Epic AI Swarm Orchestration v3.3.0#

Portable OpenClaw skill + runtime for running parallel AI coding agents with tmux worktrees, duty-table model selection, token-limit fallback, review loops, integration watcher, and heartbeat notifications.

Use this skill when#

• The human/operator asks to “swarm” coding/build/review/integration work.
• Another OpenClaw needs the same swarm system installed.
• You need to inspect/fix ~/workspace/swarm, duty tables, model fallback, pulse checks, or pending notifications.

Hard rule for swarm work#

Do not bypass the runtime scripts. For real swarm work use:

• Single task: ~/workspace/swarm/spawn-agent.sh
• Parallel tasks: ~/workspace/swarm/spawn-batch.sh
• Status/pulse: ~/workspace/swarm/check-agents.sh, ~/workspace/swarm/pulse-check.sh

Do not use bare background claude, codex, gemini, deepseek, or OpenClaw subagents as a substitute for the swarm pipeline unless explicitly debugging the runtime itself.

Plug-and-play install on another OpenClaw host#

From the installed skill directory:

bash

bash install.sh
bash doctor.sh

Default install target: ~/workspace/swarm.

What install.sh does:

1. Copies bundled runtime scripts into ~/workspace/swarm/.
2. Creates clean local state/config files from templates/ without bundling secrets.
3. Installs roles/swarm-lead/{ROLE.md,TOOLS.md,HEARTBEAT.md} into the OpenClaw workspace.
4. Adds swarm-lead to roles/active.json unless --no-activate is used.
5. Backs up existing role/config files before replacing them.

Useful installer options:

bash

bash install.sh --dry-run
bash install.sh --target /custom/swarm/path --workspace /custom/openclaw/workspace
bash install.sh --force          # replace config/state templates after backup
bash install.sh --no-role        # scripts only
bash install.sh --no-activate    # copy role but do not activate it

Then authenticate provider CLIs on that host and run:

bash

~/workspace/swarm/assess-models.sh --dry-run
~/workspace/swarm/assess-models.sh

doctor.sh --probe-models runs live provider probes; skip it unless the operator is okay spending provider quota.

Prerequisites#

Required CLIs on PATH:

• bash, python3
• git — worktrees, branches, commits
• tmux — isolated agent sessions

Recommended integrations:

• gh — GitHub status/CI/release checks
• openclaw — local notification delivery where configured

Model CLIs: install/authenticate at least one of:

• codex
• gemini
• deepseek
• claude optional legacy fallback in some watcher paths

Credentials are host-local. This package intentionally does not bundle API keys, OAuth tokens, Telegram targets, duty-table state, logs, endorsements, or task history.

Runtime layout#

text

~/workspace/swarm/
  spawn-agent.sh
  spawn-batch.sh
  notify-on-complete.sh
  integration-watcher.sh
  queue-watcher.sh
  pulse-check.sh
  check-agents.sh
  assess-models.sh
  fallback-swap.sh
  model-fallback.sh
  try-model.sh
  duty-table.json
  swarm.conf
  active-tasks.json
  pending-notifications.txt
  logs/
  endorsements/

Bundled resources:

• scripts/ — runtime scripts copied by install.sh
• templates/ — clean config/state defaults
• roles/swarm-lead/ — OpenClaw role files
• references/workflow.md — 3-phase workflow
• references/tools.md — command syntax
• references/duty-table.md — model rotation/fallback details
• references/eor-template.md — end-of-run report template

Workflow#

Phase 1 — Plan#

1. Inspect project state, git, CI, ESR/history, and relevant notes.
2. Split work into independent task IDs/prompts.
3. Present the task plan to the human/operator.
4. Wait for endorsement before spawning.

Phase 2 — Build + Review#

Use role-based tasks so the duty table chooses the actual model:

bash

~/workspace/swarm/spawn-batch.sh /path/to/project batch-id "Batch description" /tmp/tasks.json

Example tasks.json:

json

[
  {"id":"fix-auth", "description":"Fix login redirect", "role":"builder", "reasoning":"high"},
  {"id":"ui-polish", "description":"Polish mobile layout", "role":"builder"}
]

Each task runs in its own tmux session/worktree. notify-on-complete.sh launches reviewer/fixer loops and records handoff logs.

Phase 3 — Integrate + Ship#

spawn-batch.sh starts integration-watcher.sh, which waits for all sessions, merges branches, runs verification, persists work logs/ESR, and writes notifications.

Heartbeat handling#

On heartbeat, the swarm-lead role should:

1. Read ~/workspace/swarm/pending-notifications.txt.
2. Send each pending line to the human/operator, then clear the file.
3. Run ~/workspace/swarm/pulse-check.sh.
4. Check tmux ls for active/completed agent sessions.
5. Only reply HEARTBEAT_OK if nothing is actionable.

Safety and quality gates#

• Human endorsement before spawn.
• 30-second cooldown for single-task endorsement.
• SWARM_MAX_CONCURRENT queueing for large batches.
• Max 3 reviewer/fixer loops.
• Token/rate-limit fallback via model-fallback.sh.
• Stuck-agent detection via pulse-check.sh.
• Final merge/build verification by integration watcher.

References#

Read only what you need:

• Workflow details: references/workflow.md
• Spawn command syntax: references/tools.md
• Duty table/fallback: references/duty-table.md
• EOR report format: references/eor-template.md