quality gates

verification gate

• Use verification-before-completion pattern: run verification commands, require evidence
• Both modes: always enforce verification gates

4. Handle Failures

If any stage fails:

1. Stop the pipeline immediately
2. Report: "Pipeline {name} failed at stage {stage_id}: {error}"
3. List completed stages and their outputs
4. List remaining stages that were not executed
5. Do NOT attempt to continue past a failed stage

5. Complete

After all stages succeed:

1. Announce: "Pipeline {name} completed successfully"
2. List all outputs with their file paths
3. If the pipeline context suggests finishing a branch, offer finishing-a-development-branch

Variable Interpolation

Outputs from prior stages are available via ${stage_id.outputs.key}:

${brainstorm.outputs.design_doc}  → resolves to the actual file path
${plan.outputs.plan_file}         → resolves to the plan's file path

If a referenced variable doesn't exist, fail the stage with a clear error message.

Integration

• Called by: coding-agent, docs-agent, startup-agent
• Uses: requesting-code-review, verification-before-completion, finishing-a-development-branch, dispatching-parallel-agents
• Never called directly by users — always invoked by a super-agent

Red Flags

• Never skip a quality or verification gate, even in autonomous mode
• Never advance past a stage whose outputs don't exist
• Never run parallel branches that share output files
• Never guess output paths — always verify with Glob or Read