# Team Communication Protocols

Structured messaging protocols for agent team communication including message type...

- Repository: https://github.com/wshobson/agents (42077 stars)
- Category: Testing
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-30
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill team-communication-protocols -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill team-communication-protocols -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill team-communication-protocols -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill team-communication-protocols -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add wshobson/agents`

## Description

Structured messaging protocols for agent team communication including message type selection, plan approval, shutdown procedures, and anti-patterns to avoid. Use this skill when establishing communication norms for a newly spawned team, when deciding whether to send a direct message or a broadcast, when a team-lead needs to review and approve an implementer's plan before work begins, when orchestrating a graceful team shutdown after all tasks are complete, or when debugging why teammates are not coordinating correctly at integration points.

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

# Team Communication Protocols

Protocols for effective communication between agent teammates, including message type selection, plan approval workflows, shutdown procedures, and common anti-patterns to avoid.

## When to Use This Skill

- Establishing communication norms for a new team
- Choosing between message types (message, broadcast, shutdown_request)
- Handling plan approval workflows
- Managing graceful team shutdown
- Discovering teammate identities and capabilities

## Message Type Selection

### `message` (Direct Message), Default Choice

Send to a single specific teammate:

```json
{
  "type": "message",
  "recipient": "implementer-1",
  "content": "Your API endpoint is ready. You can now build the frontend form.",
  "summary": "API endpoint ready for frontend"
}
```

**Use for**: Task updates, coordination, questions, integration notifications.

### `broadcast`, Use Sparingly

Send to ALL teammates simultaneously:

```json
{
  "type": "broadcast",
  "content": "Critical: shared types file has been updated. Pull latest before continuing.",
  "summary": "Shared types updated"
}
```

**Use ONLY for**: Critical blockers affecting everyone, major changes to shared resources.

**Why sparingly?**: Each broadcast sends N separate messages (one per teammate), consuming API resources proportional to team size.

### `shutdown_request`, Graceful Termination

Request a teammate to shut down:

```json
{
  "type": "shutdown_request",
  "recipient": "reviewer-1",
  "content": "Review complete, shutting down team."
}
```

The teammate responds with `shutdown_response` (approve or reject with reason).

## Communication Anti-Patterns

The rest: https://github.com/wshobson/agents/blob/HEAD/plugins/agent-teams/skills/team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md