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Archon is a remote agentic coding platform that runs AI workflows in isolated git worktrees. This skill teaches you how to run workflows, create new workflows and commands, and manage Archon configuration.
!archon workflow list 2>&1 || echo "Archon CLI not installed. Read guides/setup.md to set it up."
Determine the user's intent and dispatch to the appropriate guide:
| Intent | Action |
|---|---|
| Setup / install / "how to use" | Read guides/setup.md — interactive setup wizard |
| Config / settings | Read guides/config.md — interactive config editor |
| Initialize .archon/ in a repo | Read references/repo-init.md |
| Create a workflow | Read references/workflow-dag.md — the complete workflow authoring guide |
| Advanced features (hooks/MCP/skills) | Read references/dag-advanced.md |
| Create a command file | Read references/authoring-commands.md |
| Variable substitution reference | Read references/variables.md |
| CLI command reference | Read references/cli-commands.md |
| Run an interactive workflow | Read references/interactive-workflows.md — transparent relay protocol |
| Run a workflow (default) | Continue with "Running Workflows" below |
If the intent is ambiguous, ask the user to clarify.
archon workflow run <workflow-name> --branch <branch-name> "<message>"
CRITICAL RULES:
Always run in background — Archon workflows are long-running. Always invoke the Bash tool with run_in_background: true. Use /tasks or the TaskOutput tool to check on progress.
Always use worktree isolation — Use the --branch flag unless the user explicitly requests otherwise. This creates an isolated environment so Archon works without affecting the main branch.
One workflow per shell — Each workflow blocks its shell. Run multiple workflows as separate background tasks.
| Mode | Flag | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Worktree (Default) | --branch <name> | Always use this unless told otherwise |
| Custom start-point | --branch <name> --from <base> | Start from a specific branch |
| Direct checkout | --no-worktree | Only if user explicitly requests no isolation |
| Resume failed run | --resume | Resume from the last failure point |
Match the user's intent to a workflow from the live list above. Common patterns:
| User Intent | Typical Workflow | Branch Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| "Fix issue #X" / "Resolve bug" | archon-fix-github-issue | fix/issue-{N} |
| "Review PR #X" / "Full review" | archon-comprehensive-pr-review | review/pr-{N} |
| "Quick review PR #X" | archon-smart-pr-review | review/pr-{N} |
| "Validate PR #X" / "Check PR" | archon-validate-pr | review/pr-{N} |
| "Implement from plan" | archon-feature-development | feat/{name} |
| "Plan and implement feature" | archon-idea-to-pr | feat/{name} |
| "Execute plan file" | archon-plan-to-pr | feat/{name} |
| "Run ralph" / "Implement PRD" | archon-ralph-dag | feat/{name} |
| "Resolve conflicts" | archon-resolve-conflicts | resolve/pr-{N} |
| "Create issue" / "File a bug" | archon-create-issue | issue/{name} |
| "Review issue #X fully" | archon-issue-review-full | review/issue-{N} |
| "Refactor safely" | archon-refactor-safely | refactor/{name} |
| "Architecture review" | archon-architect | review/{name} |
| "PIV loop" / "guided dev" | archon-piv-loop ⚡ | piv/{name} |
| "Create a PRD" / "interactive PRD" | archon-interactive-prd ⚡ | prd/{name} |
| General / debugging | archon-assist | assist/{description} |
⚡ = Interactive workflow — requires the transparent relay protocol. Read references/interactive-workflows.md before running.
If no specific workflow matches, use archon-assist as the fallback. The live workflow list above is always authoritative — it may include workflows not in this table.
When the user mentions multiple issues, PRs, or tasks — run each as a separate background task:
# Each gets its own worktree — they won't conflict
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-10 "Fix issue #10"
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-11 "Fix issue #11"
archon workflow run archon-fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-12 "Fix issue #12"
Never combine multiple issues into a single command.
archon workflow list # List all available workflows
archon workflow list --json # Machine-readable JSON
archon isolation list # Show active worktree environments
archon isolation cleanup # Remove stale worktrees (default: 7 days)
archon isolation cleanup --merged # Remove branches merged into main
archon complete <branch> # Complete branch lifecycle (remove worktree + branches)
archon version # Show version info
For the full CLI reference with all flags: Read references/cli-commands.md
Archon uses a single workflow format: nodes (DAG). Workflows are YAML files in .archon/workflows/.
IMPORTANT: The examples below are starting points. Always design the workflow around what the user actually needs — the number of nodes, their types, dependencies, and configuration should match the user's requirements, not these templates.