dispatching-parallel-agents

Group failures by independent problem domain, then dispatch one agent per domain with a focused prompt containing the test names, error messages, and constraints. Review each agent's summary and run the full test suite to verify the fixes integrate without conflicts.

Use parallel agents when failures are independent, such as different test files or subsystems with different root causes and no shared state. Avoid parallel dispatch when failures are related, when full system context is needed, or when agents would edit the same files.

A good agent prompt is focused on one problem domain, self-contained with pasted error messages and test names, explicit about constraints like not changing production code, and specific about the expected output such as a summary of root cause and changes.

Yes, conflicts occur when agents share state or edit the same files. Prevent this by assigning each agent a distinct scope such as one test file, adding explicit constraints, and reviewing all summaries for overlapping changes before integration.

Common mistakes include overly broad scopes like fixing all tests, missing context such as error messages, absent constraints that let agents refactor unrelated code, and vague output requirements. Each agent needs a narrow scope, full context, and a defined deliverable.