Frontmatter Schemas
Agent Frontmatter
---
name: agent-name # Required: lowercase-with-hyphens
description: | # Required: detailed with examples
Use this agent when [scenario]. Examples:
(1) "Task description" - launches agent for X
(2) "Task description" - launches agent for Y
(3) "Task description" - launches agent for Z
model: sonnet # Required: sonnet | opus | haiku
color: purple # Optional: purple | cyan | green | orange | blue | red
tools: TodoWrite, Read, Write # Required: comma-separated, space after comma
skills: skill1, skill2 # Optional: referenced skills
---
Field Reference
| Field | Required | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
name | Yes | lowercase-with-hyphens | Agent identifier |
description | Yes | Multi-line string | 3-5 usage examples |
model | Yes | sonnet, opus, haiku | AI model to use |
color | No | See colors below | Terminal color |
tools | Yes | Tool list | Available tools |
skills | No | Skill list | Referenced skills |
Color Guidelines
| Color | Agent Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
purple | Planning | architect, api-architect |
green | Implementation | developer, ui-developer |
cyan | Review | reviewer, designer |
orange | Testing | test-architect, tester |
blue | Utility | cleaner, api-analyst |
red | Critical/Security | (rarely used) |
Tool Patterns by Agent Type
Orchestrators (Commands):
- Must have:
Task,TodoWrite,Read,Bash - Often:
AskUserQuestion,Glob,Grep - Never:
Write,Edit
Planners:
- Must have:
TodoWrite,Read,Write(for docs) - Often:
Glob,Grep,Bash
Implementers:
- Must have:
TodoWrite,Read,Write,Edit - Often:
Bash,Glob,Grep
Reviewers:
- Must have:
TodoWrite,Read - Often:
Glob,Grep,Bash - Never:
Write,Edit
Command Frontmatter
---
description: | # Required: workflow description
Full description of what this command does.
Workflow: PHASE 1 → PHASE 2 → PHASE 3
allowed-tools: Task, Bash # Required: comma-separated
skills: skill1, skill2 # Optional: referenced skills
---
Field Reference
| Field | Required | Values | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
description | Yes | Multi-line | Command purpose and workflow |
allowed-tools | Yes | Tool list | Tools command can use |
skills | No | Skill list | Referenced skills |
Validation Checklist
Agent Frontmatter
- Opening
---present -
nameis lowercase-with-hyphens -
descriptionincludes 3+ examples -
modelis valid (sonnet/opus/haiku) -
toolsis comma-separated with spaces - Closing
---present - No YAML syntax errors
Command Frontmatter
- Opening
---present -
descriptionexplains workflow -
allowed-toolsincludes Task for orchestrators - Closing
---present - No YAML syntax errors
Common Errors
Invalid YAML Syntax
# WRONG - missing colon
name agent-name
# CORRECT
name: agent-name
Incorrect Tool Format
# WRONG - no spaces after commas
tools: TodoWrite,Read,Write
# CORRECT
tools: TodoWrite, Read, Write
Missing Examples
# WRONG - too generic
description: Use this agent for development tasks.
# CORRECT
description: |
Use this agent when implementing TypeScript features. Examples:
(1) "Create a user service" - implements service with full CRUD
(2) "Add validation" - adds Zod schemas to endpoints
(3) "Fix type errors" - resolves TypeScript compilation issues