Subagent Coordinator Skill

Intelligently decompose complex tasks using the operator grading system and delegate to appropriate worker subagents with optimized execution planning.

New Features in v3.0

• Task Decomposition Engine: Automatically analyzes and breaks down complex tasks
• 5-Level Operator Grading: L1 (Simple) → L5 (Complex) classification
• Smart Routing: Automatically selects subagent vs ACP runtime based on task complexity
• 🚀 ACP Runtime Support: Complex tasks now delegate to ACP (openclaw, opencode, claude, etc.)
• Parallel Execution Planning: Groups independent subtasks for concurrent execution
• Quality Gates: Pre/post execution validation and checkpoint support

New Features in v3.1

• ⏱️ 超时配置 (Timeout Scaling): 新增 timeout / timeoutSeconds 参数，支持为不同复杂度的任务设置合适的超时时间，超时设置应随任务复杂度提升而增加（L1: 30秒 → L5: 10分钟）

Prerequisites (Must Configure First)

Before using this skill, you must configure the subagent system. If not configured, users will see an error message prompting them to set it up.

1. Create Worker Subagent

openclaw agents add worker --model {MODEL_NAME} --non-interactive --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace

Replace {MODEL_NAME} with your preferred model (e.g., deepseek/deepseek-chat, anthropic/claude-3-haiku, etc.).

2. Configure Main Agent Subagent Permissions

In ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, add to main agent:

{
  "agents": {
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "main",
        "subagents": {
          "allowAgents": ["worker"]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "worker",
        "model": "{MODEL_NAME}"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Replace {MODEL_NAME} with the same model you specified in step 1.

3. Restart Gateway

openclaw gateway restart

4. Verify Configuration

# Check worker subagent exists
ls ~/.openclaw/agents/worker/

# Check main agent config
cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | grep -A5 '"id": "main"'

Error Handling

If subagent is not configured, respond with:

"Subagent system is not configured. Please follow these steps: 1.Run: openclaw agents add worker --model {MODEL_NAME} 2.Add subagents.allowAgents: ["worker"] to main agent in openclaw.json 3.Restart: openclaw gateway restart"

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🚀 ACP Runtime Support (v3.0 新增)

ACP (Agent Client Protocol) 是处理复杂研究任务的推荐运行时，特别适合需要深度推理和多步骤分析的任务。

支持的 ACP Agents

通过 acpx 命令可用：

Agent	用途	命令
openclaw	OpenClaw 主代理（推荐）	acpx openclaw
opencode	AI 编程助手	acpx opencode
claude	Anthropic Claude	acpx claude
codex	OpenAI Codex	acpx codex
gemini	Google Gemini CLI	acpx gemini
kimi	月之暗面 Kimi	acpx kimi

注意: 实际可用的 ACP agents 取决于 acpx --help 列出的内容和 openclaw agents list 中配置的子代理。

配置 ACP 子代理

1. 创建 ACP 子代理

# 在 OpenClaw 中添加 researcher 子代理（使用 openclaw 作为 ACP Agent）
openclaw agents add researcher --model openclaw --runtime acp --non-interactive --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace

2. 更新 openclaw.json 配置

{
  "agents": {
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "main",
        "subagents": {
          "allowAgents": ["worker", "researcher"]
        }
      },
      {
        "id": "worker",
        "model": "deepseek/deepseek-chat",
        "runtime": "subagent"
      },
      {
        "id": "researcher",
        "agent": "openclaw",
        "runtime": "acp"
      }
    ]
  }
}

3. 重启 Gateway

openclaw gateway restart

验证 ACP 可用性

# 测试 acpx 是否可用
acpx --version

# 列出可用 agents
acpx --help | grep "Commands:" -A 20

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Operator Grading System (算子分级系统)

Tasks are classified into 5 levels based on complexity:

Level	Name	Complexity	Examples	Runtime	Delegation Rule
L1	简单算子	Score 1-2	复制单个文件、创建目录、单文件文本替换	subagent	ALWAYS_DELEGATE
L2	批处理算子	Score 3-4	批量复制/重命名、目录同步、批量转换	subagent	DELEGATE_WITH_SPLIT
L3	处理算子	Score 5-6	CSV数据处理、日志分析、代码格式化	subagent	DELEGATE_WITH_CHECKPOINT
L4	分析算子	Score 7-8	代码审查、架构分析、依赖分析	ACP优先	DELEGATE_WITH_SUPERVISION
L5	复杂算子	Score 9-10	系统设计、复杂调试、跨模块协调	ACP	MAIN_AGENT_ONLY

🏆 复杂任务优先选择 ACP

重要: 对于 L4 (分析算子) 和 L5 (复杂算子) 任务，强烈建议使用 ACP 运行时，因为：

• ACP 支持深度推理和上下文理解
• 可保持多轮对话上下文
• 支持复杂研究任务（如文献调研、论文撰写）

Complexity Scoring Factors

• Step count: More steps = higher complexity
• File scope: Single < Multi < Project-wide
• Context dependency: None < Partial < Full
• Determinism: High (deterministic) < Medium < Low (creative)
• Special keywords: Analysis, logic, batch operations

Decomposition Triggers

Tasks are automatically decomposed when:

• Step count > 5
• File count > 10
• Complexity score > 5
• Estimated execution time > 5 minutes

Decomposition Strategies

1. By File: Split multi-file operations into file batches
2. By Step: Break sequential tasks into ordered subtasks
3. By Domain: Separate by functional areas (data collection → processing → output)

---

Quick Reference

Scenario	Action
Complex task received	Analyze if it can be decomposed
Decomposable task	Use sessions_spawn to delegate to worker
Worker completes	Synthesize results and report to user
Direct execution needed	Execute directly if delegation overhead > benefit

Available Subagents

Subagent Runtime (简单任务)

Agent ID	Model	Purpose
worker	deepseek/deepseek-chat	Execute simple, deterministic tasks

ACP Runtime (复杂任务 - 优先选择 🏆)

Agent ID	Agent	Purpose
researcher	openclaw	复杂研究任务、文献调研
coder	opencode	代码开发、调试
analyst	claude	深度分析、架构设计

How to Delegate

Using sessions_spawn Tool

简单任务 → subagent (worker)

// 简单确定性任务使用 worker
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker",
  task: "复制 /path/a 到 /path/b",
  mode: "run",
  timeout: 30000  // L1: 30秒超时
})

复杂任务 → ACP (researcher/coder) 🏆 优先

// 复杂研究任务使用 ACP (openclaw)
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "researcher",
  runtime: "acp",
  agent: "openclaw",
  task: "调研急性肾损伤预测的最新研究进展",
  mode: "run",  // 或 "session" 保持上下文
  timeoutSeconds: 300  // L4: 5分钟超时
})

// 代码任务使用 opencode
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "coder",
  runtime: "acp",
  agent: "opencode",
  task: "实现一个预测模型",
  mode: "run",
  timeoutSeconds: 180  // L3-L4: 3分钟超时
})

Response Handling

When worker completes, it announces back with:

• Result (assistant reply or toolResult)
• Status (completed successfully / failed / timed out)
• Token stats

Synthesize these results into your response to the user.

Decision Framework

🏆 复杂任务优先选择 ACP

任务类型	推荐运行时	说明
文件复制/批量操作	worker (subagent)	简单确定性任务
数据格式化/处理	worker (subagent)	L3 以下任务
文献调研/论文撰写	researcher (ACP) 🏆	L4+ 复杂任务
代码开发/调试	coder (ACP) 🏆	需要深度推理
架构设计/系统分析	analyst (ACP) 🏆	L5 复杂任务

运行时选择规则

// 决策逻辑
if (complexity <= 3) {
  // L1-L3: 使用 subagent (worker)
  useRuntime("subagent", "worker")
} else {
  // L4-L5: 优先使用 ACP
  useRuntime("acp", "researcher")  // 或 coder/analyst
}

Delegate to Worker (subagent) When

• Task involves file copy/move/rename
• Batch operations (create multiple files, batch rename)
• Simple data processing (formatting, filtering)
• Directory operations (create, list)
• Any independent, deterministic subtask
• Complexity score ≤ 3

🏆 Delegate to ACP When

• Research tasks: Literature review, paper writing, trend analysis
• Complex analysis: Architecture design, system analysis, code review
• Multi-step reasoning: Requires keeping context across steps
• Creative tasks: Generating novel solutions, writing reports
• Long-running tasks: >5 minutes estimated execution time
• Complexity score ≥ 4: L4 (分析算子) 和 L5 (复杂算子)

Execute Directly When

• Task requires complex context understanding
• Task involves multi-step reasoning
• Delegation overhead > execution time
• Task is already optimal for main agent

Examples

Example 1: Simple Task (L1 - Always Delegate)

User Request:

"Copy all Markdown files from {USER_HOME}/workspace/docs to {USER_HOME}/workspace/docs-backup"

Analysis:

• Complexity: L2 (Batch Operator)
• Steps: 2 (find files + copy)
• Files: Multiple
• Determinism: High
• Decision: Delegate with batch splitting

Execution:

sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker_l1",
  task: "Copy all *.md files from {USER_HOME}/workspace/docs to {USER_HOME}/workspace/docs-backup, creating the destination directory if needed",
  mode: "run"
})

Response Synthesis:

"I've delegated the file copy task to the worker subagent (L2-Batch). The files will be copied to the backup directory."

🏆 Example 2: Complex Task (L4/L5 - ACP 优先)

User Request:

"调研急性肾损伤(AKI)预测的最新研究进展，撰写一份报告"

Analysis:

• Complexity: L4-L5 (Complex Operator)
• Steps: 5+ (搜索 → 筛选 → 分析 → 整理 → 撰写)
• Context: 需要保持多轮对话上下文
• 任务类型: 研究调研
• Decision: 使用 ACP 运行时 (researcher)

Execution:

// 使用 ACP (openclaw) 进行研究任务
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "researcher",
  runtime: "acp",
  agent: "openclaw",
  task: "调研急性肾损伤(AKI)预测的最新研究进展，包括：1) 2024-2026年最新论文 2) 主要方法(SOTA) 3) 数据集和基准 4) 研究趋势。撰写一份技术报告。",
  mode: "session"  // 保持上下文
})

Response Synthesis:

"我已将研究任务委托给 researcher (ACP) 子代理。由于任务需要深度调研和多轮分析，已使用 session 模式保持对话上下文。报告将在完成后呈现。"

Example 3: Main Agent Only (L5)

User Request:

"Analyze all Python files in the project, generate a dependency graph, and create a refactoring plan"

Analysis:

• Complexity: L4 (Analysis Operator)
• Steps: 3 major phases
• Files: Project-wide (20+ files)
• Context: Required
• Decision: Decompose by domain

Decomposition Plan:

Phase 1: Data Collection (L2)
  ├─ Scan project structure
  ├─ Identify all Python files
  └─ Extract imports and dependencies

Phase 2: Analysis (L3) [Depends: Phase 1]
  ├─ Build dependency graph
  ├─ Detect circular dependencies
  └─ Identify code smells

Phase 3: Report Generation (L2) [Depends: Phase 2]
  ├─ Generate visualization
  ├─ Create refactoring recommendations
  └─ Output summary document

Execution:

// Phase 1: Parallel subtasks for file scanning
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker_l1",
  task: "Scan /project and list all Python files with their import statements",
  mode: "run"
})

// Phase 2: Processing with checkpoint
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker_l2",
  task: "Analyze dependencies from collected data, build dependency graph",
  mode: "run"
})

// Phase 3: Final output
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker_l1",
  task: "Generate Markdown report with findings and recommendations",
  mode: "run"
})

Example 3: Main Agent Only (L5)

User Request:

"Design a new microservices architecture for our e-commerce platform"

Analysis:

• Complexity: L5 (Complex Operator)
• Context: Full project context required
• Reasoning: Multi-step architectural decisions
• Decision: Main agent only - DO NOT DELEGATE

Execution: Execute directly using main agent's full context and reasoning capabilities.

Response:

"Based on the project requirements and constraints, I recommend the following architecture..."

Tool Availability

Main agent (depth 0) has access to:

• sessions_spawn (for spawning subagents)
• All standard tools (read, write, exec, etc.)

Worker subagent has access to:

• All tools EXCEPT session tools (sessions_list, sessions_history, sessions_send, sessions_spawn)

Limitations

• Worker cannot spawn its own subagents (maxSpawnDepth: 1 by default)
• Worker sessions auto-archive after 60 minutes
• Announce delivery is best-effort
• Task decomposition is heuristic-based (not NLP-perfect)
• L5 tasks cannot be delegated (main agent only)

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Fallback: Direct sessions_spawn Call

When user explicitly requires subagent coordination, use this fallback to bypass model's decision-making.

When to Use

• User explicitly says "must use worker subagent" or "use subagent"
• User explicitly says "use sessions_spawn"
• Model refuses to delegate to worker despite skill guidance
• Guaranteed subagent execution is required

How to Call Directly

// Direct sessions_spawn call
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker",
  task: "<task description>",
  mode: "run"  // One-shot execution
})

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
agentId	Yes	Subagent ID (e.g., "worker")
task	Yes	Task description passed to subagent
mode	Yes	"run" (one-shot) or "session" (persistent)
timeout	No	超时时间（毫秒），默认 60000 (1分钟)
timeoutSeconds	No	超时时间（秒），与 timeout 二选一

超时设置建议 (Timeout Scaling)

重要: 超时设置应随着任务复杂度提升而增加。以下是建议值：

任务等级	复杂度	建议超时	示例任务
L1	简单算子 (Score 1-2)	30000 (30秒)	单文件复制、创建目录
L2	批处理算子 (Score 3-4)	60000 (1分钟)	批量复制、目录同步
L3	处理算子 (Score 5-6)	120000 (2分钟)	CSV处理、日志分析、代码格式化
L4	分析算子 (Score 7-8)	300000 (5分钟)	代码审查、架构分析、依赖分析
L5	复杂算子 (Score 9-10)	600000 (10分钟)	系统设计、复杂调试、跨模块协调

超时配置示例

// L1 简单任务 - 30秒超时
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker",
  task: "复制单个文件到目标目录",
  mode: "run",
  timeout: 30000
})

// L3 处理任务 - 2分钟超时
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker",
  task: "分析并转换 CSV 数据格式",
  mode: "run",
  timeoutSeconds: 120
})

// L4/L5 复杂任务 (ACP) - 5-10分钟超时
sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "researcher",
  runtime: "acp",
  agent: "openclaw",
  task: "调研急性肾损伤预测的最新研究进展",
  mode: "session",
  timeoutSeconds: 300  // 5分钟
})

Return Value

{
  "status": "accepted",
  "childSessionKey": "agent:worker:subagent:uuid",
  "runId": "uuid",
  "mode": "run"
}

Response Handling

When worker completes, it announces back with:

• Result (assistant reply or toolResult)
• Status (completed successfully / failed / timed out)
• Token stats

Synthesize these results into your response to the user.

Example: Forced Subagent Usage

User Request:

"Must use worker subagent to copy files to specified directory"

Execution:

sessions_spawn({
  agentId: "worker",
  task: "Copy /path/to/source to /path/to/destination",
  mode: "run"
})

Response:

"I have delegated this task to the worker subagent for execution. The task has been accepted and is being processed."

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This skill enables efficient task distribution between main agent and worker subagent.