Task coordination

Task Coordination

The task system (TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList, TaskGet) provides structured tracking for multi-step projects. Use it to break down complex work, manage dependencies, assign owners, and track progress.

When to Use

• User has a complex feature with multiple implementation steps
• Multiple agents need coordinated work assignment
• User asks about task tracking, dependencies, or progress
• Project requires sequential phases with blocking dependencies
• User wants visibility into what is done and what remains

Core Patterns

Creating a Task Breakdown

Break complex work into discrete, actionable tasks:

TaskCreate:
  subject: "Set up database schema for user profiles"
  description: "Create migration files for users table with fields:
    id, email, name, avatar_url, created_at, updated_at.
    Use the existing migration framework in src/db/migrations/"
  status: "pending"

TaskCreate:
  subject: "Implement user profile API endpoints"
  description: "Create CRUD endpoints: GET/POST/PUT/DELETE /api/users/:id
    Follow existing route patterns in src/api/routes/"
  status: "pending"
  blockedBy: ["1"]  # Depends on database schema

TaskCreate:
  subject: "Add user profile UI components"
  description: "Create ProfileCard, ProfileEditor, AvatarUpload components
    in src/components/profile/"
  status: "pending"
  blockedBy: ["2"]  # Depends on API endpoints

Task Dependencies with blocks/blockedBy

Use addBlocks and addBlockedBy to express ordering constraints:

# Task 1: Database migration
# Task 2: API endpoints (blocked by 1)
# Task 3: UI components (blocked by 2)
# Task 4: E2E tests (blocked by 2 and 3)

TaskCreate:
  subject: "Write E2E tests for user profiles"
  status: "pending"
  blockedBy: ["2", "3"]  # Needs both API and UI

# Task 4 cannot start until tasks 2 AND 3 are completed.

Alternatively, set dependencies from the blocking task's side:

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "1"
  addBlocks: ["2", "3"]  # Task 1 blocks tasks 2 and 3

Status Tracking Workflow

Tasks follow a clear lifecycle:

pending  -->  in_progress  -->  completed
                                    |
                               (or deleted)

Claim and start a task:

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "1"
  status: "in_progress"
  owner: "CoreWorkflow"
  activeForm: "Creating database migration"

Complete a task:

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "1"
  status: "completed"

Owner Assignment for Multi-Agent Teams

Assign tasks to specific agents or team members:

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "1"
  owner: "DatabaseAgent"
  status: "in_progress"

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "2"
  owner: "APIAgent"
  status: "pending"  # Still blocked, but assigned

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "3"
  owner: "FrontendAgent"
  status: "pending"

Checking Progress

Use TaskList to see overall status:

TaskList:
  # Returns:
  # #1 [completed] Set up database schema (DatabaseAgent)
  # #2 [in_progress] Implement user profile API (APIAgent)
  # #3 [pending] Add user profile UI (FrontendAgent) - blocked by #2
  # #4 [pending] Write E2E tests - blocked by #2, #3

Use TaskGet for full details on a specific task:

TaskGet:
  taskId: "2"
  # Returns full description, comments, status, owner, blockers

Active Form for Spinner Display

Set activeForm to show what is happening during in_progress:

TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "2"
  activeForm: "Implementing GET /api/users/:id endpoint"

This shows a spinner with "Implementing GET /api/users/:id endpoint" in the UI.

Post-Completion Flow

After completing a task, check for newly unblocked work:

# 1. Complete current task
TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "2"
  status: "completed"

# 2. Check what is now unblocked
TaskList:
  # #3 [pending] Add user profile UI - no longer blocked!
  # #4 [pending] Write E2E tests - still blocked by #3

# 3. Claim the next available task
TaskUpdate:
  taskId: "3"
  status: "in_progress"
  owner: "FrontendAgent"

Task Granularity Guidelines

Right-sized tasks are:

• Completable in one focused session (15-60 minutes of work)
• Specific enough to verify completion
• Independent enough to have clear boundaries

# TOO COARSE:
"Build the entire authentication system"

# TOO FINE:
"Add import statement for bcrypt"

# RIGHT SIZE:
"Implement password hashing utility with bcrypt"
"Create login endpoint with JWT token generation"
"Add auth middleware for protected routes"

Anti-Patterns

• No dependencies: Creating 10 tasks without dependency relationships leads to out-of-order execution. Always express ordering constraints.
• Marking incomplete work as completed: Never set status to "completed" if tests fail, implementation is partial, or errors remain unresolved. Keep as "in_progress" and create a new blocking task for the issue.
• Skipping TaskList after completion: Always check TaskList after completing a task. Dependencies may have unblocked new work that should be claimed immediately.
• Monolithic tasks: A single task covering an entire feature provides no progress visibility. Break it into 3-7 subtasks with clear completion criteria.
• Orphaned tasks: Tasks with no owner and no blocker that sit in "pending" forever. After creating tasks, assign owners or claim them.

Quick Reference

Tool	Purpose	Key Fields
TaskCreate	Create new task	subject, description, status, blockedBy
TaskUpdate	Modify task	taskId, status, owner, activeForm, addBlocks, addBlockedBy
TaskList	See all tasks	(no params)
TaskGet	Full task details	taskId

Status flow: pending -> in_progress -> completed (or deleted) Dependencies: Use blockedBy/addBlocks to express ordering After completion: Always run TaskList to find unblocked work Task size: 15-60 minutes of focused work per task