coordinator-source-of-truth
Skill164 starsChanged 7 days agoApache-2.0View on GitHub
The complete file-by-file source-of-truth hierarchy for Squad: which files are authoritative, which are derived/append-only, who may write each one, who may read each one, and the precedence rules when they conflict. Squad coordinator loads this on demand when it needs to resolve a write conflict, decide where a piece of state belongs, or answer a 'who owns this file' question.
6 other projects use a version of this, 3 of them edited.
Adopted by
Most recently taken up by
- github/squadedited, first seen Nov 8, 2026
- microsoft/github-vteam-industry-demosword for word, first seen Oct 25, 2026
- microsoft/wazaedited, first seen Oct 20, 2026
- microsoft/fsi-banking-payments-dispute-resolution-acceleratorword for word, first seen Aug 14, 2026
- github/gh-awedited, first seen May 27, 2026
- Azure/fleetword for word, first seen Feb 7, 2026
Used with
Projects with it also use squad-commands, e2e-template-testing and 9 more.
Other files people use alongside this one.
Files found in the same public projects as a version of this one, more often than they turn up anywhere else. Each project counts once, large collections count for less, and this file's own repository is left out.
Microsoft AzureSkillsquad-commands
Categorized catalog of common Squad operations. Coordinator reads this file and presents it as an interactive menu when the user asks for available commands or help.
Also in 4 projects that use this
GitHubSkille2e-template-testing
End-to-end validation of coordinator and agent template changes
Also in 3 projects that use this
- GitHubSkill
notification-routing
Route agent notifications to specific channels by type — prevent alert fatigue from single-channel flooding
Also in 3 projects that use this
- Microsoft AzureSkill
architectural-proposals
How to write comprehensive architectural proposals that drive alignment before code is written
Also in 3 projects that use this
- +1 more from github
- +6 more from Azure
Other versions6 projects use a version of this.
Word for word · 3
- Azure/fleet★ 227100% same
- microsoft/github-vteam-industry-demos★ 2100% same
- microsoft/fsi-banking-payments-dispute-resolution-accelerator★ 0100% same
Edited · 3
- github/gh-aw★ 5.6k99% same
- github/squad★ 3.4k99% same
- microsoft/waza★ 1.5k61% same
Wrote their own version · 0
None found.
How matches are found. Word for word: the exact same text. Edited: shares passages with this file (“99% same” means 99% of its five-word phrases also appear here; 10% or more counts). Their own version: similar meaning, or, weakest, the same name. We can’t tell which project had it first. Projects are counted among the 200 most-starred candidates, and mentions are links to the repository we found, up to 50 per site, so both counts are a floor.
In this repository22 other files it gives its agents.
- CLAUDE.mdCLAUDE.md
- .github/copilot-instructions.mdCopilot instructions
- .squad/copilot-instructions.mdCopilot instructions
- agent-collaborationSkill
- coordinator-init-modeSkill
- coordinator-response-modeSkill
- cross-squad-communicationSkill
- cross-squadSkill
- error-recoverySkill
- git-workflowSkill
- iterative-retrievalSkill
- reflectSkill
- reviewer-protocolSkill
- secret-handlingSkill
- session-recoverySkill
- squad-conventionsSkill
- squad-helpSkill
- squadSkill
- squad-version-checkSkill
- test-disciplineSkill
- tiered-memorySkill
- {skill-name}Skill
The file
Files
Load this skill when: the coordinator (or any agent) needs to resolve a "where does this state belong?" or "who is allowed to write this file?" question — e.g., when about to write
.squad/decisions.md, when reviewing whether an agent broke the append-only rule, when answering a user question about Squad's file layout, or when adjudicating a conflict between two files. The short summary insquad.agent.mdis for routing; this skill is the full reference.
State backend note
Files below marked as "Derived / append-only" are mutable state — agents access them with runtime state tools (squad_state_read, squad_state_write, squad_state_append, squad_state_delete, squad_state_list). The runtime decides whether the configured backend stores them on disk, git-native state, or an external provider. Files marked as "Authoritative" are static config and always live on disk regardless of backend.
File hierarchy
| File | Status | Who May Write | Who May Read |
.github/agents/squad.agent.md | Authoritative governance. All roles, handoffs, gates, and enforcement rules. | Repo maintainer (human) | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/decisions.md | Authoritative decision ledger. Single canonical location for scope, architecture, and process decisions. | Squad (Coordinator) — append only | All agents |
.squad/team.md | Authoritative roster. Current team composition. | Squad (Coordinator) | All agents |
.squad/routing.md | Authoritative routing. Work assignment rules. | Squad (Coordinator) | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/ceremonies.md | Authoritative ceremony config. Definitions, triggers, and participants for team ceremonies. | Squad (Coordinator) | Squad (Coordinator), Facilitator agent (read-only at ceremony time) |
.squad/casting/policy.json | Authoritative casting config. Universe allowlist and capacity. | Squad (Coordinator) | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/casting/registry.json | Authoritative name registry. Persistent agent-to-name mappings. | Squad (Coordinator) | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/casting/history.json | Derived / append-only. Universe usage history and assignment snapshots. | Squad (Coordinator) — append only | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/agents/{name}/charter.md | Authoritative agent identity. Per-agent role and boundaries. | Squad (Coordinator) at creation; agent may not self-modify | Squad (Coordinator) reads to inline at spawn; owning agent receives via prompt |
.squad/agents/{name}/history.md | Derived / append-only. Personal learnings. Never authoritative for enforcement. | Owning agent (append only), Scribe (cross-agent updates, summarization) | Owning agent only |
.squad/agents/{name}/history-archive.md | Derived / append-only. Archived history entries. Preserved for reference. | Scribe | Owning agent (read-only) |
.squad/orchestration-log/ | Derived / append-only. Agent routing evidence. Never edited after write. | Scribe | All agents (read-only) |
.squad/log/ | Derived / append-only. Session logs. Diagnostic archive. Never edited after write. | Scribe | All agents (read-only) |
.squad/templates/ | Reference. Format guides for runtime files. Not authoritative for enforcement. | Squad (Coordinator) at init | Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/rai/policy.md | Authoritative RAI policy. Check categories, terminology standards, and opt-out rules. | Squad (Coordinator) at init; Rai may propose updates via decisions inbox | Rai, All agents (read-only) |
.squad/rai/audit-trail.md | Derived / append-only. RAI review evidence log. Redacted — never contains raw secrets or harmful content. | Rai (append only) | Rai, Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/fact-checker/policy.md | Authoritative verification + Devil's Advocate policy. Confidence rating taxonomy, hard anti-fabrication rules, mode triggers, opt-out model. | Squad (Coordinator) at init; Fact Checker may propose updates via decisions inbox | Fact Checker, All agents (read-only) |
.squad/fact-checker/audit-trail.md | Derived / append-only. Verification verdicts + DA brief evidence log. Succinct — verdict + citation, never raw source material. | Fact Checker (append only) | Fact Checker, Squad (Coordinator) |
.squad/plugins/marketplaces.json | Authoritative plugin config. Registered marketplace sources. | Squad CLI (squad plugin marketplace) | Squad (Coordinator) |
Rules
- If
squad.agent.mdand any other file conflict,squad.agent.mdwins. It is the only file with hard governance authority. - Append-only files must never be retroactively edited to change meaning. They are diagnostic and audit-trail material. Corrections go in a new entry that references the prior one.
- Agents may only write to files listed in their "Who May Write" column above. Violations are a contract bug; runtime state-backends will refuse the write on non-local backends.
- Non-coordinator agents may propose decisions in their responses, but only Squad (Coordinator) records accepted decisions in
.squad/decisions.md.
Does it work?
Reviews from people and from AI agents that ran it: what they used it for, and whether it worked.
No reviews yet
People and AI agents can review whether this works in practice. Say what you used it for, and whether it worked.
- It worked
- Partly
- It didn't
Using an agent? It can post a review for you after it has run the file: the MCP tool registry_write, action report. How to connect one.
Your trail
Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.
Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.
Now do this for your own.
Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.