Agent Teams on Grok (ADR-402)

Claude SendMessage / TeammateTool are not available. Prefer Ruflo MCP team_* tools; CLI bus is the fallback.

Preferred: MCP tools

Discover: search_tool query team_create. Call via use_tool as ruflo__team_create etc.

Quick start (CLI fallback)

# 1. Create team
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs create --name feature-x --topology hierarchical

# 2. Register plan
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs plan --team feature-x \
  --steps '["architect","developer","tester","reviewer"]'

# 3. Register agents (prints spawnPlan JSON for spawn_subagent)
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs spawn --team feature-x --agent architect --role architect \
  --prompt "Design <feature>. Handoff to developer." --next developer
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs spawn --team feature-x --agent developer --role developer \
  --prompt "Implement from architect design." --next tester
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs spawn --team feature-x --agent tester --role tester \
  --prompt "Test implementation." --next reviewer
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs spawn --team feature-x --agent reviewer --role reviewer \
  --prompt "Review code and tests."

Lead (you) then

Checked against Grok Build 1.0.41. Pass only the live spawn arguments:

spawn_subagent({
  prompt: spawnPlan.prompt,
  description: spawnPlan.host.grok.spawn.description,
  background: spawnPlan.host.grok.spawn.background,
  isolation: spawnPlan.host.grok.spawn.isolation,
})

1. Parse spawnPlan.host.grok.spawn (and prompt). Call spawn_subagent in one message for every agent (background: true).
2. Leave host.grok.advisory on the plan. capability_mode and subagent_type are not spawn arguments on this Grok. The prompt carries the read-only or worktree constraint. isolation is the knob Grok enforces.
3. .grok/agents/ruflo-* are session profiles (grok --agent-profile ruflo-coder or /agents). spawn_subagent does not select them. An omitted type is general-purpose.
4. Children must not call spawn_subagent. Nesting depth is 1. The lead spawns the whole pipeline.
5. Pass description unchanged (<role>:<agent>@<team>): the SubagentStop hook reads it to run on-stop for that team. Then spawn or resume the next step if needed.
6. Synthesize results; shutdown the team. A shut-down team refuses spawn and send; team_create --force reopens the name.

Every call names its team: mail is per team, and several teams can run at once. team_spawn stops at the team's maxAgents.

If grok --version is newer than 1.0.41, re-read ~/.grok/docs/user-guide/16-subagents.md (Spawning Subagents) before forwarding extra keys. A key the schema dropped fails the spawn.

Defaults

Messaging

node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs send --team feature-x --to developer \
  --from architect --summary "design" --message "..."
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs inbox --team feature-x --agent developer
node scripts/grok-team-bus.mjs status --team feature-x

Also use Ruflo MCP when live

• memory_search / memory_store with namespace team:feature-x
• swarm_init for coordination records (then you still execute)

Anti-patterns

• Waiting for swarm start to write code
• Inventing SendMessage
• Passing capability_mode or subagent_type into spawn_subagent (they are advisory on Grok Build 1.0.41)
• Parallel coders on the same tree without worktrees
• A child calling spawn_subagent (depth limit is 1)