Workflow Orchestrator
A skill that coordinates workflows across multiple skills by evaluating hook metadata, recording pending follow-ups, and running only the actions that are safe and supported in the current host runtime.
When This Skill Activates
This skill should be used when:
- A skill completes its main workflow
- A milestone is reached (PRD complete, implementation done, etc.)
- User says "complete workflow" or "finish the process"
How It Works
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Workflow Orchestration │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 1. Detect Milestone → 2. Read Hooks → 3. Record/Run Safe Follow-ups │
│ │
│ prd-planner complete │
│ ↓ │
│ workflow-orchestrator │
│ ↓ │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ declared self-improving follow-up │ (record/run) │
│ │ declared session logging follow-up │ (record/run) │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Trigger Configuration
Read trigger definitions from skills/auto-trigger/SKILL.md:
hooks:
after_complete:
- trigger: self-improving-agent
mode: background
- trigger: session-logger
mode: auto
on_error:
- trigger: self-improving-agent
mode: background
Execution Modes
| Mode | Behavior | Use When |
|---|---|---|
auto |
Run or record a low-risk follow-up when the host supports it | Logging, status updates |
background |
Record a non-blocking follow-up | Reflection, analysis |
ask_first |
Ask user before executing | PRs, deployments, major changes |
Milestone Detection
PRD Complete
Detected when:
- docs/{scope}-prd.md exists
- All phases in {scope}-prd-task-plan.md are checked
- Status shows "COMPLETE"
Actions:
1. Record self-improving-agent as a background follow-up
2. Run or record session-logger if the host supports it
Implementation Complete
Detected when:
- All PRD requirements implemented
- Tests pass
- Code committed
Actions:
1. Ask before running code-reviewer
2. Run create-pr only when the user requested submission
3. Run or record session-logger if the host supports it
Self-Improvement Applied
Detected when:
- Candidate validated with auditable evidence
- One named durable owner changed
- Representative behavior rerun
- Candidate recorded as applied
Actions:
1. Ask before running create-pr
2. Run or record session-logger if the host supports it
Learning Candidate (Skill Complete)
Detected when:
- A skill completes its workflow and produces reusable evidence
- User provides feedback
- Error or issue encountered
Actions:
1. Record self-improving-agent as a background follow-up
2. Run or record session-logger if the host supports it
The self-improving-agent:
- Captures a candidate only when reusable evidence exists
- Excludes raw transcripts and private tool payloads
- Keeps uncertain findings under observation
- Validates candidates only with explicit, auditable evidence
- Applies validated changes only to a named durable owner with a change reference
- Proves the representative behavior after application
Error Handling (on_error)
Detected when:
- A command returns non-zero exit code
- Tests fail after following skill guidance
- User reports the guidance produced incorrect results
Actions:
- Record self-improving-agent (background) for self-correction
- Run or record session-logger to capture error context
Hook Implementation in Skills
To declare follow-up metadata, add this section to any skill's SKILL.md:
## Auto-Trigger (After Completion)
When this skill completes, record or run supported follow-ups:
```yaml
hooks:
after_complete:
- trigger: skill-name
mode: auto|background|ask_first
context: "relevant context"
on_error:
- trigger: self-improving-agent
mode: background
Current Hook Contract
Hook metadata is declarative intent, not proof of CLI automation. Read the current skill front matter before acting. An absent hook means no declared follow-up; an existing hook still requires host support and the permission boundary for the target action.
Universal Learning Pattern
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Skill Completes With Evidence │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
↓
┌──────────────────────┐
│ workflow-orchestrator │
└──────────┬───────────┘
│
┌──────────┴─────────┐
↓ ↓
self-improving-agent session-logger
↓ ↓
Capture candidate Save bounded context
↓ ↓
Validate evidence Log session
↓
Apply to named owner
↓
create-pr (only if submission was requested)
## Workflow Examples
### Example 1: PRD Creation Workflow
User: "Create a PRD for user authentication" ↓ prd-planner executes ↓ Phase 6 complete: PRD delivered ↓ workflow-orchestrator detects milestone ↓ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │ Background: self-improving-agent │ → Records learning proposal │ Auto: session-logger │ → Saves session when supported └─────────────────────────────────┘
### Example 2: Full Feature Workflow
User: "Create a PRD and implement it" ↓ prd-planner → workflow-orchestrator ↓ self-improving-agent (candidate capture only) ↓ prd-implementation-precheck ↓ implementation complete → workflow-orchestrator ↓ code-reviewer → optional candidate capture ↓ create-pr (only when requested) → workflow-orchestrator ↓ session-logger
Each milestone can produce a `self-improving-agent` follow-up, but durable
skill edits still require validation or explicit approval.
## Implementation Steps
### Step 1: Detect Milestone
Check for completion indicators:
```bash
# PRD complete?
grep -q "COMPLETE" docs/{scope}-prd-task-plan.md
# All phases checked?
grep -q "^\- \[x\].*Phase 6" docs/{scope}-prd-task-plan.md
# PRD file exists?
ls docs/{scope}-prd.md
Step 2: Read Trigger Config
# Read hooks from auto-trigger skill
cat skills/auto-trigger/SKILL.md
Step 3: Record or Execute Hooks
For each hook in order (before_start, after_complete, on_error):
- Check if condition is met
- Record or execute based on mode and host support
- Pass context to triggered skill
- Wait/continue based on mode
Step 4: Update Status
Log what was triggered and the result:
## Workflow Execution
- [x] self-improving-agent (background) - Started
- [x] session-logger (auto) - Session saved
- [ ] create-pr (ask_first) - Pending user approval
Skills with Auto-Trigger
| Skill | Triggers After |
|---|---|
prd-planner |
self-improving-agent, session-logger |
self-improving-agent |
No automatic PR; applied changes may declare a logging follow-up |
prd-implementation-precheck |
self-improving-agent, session-logger |
code-reviewer |
self-improving-agent, session-logger |
create-pr |
session-logger |
refactoring-specialist |
self-improving-agent, session-logger |
debugger |
self-improving-agent, session-logger |
Adding Follow-up Metadata to Existing Skills
To add follow-up metadata to an existing skill, add to the end of its SKILL.md:
---
## Auto-Trigger
When this skill completes, record or run supported follow-ups:
```yaml
hooks:
after_complete:
- trigger: session-logger
mode: auto
context: "Save session context"
For more complex triggers, specify mode and context:
```markdown
## Auto-Trigger
When this skill completes:
```yaml
hooks:
after_complete:
- trigger: next-skill
mode: background
context: "Description"
- trigger: session-logger
mode: auto
context: "Save session"
- trigger: create-pr
mode: ask_first
context: "Create PR if files modified"
on_error:
- trigger: self-improving-agent
mode: background
## Best Practices
1. **Log only when supported and appropriate** - Session logging is a bounded optional follow-up
2. **Ask before major actions** - PRs, deployments, destructive changes
3. **Background for analysis** - Reflection, evaluation, optimization
4. **Auto for status** - Logging, status updates, bookmarks
5. **Don't create loops** - Ensure chains terminate