Autonomous Orchestrator Loop: $ARGUMENTS

You are an autonomous orchestrator. You dispatch workers, handle their completions, reconcile results, and dispatch newly unblocked tasks — repeating until all work is done or limits are reached.

Section 1: Argument Parsing

Arguments: $ARGUMENTS

Parse the following flags:

• --max-batches N — Stop after N dispatch rounds (default: unlimited)
• --max-hours H — Stop after H hours (default: unlimited)
• --max-concurrent N — Max parallel workers per batch (default: 3)
• --dry-run — Show what would be dispatched without acting
• --resume — Resume from checkpoint (skip orient)
• --skip-milestone-review — Skip the milestone review phase after tasks complete
• --milestone-review-iterations N — Max milestone review iterations (default: 5)
• --through <task-id> — Complete everything needed to finish this task, then stop
• --epic <epic-id> — Complete all tasks within this epic, then stop
• --only <id1> <id2> ... — Only dispatch these specific tasks (and their blockers)

Section 2: Initial Setup

Check for Checkpoint

Read checkpoint at docs/auto-run-checkpoint.json (resolve from main repo root via git worktree list | head -1 | awk '{print $1}').

If --resume AND checkpoint exists with status "running":

1. Read checkpoint state (including scope config)
2. Log resumption context: batch number, completed list, in-progress list, scope
3. Check if any previously in-progress tasks have since completed — look for session summaries:

bash ls docs/session_summaries/<task-id>*.txt 2>/dev/null

1. If summaries found → reconcile them first:

Call /reconcile-summary --yes --no-cleanup via Skill tool

1. Skip orient, proceed to dispatch loop (Section 3)

If fresh start (no checkpoint or no --resume):

1. Run /orient via Skill tool
2. Resolve scope (see Section 2.1)
3. Write initial checkpoint

Write checkpoint JSON to docs/auto-run-checkpoint.json with:

• version: 1
• status: "running"
• start_time: current ISO8601 timestamp
• config: parsed flags (max_batches, max_hours, max_concurrent)
• scope: resolved scope (see 2.1)
• batch_number: 0
• tasks: { completed: ], failed: ], in_progress: ], branch_isolation_failures: ] }
• stats: { total_dispatched: 0, total_completed: 0, total_failed: 0, total_batches: 0, total_branch_isolation_failures: 0 }

2.1 Resolve Scope

Determine which tasks are in-scope for this auto-run:

If --through <task-id>: Walk the dependency graph backward from <task-id> to find all transitive blockers:

bash
bd show <task-id>  # get BLOCKED BY list
# Recursively resolve each blocker's blockers

Build a set of all task IDs that must complete for <task-id> to be unblocked and completable. Include <task-id> itself. Store as scope.task_ids in checkpoint. Set scope.mode to "through" and scope.target to <task-id>.

If --epic <epic-id>: List all tasks that are children/subtasks of this epic:

bash
bd list --all | grep <epic-id>

Store all child task IDs as scope.task_ids. Set scope.mode to "epic" and scope.target to <epic-id>.

If --only <id1> <id2> ...: Use exactly those task IDs. Also resolve their transitive blockers (tasks that must complete first) and include those in scope. Store as scope.task_ids. Set scope.mode to "only".

If no scope flags: scope.task_ids = null (all ready tasks are in scope). Set scope.mode to "all".

Log the resolved scope:

Auto-run scope: N tasks [list IDs]. Target: <task-id or epic-id or "all">

First Dispatch

1. Run bd ready to get available tasks
2. Filter ready tasks to only those in scope.task_ids (if set; if null, use all)
3. If no in-scope ready tasks:

• Check if target task is already closed → exit with completion report
• Otherwise report "No ready tasks in scope" and exit

1. If ready tasks exist:

• Calculate count = min(ready_count, max_concurrent)
• Call /dispatch <specific-task-ids> --count <count> --no-plan --yes via Skill tool, passing only in-scope task IDs

4a. After dispatch returns, check its output for branch isolation failures:

• If dispatch reported failures, record them in checkpoint tasks.branch_isolation_failures (see schema below)
• Only count successfully isolated workers as in_progress
• Failed tasks return to the ready pool automatically (they were unassigned by dispatch)
• Circuit breaker: If a task ID already appears in branch_isolation_failures from a prior batch with attempts >= 2, move it to failed with reason "branch_isolation_repeated_failure" and log: "Task <id> failed branch isolation twice — flagged for human attention."

1. Update checkpoint: add dispatched tasks to in_progress, set batch_number: 1

Section 3: Main Loop (Event-Driven)

The loop is driven by Agent Teams. When a teammate finishes, you receive their message as a new conversation turn. Each time you receive a teammate message:

Step A — Identify Completion

Extract task ID from the teammate's message or idle notification. Check for session summary:

bash
ls docs/session_summaries/<task-id>*.txt 2>/dev/null

Step B — Reconcile

If summary exists: Call /reconcile-summary <task-id> --no-cleanup --yes via Skill tool.

After reconciliation, check if the completed task touched frontend files:

bash
# Check the session summary for frontend file extensions
grep -E '\.(tsx|jsx|vue|svelte|html|css|scss)' docs/session_summaries/<task-id>*.txt 2>/dev/null

If frontend files were modified, note for milestone review:

Frontend changes detected in <task-id> — Playwright browser verification will run during milestone review.

If no summary (teammate may have failed):

1. Send one follow-up message to the teammate asking for status (SendMessage)
2. If still stuck after the follow-up: mark as failed
3. Create investigation task:

bash bd create --title="Investigate: <task-id> failed" --type=task --priority=1 --parent <epic-id>

Update checkpoint: move task from in_progress to completed (or failed).

Circuit breaker: If the same task ID appears in the checkpoint's failed list with attempts >= 2, skip it and log: "Task <id> failed twice — flagged for human attention."

Step C — Check Limits

• If --max-batches reached → write checkpoint with status: "paused", report "Auto-run paused. N tasks remain.", exit.
• If --max-hours elapsed (compare current time to start_time in checkpoint) → same.

Step D — Dispatch Next Batch

1. Run bd ready
2. Filter to in-scope tasks only (if scope.task_ids is set in checkpoint)
3. Calculate available_slots = max_concurrent - current_in_progress_count

If in-scope ready tasks AND available_slots > 0:

• Call /dispatch <specific-task-ids> --no-plan --yes via Skill tool (pass only in-scope IDs, limited to available_slots)
• Increment batch_number in checkpoint
• Add dispatched tasks to in_progress in checkpoint
• Check dispatch output for branch isolation failures (same logic as Section 2 step 4a):
• Record failures in checkpoint, only count isolated workers as in_progress
• Apply circuit breaker for repeated failures (attempts >= 2 → mark failed)

Completion checks:

• If --through target task is now closed → all done → go to Section 4 (Completion)
• If --epic and all epic children closed → all done → go to Section 4
• If no in-scope ready AND no in-progress → all done → go to Section 4
• If no in-scope ready BUT tasks still in-progress → wait for more completions (do nothing, Agent Teams will deliver the next message)

Step E — Context Self-Monitoring

After every 3 reconciliation cycles, assess context health. If you notice degradation (losing track of state, responses feeling truncated, difficulty recalling earlier context):

1. Write checkpoint with status: "running" (preserving all current state)
2. Log: "Context limit approaching. Exiting for wrapper restart."
3. Exit gracefully — the wrapper script (if running) will restart with --resume

Section 4: Completion

When no ready tasks AND no in-progress tasks (all work done):

1. Final reconciliation: Call /reconcile-summary --yes via Skill tool (WITHOUT --no-cleanup — this triggers team cleanup)

Step 1.5: Milestone Review Phase

After reconciliation, run an iterative review-fix pass on accumulated branch changes:

1. If --skip-milestone-review was passed: skip, log "Milestone review skipped by flag"
2. Detect milestone branch:

bash git branch -r --list 'origin/milestone/*' | sort -V | tail -1

1. If no milestone branch found: skip, log "No milestone branch found — skipping milestone review"
2. Update checkpoint: milestone_review.status: "in_progress"
3. Dispatch a review worker:

• mode: "bypassPermissions"
• Prompt: Check out the milestone branch, run /milestone-review --max-iterations <N> --base-branch main (use --milestone-review-iterations value or default 5)
• The worker pushes fixes directly to the milestone branch (no separate PR — the milestone-to-main PR is the human review checkpoint)

1. Wait for worker completion (event-driven, same as main loop)
2. Read the worker's report/session summary
3. Update checkpoint: milestone_review.status: "completed" with stats from the worker's report

1. Write checkpoint with status: "completed" and final stats
2. Final report:

═══════════════════════════════════════════
AUTO-RUN COMPLETE
═══════════════════════════════════════════
Duration: <elapsed time>
Batches: <count>
Completed: <count> tasks
Failed: <count> tasks
Branch Isolation Failures: <count> (isolation failures across all batches)

MILESTONE REVIEW:
- Status: <completed|skipped|N/A>
- Iterations: <count>
- Findings fixed: <count>
- Findings deferred: <count> (needs human decision)

COMPLETED:
- <task-id>: <title>
- ...

FAILED:
- <task-id>: <title> — <reason>
- ...

REMAINING (if any):
- <task-id>: <title>
- ...

═══════════════════════════════════════════

1. Run bd list and bd ready to show final board state.

Checkpoint Schema

File: docs/auto-run-checkpoint.json

json
{
  "version": 1,
  "status": "running|completed|paused|errored",
  "start_time": "ISO8601",
  "last_updated": "ISO8601",
  "config": {
    "max_batches": null,
    "max_hours": null,
    "max_concurrent": 3
  },
  "scope": {
    "mode": "all|through|epic|only",
    "target": "Proj-xyz",
    "task_ids": ["Proj-abc", "Proj-def", "Proj-xyz"]
  },
  "batch_number": 2,
  "session_count": 1,
  "tasks": {
    "completed": [{ "id": "Proj-abc", "title": "...", "completed_at": "...", "batch": 1 }],
    "failed": [{ "id": "Proj-xyz", "title": "...", "reason": "...", "attempts": 1 }],
    "in_progress": [{ "id": "Proj-def", "title": "...", "dispatched_at": "...", "batch": 2 }],
    "branch_isolation_failures": [{ "id": "Proj-abc", "title": "...", "batch": 2, "attempts": 1 }]
  },
  "stats": {
    "total_dispatched": 4,
    "total_completed": 1,
    "total_failed": 0,
    "total_batches": 2,
    "total_branch_isolation_failures": 0
  },
  "milestone_review": {
    "status": "pending|in_progress|completed|skipped",
    "iterations": 0,
    "findings_fixed": 0,
    "findings_deferred": 0
  }
}

Error Handling

• Failed tasks: Create investigation tasks in beads, picked up in next dispatch cycle
• Circuit breaker: Same task failing twice → skip and flag for human attention
• Stuck teammates: Send 1 follow-up message, then mark failed if no response
• No beads CLI: Exit with clear error — bd must be available
• Checkpoint corruption: If checkpoint can't be parsed, start fresh (warn user)
• Branch isolation fails: /dispatch shuts down workers that didn't create task branches and unassigns their tasks. Auto-run records failures in checkpoint branch_isolation_failures. Same task failing isolation twice triggers circuit breaker — moved to failed list and flagged for human attention.