Agent skill

Octopus Quick

by nyldn in nyldn/claude-octopus

Quick execution for ad-hoc tasks without full workflow overhead — use for small, self-contained requests

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Octopus Quick

skills CLI
$ npx skills add nyldn/claude-octopus --skill octopus-quick -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install nyldn/claude-octopus octopus-quick --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/nyldn/claude-octopus.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/octopus-quick .claude/skills/octopus-quick && 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
octopus-quick
GitHub stars
4.2k
Used in
1 other repo
Token cost
~2.2k tokens
SKILL.md length
705 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
62
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Quick execution for ad-hoc tasks without full workflow overhead — use for small, self-contained requests

  • Works in 5 steps: Understand the Task → Make the Change → Create Atomic Commit → …
  • Self-contained requests
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use Quick Mode, Execution Flow, Usage and Implementation, plus 7 more sections
  • Calls git

What it does

Octopus Quick is an agent skill from nyldn/claude-octopus. Quick execution for ad-hoc tasks without full workflow overhead — use for small, self-contained requests

Its SKILL.md is about 2.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files (for example `agents/openai.yaml`).

It sits in Development. The repository describes itself as: Run multiple AI models against the same research, design, or coding task. Surface disagreements before you ship. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Self-contained requests

Example prompts

  • “/octopus-quick”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Understand the Task
  2. Make the Change
  3. Create Atomic Commit
  4. Record in State
  5. Generate Summary

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit b34780d. 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

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • git

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

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    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

Octopus Quick loads about 2.2k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 30 tokens; SKILL.md has 705 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~30
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.2k

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 nyldn/claude-octopus at commit b34780d, republished under its MIT licence (© nyldn). 705 words, ~2,164 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/octopus-quick/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
octopus-quick
description
Quick execution for ad-hoc tasks without full workflow overhead — use for small, self-contained requests
disable-model-invocation
true

Host: Codex CLI — This skill was designed for Claude Code and adapted for Codex. Cross-reference commands use installed skill names in Codex rather than /octo:* slash commands. Use the active Codex shell and subagent tools. Do not claim a provider, model, or host subagent is available until the current session exposes it. For host tool equivalents, see skills/blocks/codex-host-adapter.md.

Quick Mode - Lightweight Task Execution ⚡

Fast-track execution for small tasks that don't need full Double Diamond workflow overhead.

When to Use Quick Mode

✅ Use Quick Mode For:

Bug Fixes:

  • One-file bug fixes with known solution
  • Typo corrections
  • Logic error fixes
  • Import/export corrections

Configuration Changes:

  • Update environment variables
  • Modify config files
  • Adjust settings
  • Update dependencies

Small Refactorings:

  • Rename variables/functions
  • Extract helper functions
  • Simplify logic in single file
  • Code cleanup

Documentation:

  • Fix typos in README
  • Update comments
  • Add/update docstrings
  • Clarify documentation

Dependency Management:

  • Update package versions
  • Add new dependency
  • Remove unused dependency
❌ Don't Use Quick Mode For:

Complex Work:

  • New features
  • Architecture changes
  • Multi-file refactorings
  • Security-sensitive changes
  • Performance optimizations requiring research
  • Database schema changes
  • API contract changes

Use full workflows for complex work to ensure quality.

Execution Flow

Quick mode follows a streamlined process:

User Request → Direct Implementation → Atomic Commit → Summary

What Quick Mode SKIPS:

  • ❌ Multi-AI research (probe/discover)
  • ❌ Requirements planning (grasp/define)
  • ❌ Multi-AI validation (ink/deliver)
  • ❌ Plan-checker verification

What Quick Mode KEEPS:

  • ✅ State tracking (records in state.json)
  • ✅ Atomic commits (git commit with description)
  • ✅ Summary generation (stored in .claude-octopus/quick/)
  • ✅ Change documentation

Usage

Via Command
bash
/octo:quick "add dark mode toggle to settings"
Via Skill Invocation
bash
Use skill: octopus-quick
Task: "fix typo in README.md line 42"
Examples
/octo:quick "update Next.js to v15"
/octo:quick "fix the broken import in auth.ts"
/octo:quick "add error handling to login function"
/octo:quick "remove console.log statements"

Implementation

Step 1: Understand the Task

Quickly assess:

  • What file(s) need to change?
  • What's the specific change?
  • Any dependencies or side effects?
Step 2: Make the Change

Implement directly using appropriate tools:

  • Edit - For modifying existing files
  • Write - For creating new files (rare in quick mode)
  • Bash - For file operations, dependency updates
Step 3: Create Atomic Commit

Always create a descriptive commit:

bash
# Stage changes
git add [changed-files]

# Create commit with clear message
git commit -m "quick: [brief description]

[Detailed explanation if needed]

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>"

Commit message format:

  • Prefix with quick: to indicate quick mode
  • Brief description in present tense
  • Optional detailed explanation
  • Co-authored tag
Step 4: Record in State
bash
# Update state with quick task execution
"${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" write_decision \
  "quick" \
  "$(git log -1 --pretty=%s)" \
  "Ad-hoc task executed in quick mode"

# Update metrics
"${HOME}/.claude-octopus/plugin/scripts/state-manager.sh" update_metrics \
  "execution_time" \
  "1"  # Estimated in minutes
Step 5: Generate Summary
bash
# Create quick task summary
mkdir -p .claude-octopus/quick

summary_file=".claude-octopus/quick/$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)-summary.md"

cat > "$summary_file" <<EOF
# Quick Task: $(git log -1 --pretty=%s)

## Task Description
$TASK_DESCRIPTION

## Changes Made
$(git diff HEAD~1..HEAD --stat)

## Files Modified
$(git diff --name-only HEAD~1..HEAD)

## Commit
$(git rev-parse HEAD)

## Timestamp
$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)

*Executed in Quick Mode - minimal overhead execution*
EOF

echo "📝 Summary saved to: $summary_file"

Complete Example

User Request:

/octo:quick "fix typo in README - change 'recieve' to 'receive'"

Execution:

  1. Read the file

    Read README.md to locate the typo
  2. Make the change

    Edit README.md: replace "recieve" with "receive"
  3. Commit atomically

    bash
    git add README.md
    git commit -m "quick: fix typo in README (recieve → receive)
    
    Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>"
  4. Record in state

    bash
    state-manager.sh write_decision "quick" \
      "Fixed typo in README" \
      "Ad-hoc documentation fix"
  5. Generate summary

    bash
    Created: .claude-octopus/quick/20260129-143045-summary.md
  6. Report to user

    ✅ Fixed typo in README.md
    📝 Commit: abc123f
    📋 Summary: .claude-octopus/quick/20260129-143045-summary.md

Benefits of Quick Mode

Speed ⚡
  • No multi-AI orchestration overhead
  • Direct implementation
  • Faster for simple tasks
Cost Savings 💰
  • No external provider API calls
  • Only uses Claude (included with Claude Code)
  • Efficient for ad-hoc work
Still Tracked 📊
  • Commits recorded
  • State updated
  • Summaries generated
  • Full audit trail maintained
Show full SKILL.md (308 more words)Show less
Appropriate Scope 🎯
  • Right tool for small tasks
  • Doesn't over-engineer simple changes
  • Reserves full workflows for complex work

When Quick Mode Isn't Enough

If during execution you realize the task is more complex than expected:

Stop and escalate to full workflow:

This task is more complex than anticipated. I recommend using the full
workflow instead:

- For research: /octo:discover "research authentication patterns"
- For planning: /octo:define "define auth requirements"
- For building: /octo:develop "implement auth system"
- For validation: /octo:deliver "validate auth implementation"

Would you like me to switch to a full workflow?

Indicators to escalate:

  • Multiple files need changes
  • Requires architectural decisions
  • Needs research or comparison
  • Security implications
  • Performance implications
  • Breaking changes

Directory Structure

Quick mode creates summaries in a dedicated directory:

.claude-octopus/
└── quick/
    ├── 20260129-143045-summary.md
    ├── 20260129-150122-summary.md
    └── 20260129-161530-summary.md

Each summary includes:

  • Task description
  • Changes made
  • Files modified
  • Commit hash
  • Timestamp

Comparison: Quick Mode vs Full Workflow

AspectQuick Mode ⚡Full Workflow 🐙
Time1-3 minutes5-15 minutes
CostClaude onlyClaude plus available external providers
Providers1 (Claude)Available provider fleet
ResearchNoneComprehensive
PlanningNoneDetailed
ValidationBasicMulti-AI review
Best ForSimple fixesComplex features
When to UseKnown solutionUnknown solution

Best Practices

DO:
  • ✅ Use quick mode for straightforward tasks
  • ✅ Create descriptive commit messages
  • ✅ Generate summaries for audit trail
  • ✅ Update state even in quick mode
  • ✅ Escalate to full workflow if complexity increases
DON'T:
  • ❌ Use quick mode for new features
  • ❌ Skip commits (always commit atomically)
  • ❌ Skip state updates (maintain consistency)
  • ❌ Use quick mode for security-sensitive changes
  • ❌ Force quick mode when full workflow is appropriate

Troubleshooting

"Quick mode is taking too long"

→ Task is probably too complex. Escalate to full workflow.

"Change broke tests"

→ Quick mode assumes simple, safe changes. Use full workflow for risky changes.

"Need to research best approach"

→ Quick mode is for known solutions only. Use /octo:discover for research.

"Multiple files need changes"

→ Consider /octo:develop for coordinated multi-file changes.

Summary

Quick mode is the right tool for simple, straightforward tasks with known solutions. It provides fast execution while maintaining essential tracking and documentation.

For everything else, use the full Double Diamond workflow to ensure quality through multi-AI orchestration.

Remember: Fast is good, but correct is better. When in doubt, use the full workflow.

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

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in skills/octopus-quick of nyldn/claude-octopus.

  • SKILL.md
  • agents/openai.yaml

Open the folder on GitHubat commit b34780d

Used in 1 other repository

We found 2 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in nyldn/claude-octopus, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Octopus Quick 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.

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PR Babysitteropeninterpreter/openinterpreter69k3 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Code Review ChecklistshareAI-lab/learn-claude-code78k4 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Octopus Quick

What does Octopus Quick do?

Quick execution for ad-hoc tasks without full workflow overhead — use for small, self-contained requests. Octopus Quick is an agent skill from nyldn/claude-octopus.

When should I use Octopus Quick?

Octopus Quick fits situations like: self-contained requests.

How do I install Octopus Quick in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add nyldn/claude-octopus --skill octopus-quick -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/octopus-quick in nyldn/claude-octopus) into .claude/skills/octopus-quick in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Octopus Quick in Codex?

Run `npx skills add nyldn/claude-octopus --skill octopus-quick -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/octopus-quick in nyldn/claude-octopus) into .agents/skills/octopus-quick in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Octopus Quick 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 nyldn/claude-octopus --skill octopus-quick -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/octopus-quick, .gemini/skills/octopus-quick, .github/skills/octopus-quick and .opencode/skills/octopus-quick in your project.

What does Octopus Quick need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Octopus Quick needs the command-line tools its instructions call (git).

Does Octopus Quick access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Octopus Quick 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 Octopus Quick use?

Octopus Quick is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Octopus Quick use?

About 2.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 8.7k 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 Octopus Quick?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Octopus Quick: Vercel Composition Patterns (supabase/supabase, 111k stars), Finishing a Development Branch (obra/superpowers, 297k stars), Typescript Advanced Types (rolling-scopes/rsschool-app, 10k stars) and PR Babysitter (openinterpreter/openinterpreter, 69k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Octopus Quick?

nyldn (a GitHub user) maintains it in nyldn/claude-octopus, which has 4,198 GitHub stars. The repository holds 62 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 9, 2026.

Source: nyldn/claude-octopus on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.