Communications Expertise

When to Use This Skill

Load this skill when you need to:

• Send notifications for project milestones
• Announce setup completion to project streams/channels
• Post deployment or release notices
• Share status updates with teams

Quick Reference

AgentFlow uses Zulip as the primary communication platform. Slack is legacy (gated behind SLACK_ENABLED=false by default).

Zulip (Primary)

Zulip notifications are sent via the Zulip API using bot credentials from Doppler:

Sending a Zulip message:

curl -s -X POST "$ZULIP_REALM/api/v1/messages" \
  -u "$ZULIP_BOT_EMAIL:$ZULIP_API_KEY" \
  -d "type=stream" \
  -d "to=engineering-team" \
  -d "topic=AgentFlow Updates" \
  --data-urlencode "content=Your message here"

Slack (Legacy)

Slack MCP tools are available but gated behind SLACK_ENABLED=true. By default Slack is disabled.

Available Slack MCP tools (legacy):

• mcp__slack__slack_list_channels - List available channels
• mcp__slack__slack_post_message - Post to a channel
• mcp__slack__slack_reply_to_thread - Reply in a thread
• mcp__slack__slack_get_channel_history - Read recent messages

Note: Only use Slack MCP tools when SLACK_ENABLED=true is set and the agent is running in Slack-enabled mode.

Message Templates

Greenfield Setup Complete

Project setup complete!

**{Project Name}**
GitHub: https://github.com/{owner}/{repo}
Linear: https://linear.app/gaininsight/team/{KEY}
Worktree: /srv/worktrees/{repo}/develop

Ready for development. Use `start-work {repo} {ISSUE-ID}` to begin.

Deployment Notice

Deployed to {environment}

**{Project Name}** v{version}
URL: {deployment-url}
Issues: {comma-separated issue IDs}

Changes:
- {Change 1}
- {Change 2}

Status Update

Status Update: **{Project Name}**

Completed: {list}
In Progress: {list}
Blocked: {list if any}

Workflow

Sending a Zulip Notification (Primary)

1. Determine the stream and topic:

   • Use the project's configured Zulip stream (from project registry)
   • Use a descriptive topic (e.g., "Deployments", "Setup", "AgentFlow Updates")

2. Post message:

   bashCopy

   curl -s -X POST "$ZULIP_REALM/api/v1/messages" \
     -u "$ZULIP_BOT_EMAIL:$ZULIP_API_KEY" \
     -d "type=stream" \
     -d "to={stream-name}" \
     -d "topic={topic}" \
     --data-urlencode "content={formatted message}"
   

3. Handle errors:

   • HTTP 401 -> Invalid bot credentials
   • HTTP 400 -> Invalid stream or missing parameters
   • Check ZULIP_REALM, ZULIP_BOT_EMAIL, ZULIP_API_KEY are set

Sending a Slack Notification (Legacy)

Only when SLACK_ENABLED=true:

1. Check channel access:

   Copy

   mcp__slack__slack_list_channels
   

   Look for is_member: true

2. Post message:

   Copy

   mcp__slack__slack_post_message
   - channel_id: [from list]
   - text: [formatted message]
   

3. Handle errors:

   • not_in_channel -> Bot needs to be invited to channel
   • channel_not_found -> Invalid channel ID
   • not_authed -> Token issue

Bot Invitation (Slack Legacy)

If bot isn't in a channel, instruct user:

"Please invite the bot to #{channel} by typing /invite @AgentFlow in the channel"

Integration Points

Greenfield setup (af-setup-project):

• After setup completion, optionally notify the project's Zulip stream
• Only if user provided a Zulip stream (or Slack channel for legacy) during setup

Delivery phase (af-deliver-features):

• Post deployment notices after successful releases
• Update on PR merges if configured

Common Pitfalls

1. Missing Zulip credentials - Ensure ZULIP_BOT_EMAIL, ZULIP_API_KEY, ZULIP_REALM are available via Doppler
2. Wrong stream name - Verify the stream exists in Zulip before posting
3. Slack not enabled - Don't attempt Slack MCP tools unless SLACK_ENABLED=true
4. Bot not in Slack channel (legacy) - Must be invited before posting

Key Principles

1. Zulip is primary - Use Zulip for all new notifications
2. Slack is legacy - Only use when explicitly enabled via SLACK_ENABLED=true
3. Notifications are optional - Don't block workflows on notification failures
4. Keep messages concise - Use templates, avoid walls of text
5. Include links - GitHub, Linear, deployment URLs
6. Fail gracefully - Log error, continue workflow