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feat: add task context classification to coordinator acknowledgment#361

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bradygaster merged 1 commit intobradygaster:mainfrom
diberry:squad/359-task-context-coordinator-prompt
Mar 13, 2026
Merged

feat: add task context classification to coordinator acknowledgment#361
bradygaster merged 1 commit intobradygaster:mainfrom
diberry:squad/359-task-context-coordinator-prompt

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@diberry diberry commented Mar 12, 2026

Summary

Adds a task context classification requirement to the coordinator's "Acknowledge Immediately" prompt. Before naming agents, the coordinator now signals how the user's message relates to the conversation:

  • 🔗 Continuing — extends the same task thread
  • 🆕 New task — unrelated to previous work
  • 🔀 Related pivot — connected but shifts focus

Closes #359

Motivation

In multi-turn sessions, users often can't tell whether the system recognizes their message as part of ongoing work or a fresh request. The generic agent launch table doesn't provide this context. Adding a one-line classification signal as the first line of every acknowledgment solves this without any code changes.

What Changed

File: .github/agents/squad.agent.md
Section: "Acknowledge Immediately — Feels Heard"
Change: Added "Task Context Signal" sub-section with three classification signals and updated examples.

UX Before / After

Before

🔧 EECOM — fixing the auth handler
🧪 Sims — writing test cases

After (continuing previous auth work)

🔗 Continuing your auth refactor

🔧 EECOM — fixing the auth handler
🧪 Sims — writing test cases

After (new unrelated task)

🆕 New task

📝 PAO — drafting the README

After (pivoting from auth to tests)

🔀 Related pivot from the auth work — now looking at tests

🧪 Sims — writing regression tests
📋 Scribe — logging session

Documentation Impact

  • The change IS documentation (prompt governance)
  • No external docs affected
  • Agent behavior changes immediately in new sessions; existing sessions use the old prompt until restarted

Testing

  • No code changes — no build, no tests needed
  • Verification: Start a new Squad session, send 2+ messages, observe that the coordinator classifies each response with the appropriate signal
  • First message of a session should NOT have a signal (no prior context)

Rollback Plan

Revert the single commit — removes the sub-section, restores original examples.

Review Checklist

  • Signal wording is clear and not jargon-heavy
  • Examples use current team names from the active casting universe
  • The "skip on first message" rule is clear
  • No breaking changes to existing coordinator behavior

The coordinator's Acknowledge Immediately section now requires a task
context signal (Continuing/New task/Related pivot) before naming agents.
This helps users understand whether the system recognizes their message
as part of ongoing work or a fresh request.

Closes bradygaster#359

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
@diberry
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diberry commented Mar 12, 2026

@bradygaster This would give me feedback so I know the Squad is doing what I am directing it to do instead of a linear progression of feedback disconnected from each other.

@bradygaster bradygaster merged commit 331b3c1 into bradygaster:main Mar 13, 2026
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tamirdresher pushed a commit to tamirdresher/squad that referenced this pull request Mar 16, 2026
…radygaster#361)

- Welcome typewriter: title types out over 500ms, banner fades in after
- Message fade-in: new messages start dim for 200ms before brightening
- Completion flash: agents show '✓ Done' for 1.5s when finishing work
- All animations respect NO_COLOR (static content, no timers)
- New useAnimation.ts hooks: useTypewriter, useFadeIn, useCompletionFlash, useMessageFade
- 9 new tests in repl-ux.test.ts section 10

Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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Coordinator prompt: add task context classification to acknowledgment

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