# Council Execution

Executes council queries by running the query pipeline across selected AI providers...

- Repository: https://github.com/hex/claude-council (916 stars)
- Category: AI and agents
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add hex/claude-council --skill council-execution -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add hex/claude-council --skill council-execution -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add hex/claude-council --skill council-execution -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add hex/claude-council --skill council-execution -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Executes council queries by running the query pipeline across selected AI providers (Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, Perplexity), displaying formatted responses verbatim, and generating a synthesis of consensus, divergence, and recommendations. Invoked by the ask command during standard (non-agent) council queries.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Council Query Execution

## Step 1: Run Query and Save to File

```bash
bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/run-council.sh --providers=gemini,openai -- "Your question"
```

This outputs the path to the saved file (e.g., `.claude/council-cache/council-1734567890.md`).

**Flag syntax**: Use `=` with no spaces: `--providers=gemini,openai`

**Pass only the flags the user asked for.** Never add `--no-pane`, `--quiet`,
`--no-cache` or `--no-auto-context` on your own judgment; they are the user's
to choose, and the script already skips a pane that cannot open.

**CRITICAL**: Always place `--` before the prompt to prevent prompt text containing dashes from being parsed as flags.

**Run this Bash call with `timeout: 600000`** (ten minutes). The Bash tool's
two-minute default is shorter than a slow council round, and inside tmux a
provider failure makes the streaming pane offer the user a retry for
`COUNCIL_RETRY_WAIT` seconds (default 45) and then runs another provider round
if accepted. A call cut off mid-run loses the whole transcript, the answers
that did arrive included.

## Step 2: Read and Display the Output VERBATIM

Use the **Read tool** to read the output file path returned by Step 1.

**If the file's first line is `<!-- council: round 1 was shown in the pane -->`**,
the user already read every round-1 answer in the streaming pane. Do not
reprint them. Instead, output one line per provider in round 1, taken from
its `## ` header (name, role, model, and any fallback note) followed by
`answered` or the `Error:` line under it. When the header says the seat fell
back, add the `> <provider>: <reason>` line printed under it. Then display VERBATIM the rest of
the file from its `## Round 2` heading, or from its `---` line above
`## 🧭 Synthesis` when there is no round 2 (debate rebuttals never reach the
pane), and continue with Step 3 under that header. Without that first line,
display the whole file as below.

The rest: https://github.com/hex/claude-council/blob/HEAD/skills/council-execution/SKILL.md