git:20260501.de63568 to git:20260929.1297711

---

name: dispatching-parallel-agents

description: Use when facing 2+ independent tasks that can be worked on without shared state or sequential dependencies

---

<skill>

<purpose>

When you have multiple independent problems, dispatch one agent per problem domain and let them work concurrently. Each agent gets isolated context — never your session's history. This preserves your context for coordination.

</purpose>

<triggers>

<rule>Use when 2+ independent tasks exist (different test files, subsystems, bugs).</rule>

<rule>Use when each problem can be understood without context from others.</rule>

<rule>Use when agents won't interfere (no shared state, no same-file edits).</rule>

</triggers>

<flow format="dot">

```dot

digraph when_to_use {

"Multiple failures?" [shape=diamond];

"Independent?" [shape=diamond];

"Can parallelize?" [shape=diamond];

"Single agent" [shape=box];

"Parallel dispatch" [shape=box];

"Sequential agents" [shape=box];

"Multiple failures?" -> "Independent?" [label="yes"];

"Independent?" -> "Single agent" [label="no - related"];

"Independent?" -> "Can parallelize?" [label="yes"];

"Can parallelize?" -> "Parallel dispatch" [label="yes"];

"Can parallelize?" -> "Sequential agents" [label="shared state"];

}

```

</flow>

<process>

<step>**Identify independent domains** — Group failures by what's broken. Each domain is one agent's scope.</step>

<step>**Create focused prompts** — Each agent gets: specific scope (one file/subsystem), clear goal, constraints (don't change other code), expected output format.</step>

<step>**Review and integrate** — Read each summary, verify fixes don't conflict, run full test suite, integrate changes.</step>

</process>

## Prompt structure

Good agent prompts are focused, self-contained, and specific about output:

```markdown

Fix the 3 failing tests in src/agents/agent-tool-abort.test.ts:

1. "should abort tool with partial output" - expects 'interrupted at'

2. "should handle mixed completed and aborted" - fast tool aborted

3. "should track pendingToolCount" - expects 3 results, gets 0

These are timing/race condition issues. Your task:

1. Read test file, understand what each verifies

2. Identify root cause

3. Fix (don't just increase timeouts)

Return: Summary of root cause and changes made.

```

<rules>

<rule>Each agent gets narrow, self-contained scope.</rule>

<rule>Never dispatch without specific error messages and test names.</rule>

<rule>Always run full test suite after integrating all fixes.</rule>

<rule>Spot-check agent work — agents can make systematic errors.</rule>

</rules>

<antipattern>

"Fix all the tests" — too broad, agent gets lost. Be specific: one file or subsystem per agent.

</antipattern>

<antipattern>

Dispatching agents for related failures — fix one might fix others. Investigate together first.

</antipattern>

</skill>