Sync Skills Shared Protocols

---
name: sync-skills-shared-protocols
version: 1.0.0
description: '[Skill Management] Use when shared protocol checklists change and need propagating across skills.'
---

## Quick Summary

**Goal:** Two operations — (A) propagate updated content for existing SYNC: blocks across all skills, or (B) add a new SYNC: block to all skill/agent files that don't have it yet.

**Summary:** Use `/sync-skills-shared-protocols` for Operation A (update existing blocks) or Operation B (add a new tiered block); `/sync-protocols` no longer resolves.

**Canonical source:** `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md`

**Key Rules:** Edit the canonical source first; change only SYNC block bodies; sync a `:reminder` block the same mechanical way — by passing the `{tag}:reminder` tag to the script — and only when asked; use the script for bulk insertion; verify balance, parity, and the computed target inventory.

**Workflow:** Choose Operation A or B → follow its canonical-source and target-inventory steps → verify before reporting.

## Workflow

### Operation A: Update Existing Block Content

Use when a SYNC: block already exists in files and push updated content to all of them.

### Step 1: Identify What Changed

If user specifies a tag name (e.g., `sync-skills-shared-protocols understand-code-first`):

- Sync only that tag

If no tag specified:

- Read `sync-inline-versions.md`
- Ask user which tag(s) to sync, or "all"

### Step 2: Read Canonical Content

For each tag to sync:

1. Read `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md`
2. Extract content under `## SYNC:{tag-name}` heading (everything between that heading and the next `---` or `## SYNC:`)

### Step 3: Find All Skills with Tag

```bash
grep -rl "SYNC:{tag-name}" .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md
```

### Step 4: Replace Content in Each Skill

For each file found:

1. Find `<!-- SYNC:{tag-name} -->` open tag
2. Find `<!-- /SYNC:{tag-name} -->` close tag
3. Replace everything between them with the canonical content
4. Do NOT touch `:reminder` blocks while syncing the plain tag — they are a SEPARATE fence pair with their own canonical section, and the script never crosses between them (`sync-update-blocks.py:64-66`). Sync one by passing `{tag}:reminder` as its own tag.

### Step 5: Verify

Run these checks after all replacements:

```python
# 1. SYNC tag balance (all opens have matching closes)
# 2. Content matches canonical source
# 3. No content outside SYNC blocks was modified
```

Report:

- Tags synced
- Files updated (count)
- Any balance issues

### Step 6: Reminder Blocks

`:reminder` blocks (`<!-- SYNC:{tag}:reminder -->`) are 1-line summaries at the bottom of skills for AI recency attention (Primacy-Recency).

**Where a canonical `:reminder` section exists, they ARE mechanically syncable — do NOT hand-edit those.** `sync-update-blocks.py` treats `{tag}:reminder` as an ordinary tag: it reads the `## SYNC:{tag}:reminder` section from the canonical source and replaces the matching fence pair (`sync-update-blocks.py:11-14,25-35`). Hand-writing such a reminder desynchronizes it from the canonical text the very next time the script runs.

> **Coverage is PARTIAL — check before you rely on the script.** The canonical source does NOT yet carry a `:reminder` section for every reminder tag in use: roughly half the live reminder tags have no canonical section, and running the script on one of those fails hard with `ERROR: section not found` (`sync-update-blocks.py:33`) rather than doing nothing. Confirm the section exists first:
>
> ```bash
> grep -n "^## SYNC:{tag}:reminder" .claude/skills/shared/<canonical-source>.md
> ```
>
> **Section present** → sync it with the script; never hand-edit. **Section absent** → the script cannot serve you at all. Add the canonical `## SYNC:{tag}:reminder` section first and then sync, so the reminder becomes managed like the rest. Do not silently hand-edit the fenced body as a workaround: that leaves a fenced block the script believes it owns and will overwrite the moment the section appears.

What is true is that a reminder is a SEPARATE tag from its parent, not a shorter view of it: syncing `foo` never touches `foo:reminder`, because the script's fence regexes require whitespace before the closing marker and so cannot cross between the two (`sync-update-blocks.py:64-66`). Update a reminder by running the script on `{tag}:reminder` explicitly, after editing that section in the canonical source — and only when the user asks for reminders too.

```bash
py -3 .claude/scripts/sync-update-blocks.py --dry-run {tag}:reminder   # Windows
python3 .claude/scripts/sync-update-blocks.py {tag}:reminder           # macOS/Linux
```

### Step 7: OVERRIDE Blocks — the sanctioned divergence

Not every carrier can take the canonical body verbatim. A review skill that must route its
sub-agents to a DIFFERENT specialist needs the same protocol substance with a different
`subagent_type`. That is what `<!-- OVERRIDE:{tag} -->` … `<!-- /OVERRIDE:{tag} -->` is for.

**The contract:**

- **`sync-update-blocks.py` does NOT touch an OVERRIDE block.** It is an intentional per-skill
  divergence, so the equality property that binds `SYNC:` carriers is deliberately not applied.
- **Divergence is limited to ROUTING, not substance.** The `sync-carrier-parity` suite's
  OVERRIDE-SUBSTANCE GUARD pins every OVERRIDE copy to the canonical protocol COUNT and to each
  protocol's header AND body verbatim; only the Subagent-Type / Agent-Call / Reference-Docs
  sections may differ. Silent staleness on substance is the failure mode it exists to catch.
- **The carrier set is pinned.** The guard asserts the exact number of OVERRIDE carriers, so a
  new one appearing — or an existing one vanishing — fails the suite rather than passing quietly.
- **Both markers are recognized as fences.** `check-subagent-routing.cjs` treats `SYNC` and
  `OVERRIDE` openers/closers identically for balance checking.

**Live carriers (3 skills × 2 tags):** `architecture-review`, `integration-test-review`, and
`ui-review` each override `fresh-context-review` and `review-protocol-injection`.

**Maintaining one:** edit the canonical section, run the script for the `SYNC:` carriers, then
**hand-merge** the same substance change into each OVERRIDE block, preserving its
`subagent_type` customization. The guard tells you if you missed one.

**Do NOT reach for OVERRIDE to avoid a sync conflict.** It is for a carrier that genuinely must
dispatch elsewhere. Any other divergence belongs in the canonical source, so every carrier gets it.

---

### Operation B: Add a New Tiered Block

Use when a NEW SYNC: block needs tiered propagation. Derive the on-disk target inventory at runtime; never copy a fixed skill or agent count into this contract.

- `SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER` is the base tier for every skill.
- `ORCHESTRATOR_SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER` extends that base only for skills in `ORCHESTRATOR_SKILLS`.
- Agent tiers remain independently governed by the injector's explicit agent sets.

#### Agent quality parity and skill connections

When the new block applies to work performed by a sub-agent, update the canonical agent matrix before injection:

1. Add the applicable quality tag(s) to `AGENT_QUALITY_BLOCKS` in `.claude/scripts/agent_protocol_matrix.py`; keep orchestration-only blocks out of leaf agents.
2. Confirm every agent has a valid `AGENT_SKILL_CONNECTIONS` entry to its canonical task skill(s), and add the carrier owner for any newly propagated review/test protocol.
3. Run `py -3 .claude/scripts/agent_protocol_matrix.py --validate`, then run both `inject_agent_protocol_blocks.py` and `inject_agent_skill_connections.py` (dry-run first, real run second).
4. Verify the generated `AGENT-SKILL-CONNECTIONS` sections and the agent-universal-rules suite before regenerating mirrors.

The connection map is explicit routing metadata. It links the agent prompt to the canonical skill procedure while the matrix injects only applicable quality blocks; do not blanket-copy skill bodies into a leaf agent when that would import caller-owned orchestration.

This is a bulk-insert operation, not a content update. Verify the computed target set before writing so orchestration-only rules never leak into every skill.

**When to use:** A new protocol rule is added to `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` and should appear in static carriers (`CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, Codex, skills, and agents).

#### Step B1: Add block content to canonical source

Edit `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` and add a new section:

```markdown
## SYNC:{new-block-name}

> **[Rule content here]**

---
```

#### Step B2: Add block to `sync-hooks-to-skills.py`

Edit `.claude/scripts/sync-hooks-to-skills.py`:

1. Add entry to `BLOCKS` dict:

```python
BLOCKS = {
    # ... existing blocks ...
    "new-block-name": """\
<!-- SYNC:new-block-name -->

> **[Full block content here — exactly as it should appear in files]**

<!-- /SYNC:new-block-name -->""",
}
```

2. Add 1-line reminder to `REMINDERS` dict:

```python
REMINDERS = {
# ... existing reminders ...
"new-block-name": """\

> **[IMPORTANT]** Use `TaskCreate` to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting.

<!-- SYNC:new-block-name:reminder -->
**MUST ATTENTION** [one-line summary of the rule].
<!-- /SYNC:new-block-name:reminder -->""",
}
```

3. Add the block name to the relevant tier list(s) (controls which targets receive it + insertion order):

```python
# Skills-3: the two universal blocks + the orchestration block. Do NOT add
# agent-only rules here. `parallel-subagent-dispatch` is deliberately SKILL-ONLY
# — not because an agent cannot spawn, but because an agent receives ONE brief an
# orchestrator has ALREADY partitioned, so re-running the partitioning protocol in
# the leaf re-decides an upstream decision. It is ALSO declared in
# agent_protocol_matrix.py EXCLUDED_ORCHESTRATION and in the TC-UAR-017
# AGENT_ADOPTION_EXEMPT set (see "Skill-only blocks" below).
SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER = ["critical-thinking-mindset", "ai-mistake-prevention",
                     "parallel-subagent-dispatch"]

# Core-6: every agent (skills/SKILL.md is unaffected).
CORE_BLOCK_ORDER = ["critical-thinking-mindset", "ai-mistake-prevention",
                    "sequential-thinking-protocol", "task-tracking-external-report",
                    "project-reference-docs-guide", "agent-bootstrap"]

# Code-10: Core-6 + code-investigation blocks, for agents that read/review AND fix code.
CODE_BLOCK_ORDER = CORE_BLOCK_ORDER + ["understand-code-first", "evidence-based-reasoning",
                                       "cross-service-check", "fix-layer-accountability"]

# Readonly-Code-8: Core-6 + reading-discipline blocks only, for read-only/design
# agents that locate/read/design code but never fix a layer or cross a service
# boundary (excludes the two mutation-oriented blocks).
READONLY_CODE_BLOCK_ORDER = CORE_BLOCK_ORDER + ["understand-code-first", "evidence-based-reasoning"]
```

**Agent tiering:** agents no longer share one block list. `find_target_files()` classifies each `.claude/agents/*.md` by explicit membership in one of three sets:

- `CODE_AGENTS` (17 code/review/fix agents → `CODE_BLOCK_ORDER`, Code-10).
- `READONLY_CODE_AGENTS` (2 read-only/design agents — `researcher`, `ui-ux-designer` → `READONLY_CODE_BLOCK_ORDER`, Core-6 + understand-code-first + evidence-based-reasoning; the mutation-oriented `cross-service-check` + `fix-layer-accountability` are deliberately excluded to save tokens on agents that only locate/read/design code).
- `CORE_ONLY_AGENTS` (8 non-code agents → `CORE_BLOCK_ORDER`, Core-6).

An agent in **none of the three sets (or in more than one)** raises `SystemExit` — no silent default; classify it before the script will run. Skills always use `SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER`. Pass `--agents-only` to scope a run to agents (skip skills).

> **Adding a new agent:** add its basename to exactly one of `CODE_AGENTS` / `READONLY_CODE_AGENTS` / `CORE_ONLY_AGENTS` in `sync-hooks-to-skills.py` **and** in the regression suite `.claude/hooks/tests/suites/agent-universal-rules.test.cjs` (TC-UAR-005 fails until both agree). The two enforce one invariant.
>
> **Note — the inserter is insert-only.** Moving an agent from CODE to READONLY_CODE (or otherwise dropping a block from its tier) does NOT remove the now-excess SYNC block from its `.md` on disk — `process_file` only inserts missing blocks. Strip the excess block(s) from the agent `.md` source by hand (or a scoped one-off) so the regression suite's tier assertions pass.

**Skill-only blocks (orchestration).** A block in `SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER` but in NO agent tier reaches every skill and zero agents. TC-UAR-017 treats that shape as drift by default — a protocol that reached ≥3 skills but no agent is usually an oversight — so declare a genuinely skill-only block in BOTH lists:

- `.claude/hooks/tests/suites/agent-universal-rules.test.cjs` → `AGENT_ADOPTION_EXEMPT` — the ONLY list TC-UAR-017 reads. Omit the block here and the suite fails.
- `.claude/scripts/agent_protocol_matrix.py` → `EXCLUDED_ORCHESTRATION` — read only by that file's own `--validate` check (b) (`agent_protocol_matrix.py:481`), which rejects a per-agent manifest that assigns an excluded block without an `ORCHESTRATION_WHITELIST` entry. Omit it here and no test fails; the manifest is simply free to assign the block to an agent.

> **No cross-check exists.** The two lists are enforced by two SEPARATE mechanisms and nothing verifies they agree — TC-UAR-017 never reads `EXCLUDED_ORCHESTRATION` (it appears in that test file only in a comment and a failure-message string). Keeping them in step is a **convention**, not an enforced invariant: update both by hand in the same change.

The bar for that exemption is caller-side ownership: the block must drive orchestration the leaf either **cannot perform** (it has no access to the parent conversation, workflow state, or the user) or **has no basis to perform** (the decision was already made upstream before its brief was issued). Current members — `nested-task-creation`, `subagent-return-contract`, `sub-agent-selection`, `parallel-phase-advancement`, `parallel-subagent-dispatch`, `goal-contract-satisfaction-loop` — expand workflow steps, choose/brief sub-agents, partition a task list into parallel waves, or drive a user-facing convergence loop. `parallel-subagent-dispatch` is the second kind: an agent CAN spawn (agent files generally carry no `tools:` restriction), but it receives one already-partitioned brief, so re-running PAR/SEQ tagging inside it re-decides upstream's call. An agent that legitimately fans out carries that instruction in its own `.claude/agents/*.md` definition instead.

#### Step B3: Run the script (dry-run first)

```bash
python .claude/scripts/sync-hooks-to-skills.py --dry-run --verbose
# Verify: expected N updated, 0 errors

python .claude/scripts/sync-hooks-to-skills.py --verbose
# Verify: the computed on-disk tier inventory was processed; already-current targets skip
```

#### Step B4: Verify

```bash
# Confirm target files now contain the new block. Expected count is TIER-AWARE.
# The skill tier and the agent tiers are INDEPENDENT lists — a block reaches
# agents only if it is ALSO in an agent tier, so union the rows that apply:
#   - block in SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER ONLY     → every discovered skill, 0 agents
#                                           (skill-only ⇒ must be declared in BOTH
#                                            exemption lists — see "Skill-only blocks")
#   - block in SKILL_BLOCK_ORDER + CORE   → every discovered skill + every discovered agent
#   - block in CORE_BLOCK_ORDER           → every discovered agent (skills excluded)
#   - block in READONLY_CODE_BLOCK_ORDER  → 21 agents (17 code + 4 readonly-code)
#   - block in CODE_BLOCK_ORDER           → 17 code agents only
grep -rl "SYNC:new-block-name" .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md .claude/agents/*.md | wc -l

# Then run the agent-coverage regression suite — it asserts tier membership,
# disjointness, and SYNC tag balance across the discovered agent inventory.
node .claude/hooks/tests/run-all-tests.cjs --filter=agent-universal
```

Check a representative file of each affected tier manually to confirm placement and formatting.

---

## Usage Examples

```
/sync-skills-shared-protocols understand-code-first     # Sync one tag (Operation A)
/sync-skills-shared-protocols all                        # Sync all tags (Operation A)
/sync-skills-shared-protocols                            # Interactive — asks which tags
# Adding new block: use Operation B workflow above (script-driven)
```

## Rules

- ALWAYS edit `sync-inline-versions.md` FIRST, then run this skill
- NEVER modify content outside `<!-- SYNC:tag -->` boundaries
- NEVER touch `:reminder` blocks unless explicitly asked — and when asked, sync them WITH THE SCRIPT on the `{tag}:reminder` tag; never hand-write one
- If close tag is missing in a target file, SKIP that file and report it as an error
- Use the `Grep` tool (not shell grep) per project conventions
- Verify tag balance after every sync run
- For bulk-insert (Operation B): use `sync-hooks-to-skills.py` — NEVER do it manually across 288 files

---

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

> **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
> **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

<!-- SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy -->

> **Shared Protocol Duplication Policy** — Inline protocol content in skills (wrapped in `<!-- SYNC:tag -->`) is INTENTIONAL duplication. Do NOT extract, deduplicate, or replace with file references. AI compliance drops significantly when protocols are behind file-read indirection. To update: edit `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` first, then grep `SYNC:protocol-name` and update all occurrences.

<!-- /SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

> **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
>
> **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting.
> **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing.
> **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first.
> **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done.
> **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect.
> **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard.
> **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk.
> **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure.
> **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

<!-- SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy:reminder -->

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** follow duplication policy: inline protocols are INTENTIONAL, never extract to file references

<!-- /SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (`file:line` for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

> **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`.
>
> Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

## Closing Reminders

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal:** Two operations — (A) propagate updated content for existing SYNC: blocks across all skills, or (B) add a new SYNC: block to all skill/agent files that don't have it yet.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Workflow:** Operation A: identify tag(s) → read canonical content → find targets → replace only block bodies → verify balance/parity/outside-block diff → handle reminders as separately requested; Operation B: edit canonical → update inserter tiers → dry-run → run → verify tier coverage and balance → report tags/files/errors.

**Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):**

- **Critical Thinking:** apply critical+sequential thinking; trace every claim, confidence >80%.
- **Shared Protocol Duplication:** inline protocols are intentional; never extract to file references.
- **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** edit `sync-inline-versions.md` FIRST before syncing to skills
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** verify SYNC tag balance after every sync run
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** NEVER modify content outside `<!-- SYNC:tag -->` boundaries
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** skip files with missing close tags and report as errors

**[TASK-PLANNING]** Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.