Autonomous Skill - Long-Running Task Execution
Execute complex, long-running tasks across multiple sessions using a dual-agent pattern (Initializer + Executor) with automatic session continuation.
Directory Structure
All task data is stored in .autonomous/
project-root/ └── .autonomous/ ├── build-rest-api/ │ ├── task_list.md │ └── progress.md ├── refactor-auth/ │ ├── task_list.md │ └── progress.md └── ...
This allows multiple autonomous tasks to run in parallel without conflicts.
Workflow Overview
User Request → Generate Task Name → Create .autonomous/
Step 1: Initialize Task Directory
Generate a task name from user's description and create the directory:
Generate task name (lowercase, hyphens, max 30 chars)
Example: "Build a REST API for todo app" → "build-rest-api-todo"
TASK_NAME=$(echo "$USER_TASK" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | sed 's/[^a-z0-9]/-/g' | sed 's/--*/-/g' | cut -c1-30 | sed 's/-$//')
Create task directory
TASK_DIR=".autonomous/$TASK_NAME" mkdir -p "$TASK_DIR"
echo "Task directory: $TASK_DIR"
Step 2: Analyze Current State
Check if this is a new task or continuation:
TASK_DIR=".autonomous/$TASK_NAME"
Look for existing task list
if [ -f "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" ]; then echo "=== CONTINUATION MODE ===" echo "Found existing task at: $TASK_DIR"
# Show progress summary TOTAL=$(grep -c '^- [' "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0") DONE=$(grep -c '^- [x]' "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0") echo "Progress: $DONE/$TOTAL tasks completed"
# Show recent progress notes echo "" echo "=== Recent Progress ===" head -50 "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" else echo "=== NEW TASK MODE ===" echo "Creating new task at: $TASK_DIR" mkdir -p "$TASK_DIR" fi
Step 3: Choose Agent Mode For NEW Tasks (Initializer Mode)
If task_list.md does NOT exist in the task directory:
SKILL_DIR="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/autonomous-skill" TASK_DIR=".autonomous/$TASK_NAME"
Read the initializer prompt template
INITIALIZER_PROMPT=$(cat "$SKILL_DIR/templates/initializer-prompt.md")
Execute initializer session
claude -p "Task: $USER_TASK_DESCRIPTION Task Directory: $TASK_DIR
$INITIALIZER_PROMPT" \ --output-format stream-json \ --max-turns 50 \ --append-system-prompt "You are the Initializer Agent. Create task_list.md and progress.md in $TASK_DIR directory."
For CONTINUATION (Executor Mode)
If task_list.md EXISTS in the task directory:
SKILL_DIR="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/autonomous-skill" TASK_DIR=".autonomous/$TASK_NAME"
Read the executor prompt template
EXECUTOR_PROMPT=$(cat "$SKILL_DIR/templates/executor-prompt.md")
Read current state
TASK_LIST=$(cat "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md") PROGRESS=$(cat "$TASK_DIR/progress.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "No previous progress notes")
Execute executor session
claude -p "Continue working on the task. Task Directory: $TASK_DIR
Current task_list.md: $TASK_LIST
Previous progress notes: $PROGRESS
$EXECUTOR_PROMPT" \ --output-format stream-json \ --max-turns 100 \ --append-system-prompt "You are the Executor Agent. Complete tasks and update files in $TASK_DIR directory."
Step 4: Auto-Continue Loop
After each session completes, check remaining tasks and auto-continue:
!/bin/bash
TASK_DIR=".autonomous/$TASK_NAME" AUTO_CONTINUE_DELAY=3 SESSION_NUM=1
while true; do echo "" echo "==========================================" echo " SESSION $SESSION_NUM - Task: $TASK_NAME" echo "=========================================="
# Run the appropriate agent # ... execute session ...
# Check completion if [ -f "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" ]; then TOTAL=$(grep -c '^- [' "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0") DONE=$(grep -c '^- [x]' "$TASK_DIR/task_list.md" 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
echo ""
echo "=== Progress: $DONE/$TOTAL tasks completed ==="
if [ "$DONE" -eq "$TOTAL" ] && [ "$TOTAL" -gt 0 ]; then
echo ""
echo "All tasks completed! Exiting."
break
fi
fi
# Auto-continue with delay echo "" echo "Continuing in $AUTO_CONTINUE_DELAY seconds... (Press Ctrl+C to pause)" sleep $AUTO_CONTINUE_DELAY
SESSION_NUM=$((SESSION_NUM + 1)) done
Step 5: Report Progress
After execution, display a clear progress report:
========================================== SESSION COMPLETE - Task: build-rest-api ==========================================
Task Directory: .autonomous/build-rest-api/
Tasks completed this session: - [x] Task 5: Implement user authentication - [x] Task 6: Add login form validation
Overall Progress: 18/50 tasks (36%)
Next tasks: - [ ] Task 7: Create password reset flow - [ ] Task 8: Add session management
Continuing in 3 seconds... (Press Ctrl+C to pause)
Usage Examples Example 1: Start New Task User: Please use autonomous skill to build a REST API for a todo app
Response: 1. Generated task name: "build-rest-api-todo" 2. Created directory: .autonomous/build-rest-api-todo/ 3. Running Initializer Agent... 4. Created task_list.md with 25 tasks 5. Progress: 3/25 completed 6. Auto-continuing in 3 seconds...
Example 2: Continue Existing Task User: Continue the autonomous task "build-rest-api-todo"
Response: 1. Found task: .autonomous/build-rest-api-todo/ 2. Current progress: 15/25 tasks 3. Running Executor Agent... 4. Completed tasks 16-17 5. Progress: 17/25 completed 6. Auto-continuing in 3 seconds...
Example 3: List All Tasks
List all autonomous tasks
ls -la .autonomous/
Show progress for specific task
cat .autonomous/build-rest-api-todo/task_list.md
Key Files
For each task in .autonomous/
File Purpose task_list.md Master task list with checkbox progress progress.md Session-by-session progress notes Important Notes Task Isolation: Each task has its own directory, no conflicts Task Naming: Auto-generated from description (lowercase, hyphens) Task List is Sacred: Never delete or modify descriptions, only mark [x] One Task at a Time per Session: Focus on completing tasks thoroughly Auto-Continue: Sessions auto-continue with 3s delay; Ctrl+C to pause Troubleshooting Issue Solution Task not found Check .autonomous/ for existing tasks Multiple tasks Specify task name explicitly Session stuck Check progress.md in task directory Need to restart Delete task directory and start fresh