Swarm

Swarm

Invocation-only workflow for turning a bounded task into a verified swarm: planner, workers, checks, appeals, and a review packet.

The core rule: do not trust the agents. Build the institution around them.

Trigger Boundary

Use this skill only when the user includes literal swarm as an instruction to apply this workflow, for example:

• swarm this
• run swarm on this workflow
• swarm:
• /swarm

Do not use this skill for incidental mentions of agents, multi-agent design, orchestration, checkers, judges, Ringer, or harnesses unless the user uses swarm as the invocation keyword.

Default Posture

Swarm is not the default answer. A task earns a swarm only when it can be split into bounded lanes and checked cheaply enough that parallelism reduces review burden instead of multiplying it.

If the task is not swarm-ready, return DO NOT SWARM with the smallest better alternative.

Plan-only by default. Produce SWARM PLAN; do not spawn agents, edit files, run commands, or take durable/external side effects unless the user explicitly asks to execute the plan.

Workflow

1. Capture The Job

Identify:

• goal
• source of truth
• allowed actions
• forbidden actions
• durable/external side effects
• done condition
• review budget

If any of these are missing and cannot be inferred safely, ask one compact batch of questions before designing the swarm.

2. Run The Readiness Gate

Classify the task:

• SWARM: multiple bounded lanes, independent outputs, clear checks, manageable merge.
• SINGLE RUN: one agent/thread should do it; parallelism adds overhead.
• STEER FIRST: the work is still too ambiguous.
• DO NOT RUN: permission, source-of-truth, safety, or rollback path is missing.

Fallback routing:

• SINGLE RUN: use run-kit for a scoped run spec, proof, or cross-check.
• STEER FIRST: stay in conversation until the source of truth, done condition, and review budget are clear.
• DO NOT RUN: stop and ask for the missing authority, permission, or rollback path.

Use SWARM only when all are true:

• Work can be decomposed into lanes with explicit boundaries.
• Each lane has a concrete artifact or answer.
• Each lane has an executable, citeable, or inspectable check.
• Merge can be reviewed against a written standard.
• Side effects are gated before execution.

3. Write The Constitution

Define 5 to 14 testable rules for done-right work.

Each rule must include:

• the standard
• the evidence needed
• the check method
• who decides if the check is disputed

Prefer deterministic checks. Use LLM judges only where judgment is real and the evidence is available.

4. Design The Org Chart

Assign:

• Planner: decomposes the work, writes lane specs, does not execute worker tasks by default.
• Workers: execute one bounded lane each; no global authority; no external side effects unless explicitly allowed.
• Checkers: verify worker outputs against the constitution; deterministic checks first, LLM judges second.
• Reviewer: merges outputs, resolves contradictions, and prepares the review packet.
• Owner: the human or named authority who accepts, rejects, or escalates the final result.

No rank escapes verification. Planner, worker, checker, and reviewer outputs can all be wrong.

5. Build The Appeals Path

Checks can fail incorrectly. Include a process for:

• worker retry after a valid failure
• checker correction after an invalid failure
• escalation when evidence is insufficient
• human review for high-stakes or ambiguous boundaries

The appeal must preserve the reason for the original check and the reason for changing it.

6. Produce The Review Packet

The review packet is the product. Final prose is only a receipt.

Include:

• task and scope
• constitution
• lane specs
• worker outputs or expected artifacts
• proposed checks by default; checks run only after explicit execution
• failures, retries, and appeals
• unresolved risks
• final recommendation

Output Shape

Use this heading:

SWARM PLAN

Then include:

• Verdict: SWARM / SINGLE RUN / STEER FIRST / DO NOT RUN
• Why: short reason for the verdict
• Constitution: numbered testable rules
• Org Chart: planner, workers, checkers, reviewer, owner
• Worker Lanes: lane name, task, input, output, forbidden actions
• Checks: proposed checks by default; commands, citation checks, deterministic checks, LLM judges, or human reviews actually run only after explicit execution
• Appeals: retry, checker correction, escalation path
• Review Packet: what the final packet must contain
• Execution Notes: exact next prompts, commands, or dispatch instructions if execution is requested

Guardrails

• Do not turn every task into a swarm.
• Do not let worker self-reports count as proof.
• Do not let a persuasive explanation substitute for evidence.
• Do not allow external writes, sends, deletes, purchases, permission changes, production commands, or public posts without explicit permission.
• Do not hide uncertainty inside the final recommendation.
• Do not create a closed loop where the same agent that produced work is treated as an independent checker.
• If execution is requested but the available environment cannot run real parallel agents, produce pasteable worker and checker prompts instead.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: mattdweigand-sketch
• Source: mattdweigand-sketch/agent-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.