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Official agent skill

Cao Worker Protocols

by awslabs in awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator

Worker-side callback and completion rules for assigned and handed-off tasks in CAO

OfficialApache-2.0Auto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Cao Worker Protocols

skills CLI
$ npx skills add awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator --skill cao-worker-protocols -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator cao-worker-protocols --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/cao-worker-protocols .claude/skills/cao-worker-protocols && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
cao-worker-protocols
GitHub stars
1.4k
Token cost
~806 tokens
SKILL.md length
453 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
14
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
Apache-2.0

At a glance

Worker-side callback and completion rules for assigned and handed-off tasks in CAO

  • Works in 3 steps: Format the result clearly and concisely. → Call send_message(message=...) —… → If the task message names a different…
  • Agent Workflows work in your project
  • SKILL.md covers Understand the Dispatch Mode, Rules for Handoff Tasks, Rules for Assigned Tasks and Message Formatting, plus 2 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Cao Worker Protocols is an agent skill from awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator, published by the product's own GitHub organization. Worker-side callback and completion rules for assigned and handed-off tasks in CAO

Its SKILL.md is about 810 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows. It works with Model Context Protocol. The repository describes itself as: Multi-agent orchestration for AI coding CLIs — Claude Code, Kiro, Codex, and more, coordinated in isolated tmux sessions. The licence is Apache-2.0.

When your agent uses it

  • Agent Workflows work in your project

Example prompts

  • “/cao-worker-protocols”

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Format the result clearly and concisely.
  2. Call send_message(message=...) — omitting receiver_id routes the result to the terminal that assigned the task (the recorded caller). This…
  3. If the task message names a different callback terminal (directly or in an appended suffix such as [Assigned by terminal ...]), pass that…

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 089c53c. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Cao Worker Protocols loads about 806 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 26 tokens; SKILL.md has 453 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~26
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~806

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator at commit 089c53c, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© awslabs). 453 words, ~806 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/cao-worker-protocols/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
cao-worker-protocols
description
Worker-side callback and completion rules for assigned and handed-off tasks in CAO

CAO Worker Protocols

Use this skill when acting as a worker agent inside CLI Agent Orchestrator.

This skill explains how workers should interpret assigned versus handed-off work, when to call send_message, and how to report results back cleanly.

Understand the Dispatch Mode

Workers receive tasks through one of two orchestration modes:

  • handoff: blocking work where the orchestrator captures your final output automatically
  • assign: non-blocking work where you must actively return results to the requesting terminal

Depending on provider and CAO behavior, a handoff may be made explicit in the task text. For example, Codex workers currently receive a [CAO Handoff] prefix for blocking handoffs. Other providers may rely on the task wording and orchestration context instead.

Rules for Handoff Tasks

When the task is a blocking handoff, complete the work and present the result in your normal response. The orchestrator captures that response automatically.

Do not call send_message for ordinary handoff completion unless the task explicitly asks for additional side-channel communication.

Rules for Assigned Tasks

When the task came through assign, send your results back after you finish the work:

  1. Format the result clearly and concisely.
  2. Call send_message(message=...) — omitting receiver_id routes the result to the terminal that assigned the task (the recorded caller). This is the reliable default.
  3. If the task message names a different callback terminal (directly or in an appended suffix such as [Assigned by terminal ...]), pass that ID as receiver_id instead.

Do not stop after writing a normal response if the assignment explicitly requires a callback. The requesting terminal depends on send_message to receive the result.

Your own CAO_TERMINAL_ID identifies your terminal, not the callback target. Never pass it as receiver_id.

Show full SKILL.md (176 more words)Show less

Message Formatting

Return results that are easy for the supervisor to merge into a larger workflow:

  • Identify what task or dataset the result belongs to
  • Include the requested output or deliverable
  • Keep the message specific enough to act on without re-reading the whole task

If the task asks for progress updates, use send_message for those updates too. Otherwise prefer one final callback with the completed deliverable.

Filesystem and Reporting Discipline

If the task asks you to create files, write them before reporting completion. When sending results back to a supervisor, include absolute file paths so the supervisor can continue the workflow without ambiguity.

Reliability Guidelines

  • If the task names an explicit callback terminal, note its ID before you start expensive work; otherwise rely on the default routing (omit receiver_id).
  • If send_message is available and the task requires a callback, call it directly rather than ending with prose alone.
  • Keep callback messages structured so the supervisor can merge them into a larger workflow.
  • For handoff tasks, return the completed output directly and let the orchestrator handle delivery.

© awslabs, Apache-2.0. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/cao-worker-protocols of awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 089c53c

Compare with similar skills

Cao Worker Protocols next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Cao Worker Protocols compared with similar skills
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MCP Integration for Pluginsanthropics/claude-plugins-official38k11 repos~3.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
MemPalace Memory SearchMemPalace/mempalace59k—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Crush Configurationcharmbracelet/crush29k—~3.7kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Cao Worker Protocols

What does Cao Worker Protocols do?

Worker-side callback and completion rules for assigned and handed-off tasks in CAO. Cao Worker Protocols is an agent skill from awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator, published by the product's own GitHub organization.

When should I use Cao Worker Protocols?

Cao Worker Protocols fits situations like: agent Workflows work in your project.

How do I install Cao Worker Protocols in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator --skill cao-worker-protocols -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cao-worker-protocols in awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator) into .claude/skills/cao-worker-protocols in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Cao Worker Protocols in Codex?

Run `npx skills add awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator --skill cao-worker-protocols -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/cao-worker-protocols in awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator) into .agents/skills/cao-worker-protocols in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Cao Worker Protocols in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator --skill cao-worker-protocols -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cao-worker-protocols, .gemini/skills/cao-worker-protocols, .github/skills/cao-worker-protocols and .opencode/skills/cao-worker-protocols in your project.

What does Cao Worker Protocols need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Cao Worker Protocols is instructions for the agent only.

Does Cao Worker Protocols access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Cao Worker Protocols safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Cao Worker Protocols use?

Cao Worker Protocols is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Cao Worker Protocols use?

About 806 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Cao Worker Protocols?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Cao Worker Protocols: MCP Server Builder (anthropics/skills, 180k stars), MCP Server Builder (shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code, 78k stars), MCP Integration for Plugins (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 38k stars) and MemPalace Memory Search (MemPalace/mempalace, 59k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Cao Worker Protocols?

awslabs (a GitHub organization, an official publisher) maintains it in awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator, which has 1,400 GitHub stars. The repository holds 14 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.