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Team Communication Protocols · wshobson | DecimalAI

Agent Toolingby wshobson

Team Communication Protocols

Structured messaging protocols for agent team communication including message type selection, plan approval, shutdown procedures, and anti-patterns to avoid.

Never made a case worse

SkillScore

SkillScore99/100

Test results 100 · Live runs 98

Safety

3/3 safety checks passed

Code scan
Intent
Content

What it changes

23%100%of test cases passed +77 pts

Without skill5 of 22

With skill22 of 22

17 fixed5 passed either way0 still failing0 broke

Measured on gemini-3.6-flash8/7/2026v1

Track record

Agent runs: 294; 82 in the last 30 days
Forks: 2

See one task, with and without the skill

One test taskA team lead wants to grant full approval for plan request 'req-789' submitted by 'data-engineer'. Construct the exact JSON payload required to notify the engineer that they may proceed.

Without the skillMissed

With the skillPassed

Same model, same task. Answers are capped and redacted.

Use this skill

Your agent runs on

Adds every file the skill has, pinned so you can update it. No account needed.

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols
claude --plugin-dir "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)/.agents"

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"

Add the skill

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

print("Added. Start Claude Code with the command below.")

Start Claude Code with it

claude --plugin-dir "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd)/.agents"

Type these in a Claude Code session. No account or API key. It writes the skill and any files it bundles, and asks first when its safety rating isn't Passed.

Add the DecimalAI plugin, once

/plugin marketplace add decimal-labs/decimalai-claude-plugins
/plugin install decimalai@decimalai

Install this skill

/decimalai:install wshobson-team-communication-protocols

The plugin needs python3 and curl on your machine.

No Python or account. Claude Code picks it up in its next session.

Save it into your project

curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o .claude/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md https://app.decimal.ai/s/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.claude/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Claude Code docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[claude-agent-sdk]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import asyncio

from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions
from decimalai.claude_agent_sdk import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

async def main():
    question = "Hello!"
    async with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
        async for message in run.query(options=ClaudeAgentOptions(max_turns=6)):
            print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

Prefer its own loader? ClaudeAgentOptions(plugins=[skills_plugin()], skills="all") reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[claude-agent-sdk]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import asyncio

from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions
from decimalai.claude_agent_sdk import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

async def main():
    question = "Hello!"
    async with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
        async for message in run.query(options=ClaudeAgentOptions(max_turns=6)):
            print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

Prefer its own loader? ClaudeAgentOptions(plugins=[skills_plugin()], skills="all") reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeAgentOptions, query

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}", max_turns=6)

async def main():
    async for message in query(prompt="Hello!", options=options):
        print(message)

# In a notebook or async code: await main()
asyncio.run(main())

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Claude Agent SDK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai-agents]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from agents import Agent, Runner
from decimalai.openai_agents import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    name=support.name,
    instructions=support.instructions,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],             # your tools, then load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

Using SandboxAgent? capabilities=[Shell(), decimalai.openai_agents.sandbox_skills()] points its own loader at the same folder.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai-agents]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from agents import Agent, Runner
from decimalai.openai_agents import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    name=support.name,
    instructions=support.instructions,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],             # your tools, then load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

Using SandboxAgent? capabilities=[Shell(), decimalai.openai_agents.sandbox_skills()] points its own loader at the same folder.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from agents import Agent, Runner

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(name="support", instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
# In a notebook or async code: result = await Runner.run(agent, "Hello!")
result = Runner.run_sync(agent, "Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

OpenAI Agents docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import json

from openai import OpenAI
from decimalai.openai import agent_config

client = OpenAI()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your tools, as Chat Completions takes them, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"type": "function", "function": {
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                   "required": ["order_id"]},
}}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    # run.system is your prompt, then the skill list.
    messages = [{"role": "system", "content": run.system}, run.message]
    while True:
        reply = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="gpt-5.4-mini",
            messages=messages,
            tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tools],  # your tools, then load_skill
        ).choices[0].message
        messages.append(reply)
        if not reply.tool_calls:
            break
        for call in reply.tool_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own tools by FUNCTIONS.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.function.name)
            messages.append(run.tool_result(call) or {
                "role": "tool", "tool_call_id": call.id,
                "content": function(**json.loads(call.function.arguments)) if function
                else f"There is no tool named {call.function.name!r}.",
            })
print(reply.content)

# The Responses API takes run.response_tools instead of run.tools.

Install

pip install "decimalai[openai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import json

from openai import OpenAI
from decimalai.openai import agent_config

client = OpenAI()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your tools, as Chat Completions takes them, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"type": "function", "function": {
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                   "required": ["order_id"]},
}}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    # run.system is your prompt, then the skill list.
    messages = [{"role": "system", "content": run.system}, run.message]
    while True:
        reply = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="gpt-5.4-mini",
            messages=messages,
            tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tools],  # your tools, then load_skill
        ).choices[0].message
        messages.append(reply)
        if not reply.tool_calls:
            break
        for call in reply.tool_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own tools by FUNCTIONS.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.function.name)
            messages.append(run.tool_result(call) or {
                "role": "tool", "tool_call_id": call.id,
                "content": function(**json.loads(call.function.arguments)) if function
                else f"There is no tool named {call.function.name!r}.",
            })
print(reply.content)

# The Responses API takes run.response_tools instead of run.tools.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
reply = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-5.4-mini",
    messages=[
        {"role": "system", "content": f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}"},
        {"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"},
    ],
).choices[0].message

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

OpenAI SDK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[anthropic]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import anthropic
from decimalai.anthropic import agent_config

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

question = "Hello!"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    answer = client.beta.messages.tool_runner(
        model="claude-haiku-5-5",
        max_tokens=4096,
        system=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*run.tools],    # your tools, then load_skill
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": question}],
    ).until_done()

Install

pip install "decimalai[anthropic]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import anthropic
from decimalai.anthropic import agent_config

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

question = "Hello!"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    answer = client.beta.messages.tool_runner(
        model="claude-haiku-5-5",
        max_tokens=4096,
        system=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*run.tools],    # your tools, then load_skill
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": question}],
    ).until_done()

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
import anthropic

client = anthropic.Anthropic()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
reply = client.messages.create(
    model="claude-haiku-5-5",
    max_tokens=4096,
    system=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Anthropic docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[google-genai]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from google import genai
from google.genai import types
from decimalai.google_genai import agent_config

client = genai.Client()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your functions, as declarations for the model, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"function_declarations": [{
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters_json_schema": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                               "required": ["order_id"]},
}]}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    config = types.GenerateContentConfig(
        system_instruction=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tool_params],  # your functions, then load_skill
    )
    contents = [{"role": "user", "parts": [{"text": run.message}]}]
    while True:
        response = client.models.generate_content(
            model="gemini-3.5-flash", contents=contents, config=config,
        )
        if not response.function_calls:
            break
        contents.append(response.candidates[0].content)
        parts = []
        for call in response.function_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own functions by FUNCTIONS.
            # A loop of your own rather than automatic function calling, which
            # raises KeyError when the model asks for a function you did not pass.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.name)
            parts.append(run.tool_result(call) or {"function_response": {
                "name": call.name, "id": call.id,
                "response": {"result": function(**(call.args or {})) if function
                             else f"There is no function named {call.name!r}."},
            }})
        contents.append({"role": "user", "parts": parts})
print(response.text)

Install

pip install "decimalai[google-genai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from google import genai
from google.genai import types
from decimalai.google_genai import agent_config

client = genai.Client()
# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")


def lookup_order(order_id: str) -> str:
    return f"Order {order_id} shipped yesterday."


# Your functions, as declarations for the model, and what answers each.
TOOLS = [{"function_declarations": [{
    "name": "lookup_order",
    "description": "Look up the status of an order.",
    "parameters_json_schema": {"type": "object", "properties": {"order_id": {"type": "string"}},
                               "required": ["order_id"]},
}]}]
FUNCTIONS = {"lookup_order": lookup_order}

question = "Where is order A1001?"
with support.run(question) as run:  # one user message, one run
    config = types.GenerateContentConfig(
        system_instruction=run.system,     # your prompt, then the skill list
        tools=[*TOOLS, *run.tool_params],  # your functions, then load_skill
    )
    contents = [{"role": "user", "parts": [{"text": run.message}]}]
    while True:
        response = client.models.generate_content(
            model="gemini-3.5-flash", contents=contents, config=config,
        )
        if not response.function_calls:
            break
        contents.append(response.candidates[0].content)
        parts = []
        for call in response.function_calls:
            # load_skill is answered by the run; your own functions by FUNCTIONS.
            # A loop of your own rather than automatic function calling, which
            # raises KeyError when the model asks for a function you did not pass.
            function = FUNCTIONS.get(call.name)
            parts.append(run.tool_result(call) or {"function_response": {
                "name": call.name, "id": call.id,
                "response": {"result": function(**(call.args or {})) if function
                             else f"There is no function named {call.name!r}."},
            }})
        contents.append({"role": "user", "parts": parts})
print(response.text)

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from google import genai
from google.genai import types

client = genai.Client()
skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
response = client.models.generate_content(
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    contents="Hello!",
    config=types.GenerateContentConfig(system_instruction=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}"),
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Gemini API docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[langchain]" langchain-openai
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from langchain.agents import create_agent
from decimalai.langchain import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = create_agent(
    "openai:gpt-5.4-mini",
    tools=[],                         # your tools; the middleware adds load_skill
    middleware=[support.middleware],  # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

Install

pip install "decimalai[langchain]" langchain-openai

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from langchain.agents import create_agent
from decimalai.langchain import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = create_agent(
    "openai:gpt-5.4-mini",
    tools=[],                         # your tools; the middleware adds load_skill
    middleware=[support.middleware],  # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from langchain.agents import create_agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = create_agent("openai:gpt-5.4-mini", tools=[], system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
result = agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

LangChain docs

CrewAI's own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" "crewai>=1.15.27"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import decimalai.crewai
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                               # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=decimalai.crewai.skills(),      # the installed folder
    tools=decimalai.crewai.skill_tools(),  # reads a skill's files, runs its scripts
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. CrewAI's own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" "crewai>=1.15.27"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import decimalai.crewai
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                               # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=decimalai.crewai.skills(),      # the installed folder
    tools=decimalai.crewai.skill_tools(),  # reads a skill's files, runs its scripts
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

No DecimalAI package. CrewAI's own loader reads the folder, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from crewai import Agent, Crew, Task

agent = Agent(
    role="Support", goal="Help the customer", backstory="A support agent.",
    llm=llm,                         # your own CrewAI LLM
    skills=[Path(".agents/skills")],
)
task = Task(description="Hello!", expected_output="an answer", agent=agent)
Crew(agents=[agent], tasks=[task]).kickoff()

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

CrewAI docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[adk]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from decimalai.adk import DecimalAIPlugin, agent_config
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent
from google.adk.apps import App

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",          # ADK needs a Python identifier
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=support.instruction,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],           # your tools, then load_skill
)
# DecimalAIPlugin makes each invocation of runners built from this App one trace.
app = App(name="support", root_agent=agent, plugins=[DecimalAIPlugin()])

Prefer ADK's own loader? SkillToolset(skills=decimalai.adk.skills(), ...) reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

Install

pip install "decimalai[adk]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from decimalai.adk import DecimalAIPlugin, agent_config
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent
from google.adk.apps import App

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",          # ADK needs a Python identifier
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=support.instruction,  # your prompt, then the skill list
    tools=[*support.tools],           # your tools, then load_skill
)
# DecimalAIPlugin makes each invocation of runners built from this App one trace.
app = App(name="support", root_agent=agent, plugins=[DecimalAIPlugin()])

Prefer ADK's own loader? SkillToolset(skills=decimalai.adk.skills(), ...) reads the same folder. Use one or the other: a skill delivered both ways reaches the prompt twice.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from google.adk.agents import LlmAgent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = LlmAgent(
    name="support",
    model="gemini-3.5-flash",
    instruction=lambda context: f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}",
)

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Google ADK docs

agent_config() hands your agent the skill. With no DecimalAI key it reads your project's files and sends nothing. Needs SDK 0.27 or newer.

Install

pip install "decimalai[pydantic-ai]"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from pydantic_ai import Agent
from decimalai.pydantic_ai import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-4o-mini",
    name=support.name,
    tools=[],                 # your tools; the capability adds load_skill
    capabilities=[support],   # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

On the Pydantic AI harness, decimalai.pydantic_ai_harness.skills(project) uses its own loader instead.

Install

pip install "decimalai[pydantic-ai]"

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from pydantic_ai import Agent
from decimalai.pydantic_ai import agent_config

# With no DECIMAL_API_KEY this reads the skills your project lists, from disk.
support = agent_config("support", fallback="You are a helpful agent.")

agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-4o-mini",
    name=support.name,
    tools=[],                 # your tools; the capability adds load_skill
    capabilities=[support],   # your prompt, the skill list and load_skill
)
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

On the Pydantic AI harness, decimalai.pydantic_ai_harness.skills(project) uses its own loader instead.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from pydantic_ai import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent("openai:gpt-4o-mini", instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
# In a notebook or async code: result = await agent.run("Hello!")
result = agent.run_sync("Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Pydantic AI docs

Deep Agents' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" deepagents
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import decimalai.deepagents
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, **decimalai.deepagents.skills())
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

The default backend reads files but has no shell. To run a skill's scripts, pass skills(backend=LocalShellBackend(...)).

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Deep Agents' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" deepagents

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import decimalai.deepagents
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, **decimalai.deepagents.skills())
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

The default backend reads files but has no shell. To run a skill's scripts, pass skills(backend=LocalShellBackend(...)).

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from deepagents import create_deep_agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = create_deep_agent(model=model, system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
agent.invoke({"messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]})

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Deep Agents docs

Its own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" agent-framework
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

import asyncio

from agent_framework import Agent
from decimalai.agent_framework import skills

agent = Agent(client=client, instructions="You are a helpful agent.", context_providers=[skills()])
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

It caches skills by default, so restart the process after decimalai skills update.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Its own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" agent-framework

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

import asyncio

from agent_framework import Agent
from decimalai.agent_framework import skills

agent = Agent(client=client, instructions="You are a helpful agent.", context_providers=[skills()])
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

It caches skills by default, so restart the process after decimalai skills update.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

import asyncio
from pathlib import Path
from agent_framework import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(client=client, instructions=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
asyncio.run(agent.run("Hello!"))

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Microsoft Agent Framework docs

Strands' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" strands-agents
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

Add it to your agent

from decimalai.strands import skills
from strands import Agent
from strands.vended_tools import file_editor, shell

agent = Agent(
    model=model,                # always pass one: the default is Amazon Bedrock
    system_prompt="You are a helpful agent.",
    tools=[file_editor, shell],
    plugins=[skills()],
)
agent("Hello!")

Strands loads an agent's skills once, so build the agent again after decimalai skills update.

The same install from Python, for a notebook or a setup script. Strands' own skill loader reads the installed folder. No DecimalAI account needed.

Install

pip install "decimalai>=0.16" strands-agents

Add it to your agent

from decimalai import skillpkg

# Writes .agents/skills and .decimal/skills.toml. Safe to run twice.
result = skillpkg.add("wshobson-team-communication-protocols")
if result.exit_code:
    raise SystemExit(result.problems)

from decimalai.strands import skills
from strands import Agent
from strands.vended_tools import file_editor, shell

agent = Agent(
    model=model,                # always pass one: the default is Amazon Bedrock
    system_prompt="You are a helpful agent.",
    tools=[file_editor, shell],
    plugins=[skills()],
)
agent("Hello!")

Strands loads an agent's skills once, so build the agent again after decimalai skills update.

No DecimalAI package. The whole skill goes in every prompt, and nothing pins or updates it.

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Give it to your agent

from pathlib import Path
from strands import Agent

skill = Path(".agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md").read_text()
agent = Agent(model=model, system_prompt=f"You are a helpful agent.\n\n{skill}")
agent("Hello!")

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Strands docs

Adds every file the skill has, pinned so you can update it. Cursor, Copilot, Cline and Warp read this folder by themselves.

pip install "decimalai>=0.15"
decimalai skills add wshobson-team-communication-protocols

No Python or account. Cursor, Copilot, Cline and Warp read this folder by themselves.

Save it into your project

curl -fsSL --create-dirs -o .agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md https://app.decimal.ai/s/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Copy SKILL.md

Save it in your project, as

.agents/skills/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Cursor and other editors docs

Fetch the file and give its text to your model as instructions. No account or package needed.

Get the file

curl -fsSL https://app.decimal.ai/s/wshobson-team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

Read the summary as JSON

curl -fsSL https://app.decimal.ai/s/wshobson-team-communication-protocols.json

This gets SKILL.md only. The skill's 1 other file is not included.

Other ways to add it

Other setups docs

You don't need a DecimalAI account.

Version: v1, tested 8/7/2026
Source: wshobson/agents ↗
License: MIT

Manage it in DecimalAI

Saved prompts and skills, pinned versions, and traces of this skill in your runs. DecimalAI does not run your agent.

Claude Code reads files from your project, so DecimalAI config does not apply there.

On Claude Agent SDK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On OpenAI Agents: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On OpenAI SDK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Anthropic: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Gemini API: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On LangChain: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On CrewAI: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(crewai=True) to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Google ADK: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Pydantic AI: save the skill to an agent here, set DECIMAL_API_KEY, and the same code uses it with no command to run. Changes you save reach the next run with no redeploy.

On Deep Agents: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(langchain=True) to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Microsoft Agent Framework: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(otel=True, agent_name="support") to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

On Strands: set DECIMAL_API_KEY and add decimalai.init(otel=True, agent_name="support") to record runs and skill use. The skill version stays in your repo.

Editors read files from your project, so DecimalAI config does not apply there.

Anywhere else: record a use with decimalai.log_skill_activation() inside a trace.

Use this skill

SKILL.md

Team Communication Protocols

Protocols for effective communication between agent teammates, including message type selection, plan approval workflows, shutdown procedures, and common anti-patterns to avoid.

When to Use This Skill

Establishing communication norms for a new team
Choosing between message types (message, broadcast, shutdown_request)
Handling plan approval workflows
Managing graceful team shutdown
Discovering teammate identities and capabilities

Message Type Selection

`message` (Direct Message) — Default Choice

Send to a single specific teammate:

{
  "type": "message",
  "recipient": "implementer-1",
  "content": "Your API endpoint is ready. You can now build the frontend form.",
  "summary": "API endpoint ready for frontend"
}

Use for: Task updates, coordination, questions, integration notifications.

`broadcast` — Use Sparingly

Send to ALL teammates simultaneously:

{
  "type": "broadcast",
  "content": "Critical: shared types file has been updated. Pull latest before continuing.",
  "summary": "Shared types updated"
}

Use ONLY for: Critical blockers affecting everyone, major changes to shared resources.

Why sparingly?: Each broadcast sends N separate messages (one per teammate), consuming API resources proportional to team size.

`shutdown_request` — Graceful Termination

Request a teammate to shut down:

{
  "type": "shutdown_request",
  "recipient": "reviewer-1",
  "content": "Review complete, shutting down team."
}

The teammate responds with shutdown_response (approve or reject with reason).

Communication Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Better Approach
Broadcasting routine updates	Wastes resources, noise	Direct message to affected teammate
Sending JSON status messages	Not designed for structured data	Use TaskUpdate to update task status
Not communicating at integration points	Teammates build against stale interfaces	Message when your interface is ready
Micromanaging via messages	Overwhelms teammates, slows work	Check in at milestones, not every step
Using UUIDs instead of names	Hard to read, error-prone	Always use teammate names
Ignoring idle teammates	Wasted capacity	Assign new work or shut down

Plan Approval Workflow

When a teammate is spawned with plan_mode_required:

Teammate creates a plan using read-only exploration tools
Teammate calls ExitPlanMode which sends a plan_approval_request to the lead
Lead reviews the plan
Lead responds with plan_approval_response:

Approve:

{
  "type": "plan_approval_response",
  "request_id": "abc-123",
  "recipient": "implementer-1",
  "approve": true
}

Reject with feedback:

{
  "type": "plan_approval_response",
  "request_id": "abc-123",
  "recipient": "implementer-1",
  "approve": false,
  "content": "Please add error handling for the API calls"
}

Shutdown Protocol

Graceful Shutdown Sequence

Lead sends shutdown_request to each teammate
Teammate receives request as a JSON message with type: "shutdown_request"
Teammate responds with shutdown_response:
- approve: true — Teammate saves state and exits
- approve: false + reason — Teammate continues working
Lead handles rejections — Wait for teammate to finish, then retry
After all teammates shut down — Call TeamDelete to remove team resources

Handling Rejections

If a teammate rejects shutdown:

Check their reason (usually "still working on task")
Wait for their current task to complete
Retry shutdown request
If urgent, user can force shutdown

Teammate Discovery

Find team members by reading the config file:

Location: ~/.claude/teams/{team-name}/config.json

Structure:

{
  "members": [
    {
      "name": "security-reviewer",
      "agentId": "uuid-here",
      "agentType": "team-reviewer"
    },
    {
      "name": "perf-reviewer",
      "agentId": "uuid-here",
      "agentType": "team-reviewer"
    }
  ]
}

Always use name for messaging and task assignment. Never use agentId, role names, or unsuffixed aliases directly. If a teammate was spawned as team-lead-2, send to team-lead-2, not team-lead.

Troubleshooting

A teammate is not responding to messages. Check the teammate's task status. If it is idle, it may have completed its task and is waiting to be assigned new work or shut down. If it is still active, it may be mid-execution and will process messages once the current operation finishes.

A teammate says it cannot see SendMessage. Check the teammate agent's tools: frontmatter. Agent Teams communication tools such as SendMessage, TaskList, TaskGet, and TaskUpdate must be listed explicitly when an agent uses a restricted tool allowlist.

The lead is sending broadcasts for every status update. This is a common anti-pattern. Broadcasts are expensive — each one sends N messages. Use direct messages (type: "message") for point-to-point updates. Reserve broadcasts for critical shared-resource changes like an updated interface contract.

A teammate rejected a shutdown request unexpectedly. The teammate is still working. Check the rejection reason in the shutdown_response content field, wait for the work to finish, then retry. Never force-terminate a teammate that has unsaved work.

A plan_approval_request arrived but the request_id is missing. The teammate called ExitPlanMode without the required request context. Have the teammate re-enter plan mode, complete exploration, and call ExitPlanMode again. The request_id is generated automatically by the plan mode system.

Two teammates are waiting on each other and neither is making progress. This is a deadlock: both are blocked waiting for the other to finish first. The lead should send a direct message to one teammate with a stub or partial result so it can unblock and proceed.

Related Skills

team-composition-patterns — Select agent types and team size before establishing communication norms
parallel-feature-development — Use communication protocols to coordinate integration handoffs between parallel implementers

When it activates

Automatically, when a task matches. Use this skill when establishing communication norms for a newly spawned team, when deciding whether to send a direct message or a broadcast, when a team-lead needs to review and approve an implementer's plan before work begins, when orchestrating a graceful team shutdown after all tasks are complete, or when debugging why teammates are not

About this skill

Automatic

AI Engineer pack

SkillSafety

✓ 3 of 3 passed

Code scan15 of 15 checks clean

0 critical · 0 warning · 0 info — scanner v4 — 8/3/2026

View 15 scanner checks

live_secretremote_code_executionreverse_shelldata_exfiltrationssrf_metadataagent_snoopinganti_refusaldestructive_commandsobfuscated_unicodeunicode_homoglyphopaque_blobsuspicious_urltool_overreachtrigger_abuseprompt_injection_phrasing

IntentSafe

LLM judge · does the skill do what it claims

ContentClean

LLM judge · policy & harmful-content review

Source

Imported

wshobson / agents

plugins/agent-teams/skills/team-communication-protocols/SKILL.md

View on GitHub ↗

License MITImported 8/3/2026Version v1Bundled 1 file

Illustrative Want to see what wshobson/team-communication-protocols would put in front of your model? Preview the rendered body and check its trigger phrases — no LLM call, no signup.

Related skills

Skills that do similar work, with their headline benchmark lift.

From the same source and nearby in the catalogue.

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SkillScore

Safety

What it changes

Track record

Use this skill

Team Communication Protocols

When to Use This Skill

Message Type Selection

message (Direct Message) — Default Choice

broadcast — Use Sparingly

shutdown_request — Graceful Termination

Communication Anti-Patterns

Plan Approval Workflow

Shutdown Protocol

Graceful Shutdown Sequence

Handling Rejections

Teammate Discovery

Troubleshooting

Related Skills

When it activates

SkillSafety

Source

Related skills

More in the registry

`message` (Direct Message) — Default Choice

`broadcast` — Use Sparingly

`shutdown_request` — Graceful Termination