Best use case
parallel-run is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Orchestrate parallel agent execution with git worktrees
Teams using parallel-run should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/parallel-run/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How parallel-run Compares
| Feature / Agent | parallel-run | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Orchestrate parallel agent execution with git worktrees
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# parallel-run
**Category**: Parallel Development
## Usage
```bash
/parallel-run <parallel-dir> [options]
```
## Arguments
- `<parallel-dir>`: Required - Path to decomposed parallel folder (e.g., `parallel/TS-0042-inventory/`)
- `--validate`: Only validate the directory without executing
- `--status`: Show current execution status
## Purpose
Execute parallel agent development tasks using the `cpo` (Claude Parallel Orchestrator) CLI tool. This command:
1. Validates the parallel directory and manifest.json
2. Executes parallel agents using git worktrees
3. Monitors progress and reports results
## Prerequisites
- Run `/parallel-decompose` first (creates tasks, prompts, manifest.json)
- `cpo` tool installed: `pip install claude-parallel-orchestrator` or `pipx install claude-parallel-orchestrator`
- Git working tree is clean (no uncommitted changes)
- Claude Code CLI available: `claude --version`
---
## Execution Instructions for Claude Code
When this command is run, Claude Code should delegate to the `cpo` CLI tool.
### 0. Parse Arguments
Extract from user input:
- `PARALLEL_DIR`: The parallel directory path
- `VALIDATE_ONLY`: Boolean, true if `--validate` specified
- `STATUS_ONLY`: Boolean, true if `--status` specified
### 1. Check cpo Tool Availability
```bash
cpo --help
```
If `cpo` is not installed, display:
```
ERROR: cpo (Claude Parallel Orchestrator) not found
Install with:
pip install claude-parallel-orchestrator
# or
pipx install claude-parallel-orchestrator
Documentation: https://github.com/jpoutrin/claude-parallel-orchestrator
```
### 2. Handle --validate Option
If `--validate` is specified:
```bash
cpo validate "$PARALLEL_DIR"
```
Display the validation output and stop.
### 3. Handle --status Option
If `--status` is specified:
```bash
cpo status "$PARALLEL_DIR"
```
Display the status output and stop.
### 4. Run Parallel Execution
For default execution (no special flags):
```bash
cpo run "$PARALLEL_DIR"
```
The `cpo run` command will:
1. Validate the manifest.json
2. Create git worktrees for each task
3. Launch Claude agents in parallel (respecting wave dependencies)
4. Monitor progress and handle failures
5. Generate execution logs in `$PARALLEL_DIR/logs/`
6. Create final report in `$PARALLEL_DIR/report.json`
### 5. Monitor and Report Progress
The `cpo run` command outputs progress to stdout. Parse and display:
```
=== Parallel Execution Started ===
Wave 1:
task-001-users: RUNNING
task-002-products: RUNNING
task-003-shared: RUNNING
[... cpo output continues ...]
=== Execution Complete ===
Results:
Completed: 5/5 tasks
Failed: 0 tasks
Next step: /parallel-integrate --parallel-dir $PARALLEL_DIR
```
---
## cpo Manifest Format
The `cpo` tool expects `manifest.json` with this structure:
```json
{
"tech_spec_id": "TS-0042",
"waves": [
{
"number": 1,
"tasks": [
{
"id": "task-001-users",
"agent": "python-experts:django-expert",
"prompt_file": "prompts/task-001.txt"
},
{
"id": "task-002-products",
"agent": "python-experts:django-expert",
"prompt_file": "prompts/task-002.txt"
}
],
"validation": "python -c 'from apps.users.models import User'"
},
{
"number": 2,
"tasks": [
{
"id": "task-004-orders",
"agent": "python-experts:django-expert",
"prompt_file": "prompts/task-004.txt"
}
],
"validation": "pytest apps/orders/tests/ -v"
}
]
}
```
**Key fields:**
- `tech_spec_id`: Links to Tech Spec for traceability
- `waves[].number`: Wave execution order (1, 2, 3...)
- `waves[].tasks[].id`: Unique task identifier
- `waves[].tasks[].agent`: Agent type from product-forge (e.g., `python-experts:django-expert`)
- `waves[].tasks[].prompt_file`: Path to task prompt file
- `waves[].validation`: Optional command to validate wave completion
---
## Error Handling
### cpo Not Installed
```
ERROR: cpo command not found
Install with:
pip install claude-parallel-orchestrator
Or check PATH if already installed:
which cpo
```
### Invalid Manifest
```
ERROR: manifest.json validation failed
Missing required fields:
- tech_spec_id
- waves
Run '/parallel-decompose' to regenerate the manifest.
```
### Execution Failures
The `cpo` tool handles:
1. Agent process failure -> marks task as failed, continues with independent tasks
2. Validation failure -> stops wave, reports error
3. Git conflicts -> aborts with message
Check `$PARALLEL_DIR/logs/` for detailed agent output.
Check `$PARALLEL_DIR/report.json` for execution summary.
---
## Examples
```bash
# Execute parallel tasks (default)
/parallel-run parallel/TS-0042-inventory/
# Validate manifest without executing
/parallel-run parallel/TS-0042-inventory/ --validate
# Check current execution status
/parallel-run parallel/TS-0042-inventory/ --status
```
---
## Related Commands
- `/parallel-setup` - One-time project initialization
- `/parallel-decompose` - Create tasks and prompts (run before this)
- `/parallel-validate-prompts` - Validate prompts have required sections
- `/parallel-integrate` - Verify integration (run after this)
## cpo CLI Reference
For advanced usage, use `cpo` directly:
```bash
# Initialize new parallel directory
cpo init parallel/TS-0042-feature -t TS-0042 -n feature-name
# Validate directory structure
cpo validate parallel/TS-0042-feature
# Run parallel execution
cpo run parallel/TS-0042-feature
# Check execution status
cpo status parallel/TS-0042-feature
```Related Skills
parallel-ready-django
Audit and prepare a Django codebase for parallel multi-agent development. Use when asked to check if a Django project is ready for parallelization, prepare a repo for multi-agent work, audit codebase structure, set up orchestration infrastructure, or identify blockers for parallel development. Analyzes Django apps, models, migrations, and module boundaries.
parallel-fix-django
Fix Django-specific blockers identified in parallelization readiness assessment
parallel-validate-prompts
Validate and fix parallel prompts for required sections
parallel-task-format
Compact YAML format for defining parallel task specifications with scope, boundaries, and agent assignments. Use when creating task files for parallel development.
parallel-setup
One-time setup of parallel/ directory for multi-agent development
parallel-prompt-generator
Generate agent-ready prompts from existing task specification files. Use when regenerating prompts after editing tasks, updating prompt templates, or preparing tasks for cpo execution.
parallel-integrate
Verify integration after parallel agent execution and generate report
parallel-execution
Execute multiple Claude Code agents in parallel using the cpo CLI tool. Use when running parallel tasks, monitoring execution, or understanding the execution workflow.
parallel-decompose
Decompose PRDs and Tech Specs into parallel-executable tasks with contracts, prompts, and dependency graphs. Use when breaking down a PRD for multi-agent execution.
parallel-agents
Use when parallelizing development, running multiple agents, splitting work across agents, coordinating parallel tasks, or decomposing PRDs for concurrent execution. Breaks work into independent agent workstreams.
zod
Zod schema validation patterns and type inference. Auto-loads when validating schemas, parsing data, validating forms, checking types at runtime, or using z.object/z.string/z.infer in TypeScript.
typescript-import-style
Merge-friendly import formatting (one-per-line, alphabetical). Auto-loads when writing TypeScript/JavaScript imports to minimize merge conflicts in parallel development. Enforces consistent grouping and sorting.