Agent skill
orchestrating-parallel-agents
Spawns multiple AI coding agents to work on related GitHub issues concurrently using git worktrees. Use when breaking down a large feature into multiple issues, running parallel agents with --print flag, or managing wave-based execution of related tasks.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/aiskillstore/marketplace/tree/main/skills/4eyedengineer/orchestrating-parallel-agents
SKILL.md
Orchestrating Parallel Agents
Spawn multiple Claude agents to work on related issues concurrently using git worktrees.
Philosophy
- Issues ARE the prompts - Write issues with enough context for autonomous work
- Maximize parallelism - Group independent work into waves
- Fail fast - Complete git/PR manually if agents can't
- Trust but verify - Review diffs, resolve conflicts manually
Workflow Checklist
Copy and track progress:
Parallel Agent Orchestration:
- [ ] 1. Break feature into issues (1-3 files each)
- [ ] 2. Organize into waves (independent → dependent)
- [ ] 3. Pre-approve git permissions in settings.local.json
- [ ] 4. Spawn wave with --print flag
- [ ] 5. Monitor progress
- [ ] 6. Complete stragglers manually
- [ ] 7. Merge PRs (rebase between same-file conflicts)
- [ ] 8. Cleanup worktrees
Issue Template
Each issue should be completable in isolation:
## Problem
What's broken or missing.
## Solution
High-level approach.
## Files to Modify
- `path/to/file` - what changes
## Implementation
Code snippets or pseudocode.
## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Testable outcomes
Key: Include file paths and code examples. Agents work best with concrete starting points.
Wave Organization
Wave 1: Independent changes (no shared files)
Wave 2: Changes that may touch same files (expect conflicts)
Wave 3: Integration/testing (depends on all above)
Rule: Same-file issues go in different waves OR same agent.
Pre-approve Permissions
Add to .claude/settings.local.json for non-interactive --print mode:
"Bash(git -C /absolute/path/to/worktree add:*)",
"Bash(git -C /absolute/path/to/worktree commit:*)",
"Bash(git -C /absolute/path/to/worktree push:*)"
Spawn Agents
for issue in 101 102 103; do
(claude --print "/worktree-issue $issue" > "issue-${issue}.log" 2>&1) &
done
Monitor
ps aux | grep "claude.*worktree" | wc -l # Running agents
git worktree list # Worktrees created
tail -f issue-*.log # Live logs
Complete Stragglers
If agent finishes code but fails on git:
git -C <worktree> add -A
git -C <worktree> commit -m "feat: description"
git -C <worktree> push -u origin <branch>
gh pr create --head <branch> --title "..." --body "Closes #N"
Merge with Conflicts
gh pr merge N --squash --delete-branch
If conflicts after prior merges:
cd <worktree> && git fetch origin main && git rebase origin/main
# resolve conflicts
git push --force-with-lease
Cleanup
git worktree remove <path>
git branch -D <branch>
git worktree prune
Quick Reference
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| 1-3 files per issue | Higher success rate |
| Include "Files to Modify" | Agents find code faster |
| Backend-first waves | Fewer frontend conflicts |
| Merge same-file PRs sequentially | Rebase between each |
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Agent stuck on permissions | Complete git manually |
| Merge conflict | Rebase, resolve, force-push |
| Agent went off-scope | Reject PR, clarify issue |
| Too many conflicts | Smaller waves, sequential merge |
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