Conductor Protocol
A Claude Code plugin for multi-agent orchestration. Coordinate parallel Claude instances to prevent file conflicts, enforce priority alignment, and maintain visibility across all running agents.
The Problem
When running 3-5+ Claude instances simultaneously:
- Conflicting changes: Two agents edit the same file
- Strategic drift: Agents work on low-priority tasks
- Lost visibility: No idea what each instance is doing
- Wasted effort: Duplicate work or incompatible changes
The Solution
A lightweight coordination protocol where:
- Each agent registers when starting a task
- Agents claim files before editing them
- A priority gate rejects misaligned work
- A status dashboard shows all activity
Installation
Plugin Install
# Add the marketplace
claude plugin marketplace add MarioGiancini/conductor-protocol
# Install the plugin
claude plugin install conductor-protocol
Updating
# Update marketplace cache first
claude plugin marketplace update conductor-protocol
# Update the plugin
claude plugin update conductor-protocol@conductor-protocol
Quick Start
# 1. Start a task (registers you in the conductor)
/conductor start "Fix auth bug" --project pitchello --priority P1
# 2. Claim files before editing
/conductor claim src/api/users.ts src/lib/auth.ts
# 3. Do your work...
# 4. When done, release claims and log completion
/conductor done
# Anytime: Check what all instances are doing
/conductor status
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
/conductor start "task" --project --priority | Register a new task |
/conductor status | Show all active instances |
/conductor claim <files> | Lock files before editing |
/conductor release [files] | Release file claims |
/conductor done | Complete task and release all claims |
/conductor align "task" | Check task against north-stars |
/conductor conflicts | Show active conflicts |
/conductor cleanup | Remove orphaned instances |
How It Works
Instance Lifecycle
/conductor start "Fix auth bug" --project pitchello --priority P1
│
▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Priority Check │──Fail──▶ ⚠️ Drift warning
└────────┬────────┘
│ Pass
▼
/conductor claim src/auth.ts
│
▼
┌─────────────────┐
│ Conflict Check │──Conflict──▶ ⚠️ File locked
└────────┬────────┘
│ Clear
▼
✅ Work on task
│
▼
/conductor done
│
▼
✅ Claims released, logged to history
Status Dashboard
/conductor status
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CONDUCTOR STATUS - 2026-01-17 10:30 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ ACTIVE INSTANCES (3) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ [itm-a1b2] pitchello │ P1 │ Fix auth bug │ 45m │
│ └─ src/api/users.ts, src/lib/auth.ts │
│ │
│ [cur-c3d4] mission-control │ P1 │ Lead scoring API │ 30m │
│ └─ app/api/agent/leads/* │
│ │
│ [web-e5f6] digital-self │ P2 │ Content draft │ 15m │
│ └─ (no files claimed) │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ CONFLICTS: None │
│ DRIFT WARNINGS: 1 (web-e5f6 working on P2 during P1 sprint) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
State Files
All state lives in ~/.conductor/:
| File | Purpose |
|---|
status.json | Current instance state and file claims |
history.jsonl | Completed tasks log |
sprint.json | Optional sprint focus configuration |
conflicts.log | Conflict history for pattern analysis |
Priority Levels
| Level | Description | Examples |
|---|
| P1 | Critical, sprint-blocking | Revenue features, production bugs |
| P2 | Important, planned work | Backlog items, improvements |
| P3 | Nice-to-have, opportunistic | Refactoring, documentation |
Priority Gate Rule: During focused sprints, P3 work requires explicit override.
Integration
With Daily Workflows
/daily-brief can show conductor status at session start/shutdown can run /conductor done to release claims
With Strategic Alignment
/conductor align checks tasks against north-stars.md- Sprint focus can be configured via
~/.conductor/sprint.json
Philosophy
"Progress should persist. Failures should evaporate. Conflicts should be prevented."