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cross-squad-communication

Coordinates queries, task delegation, and context sharing between independent Squad instances across repositories.

5.1k|530|Updated Aug 12, 2025
Search Tags:#task delegation#cross-repo#copilot cli#squad coordination#async messaging#gitHub issues#Multi-Agent
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/gh-aw --skill cross-squad-communication
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: cross-squad-communication
Source: https://github.com/github/gh-aw/tree/main/.squad/templates/skills/cross-squad-communication
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/github/gh-aw --skill cross-squad-communication

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

When multiple repositories each run their own Squad (AI team), there is no shared runtime, MCP tools, or issue tracker between them. This Skill provides concrete protocols for exchanging knowledge queries, PR reviews, task delegations, and dependency analysis across those isolated squad boundaries.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Four Communication Patterns: Synchronous CLI sessions (Pattern 0), read-only metadata queries (Pattern 1), git-based async requests (Pattern 2), and GitHub issue-based delegation (Pattern 3), with a decision tree for choosing between them.
  • Liveness Monitoring: Log-directory-based health checks and stall detection for synchronous CLI sessions, avoiding false timeouts during slow MCP server initialization.
  • Cross-Repo Dependency Scan: An appendix protocol for discovering mutual references, shared packages, and coupling between two repositories.
  • Use Case: A research squad needs the platform squad's architecture decisions. The coordinator reads the peer's .squad/decisions.md directly for a quick answer, or spawns a copilot --agent squad session targeting the peer repo for deeper analysis.

Quick Start

Ask the agent to query a peer squad's architecture by reading its .squad/team.md and decisions.md files, or by spawning a synchronous Copilot CLI session with --agent squad against the target repository.

Frequently Asked Questions about cross-squad-communication

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I send a query from one Squad repository to another?▼

For quick queries, spawn a synchronous Copilot CLI session with the working directory set to the target repo using copilot -C <repo> --agent squad -p <prompt>. The --agent squad flag is required so the session loads the peer's coordinator, team.md, and MCP tools.

How do I delegate a task to another squad asynchronously?▼

Create a YAML request file in .squad/cross-squad/requests/ with id, source_squad, target_squad, request_type, and query fields, then commit and push. The target squad's Ralph monitor picks it up and writes a response file to .squad/cross-squad/responses/.

Can cross-squad communication work between GitHub and Azure DevOps repos?▼

Yes, but the mechanism differs. GitHub-to-GitHub can use issue-based delegation, while mixed GitHub/ADO setups must use the git-based async pattern, which is the universal fallback for any issue tracker combination.

Why does my synchronous CLI session to a peer squad time out?▼

MCP server initialization and .squad metadata loading can take 30-60 seconds, so fixed timeouts kill valid sessions. Monitor the session log directory for activity instead, and only declare a stall after 60 seconds with no log growth.

What happens if the target squad's Ralph monitor is not running?▼

Async requests (git-based or issue-based) will never be processed without Ralph running on the target side. Check for recent Ralph commits first, and fall back to synchronous CLI sessions or read-only metadata queries instead.

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