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AGENT COORDINATION CONTRACT

Status: Design/spec only. This document defines typed JSON envelopes for agent manifests, task requests, and task results. It does not change any compiler/runtime semantics and is intended for extension/OpenClaw agent or

Agent Coordination Contract (draft, extension/OpenClaw lane)

Status: Design/spec only. This document defines typed JSON envelopes for agent manifests, task requests, and task results. It does not change any compiler/runtime semantics and is intended for extension/OpenClaw agent orchestrators (e.g. OpenClaw, ClaudeBot, future local/remote agents).

The design is:

  • explicit — no hidden delegation or recursion,
  • typed — small, versioned JSON schemas,
  • bounded — transport is queue/file‑backed by convention,
  • auditable — envelopes carry provenance and artifact references,
  • policy‑aware — trust/approval/budget fields are first‑class,
  • replayable — results link back to AINL runs and traces.

Use this as the contract for inter‑agent coordination built on top of AINL, not as a core language feature.

1. Agent capability manifest (AgentManifest)

Minimal JSON schema (conceptual, versioned via schema_version):

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",

  "agent_id": "string",
  "name": "string",
  "version": "string",
  "description": "string",

  "role_types": [
    "advisor",
    "executor",
    "reviewer"
  ],

  "available_tools": [
    "http",
    "queue",
    "fs.read-only",
    "openclaw.notifications"
  ],

  "execution_mode": "advisory",

  "trust_domain": "internal",

  "requires_human_approval": {
    "default": false,
    "for_task_types": {
      "deploy": true,
      "high_risk_change": true
    }
  },

  "budget_class": "medium",
  "locality": "local",
  "max_context_size": 16384,

  "contact": {
    "queue": "agent_tasks",
    "inbox_file": "agents/openclaw.monitor/inbox.jsonl"
  },

  "policy_refs": [
    "policy://internal/agent-safety/v1"
  ],

  "provenance": {
    "owner": "OpenClaw monitors",
    "created_at": "2026-03-09T00:00:00Z",
    "source_repo": "https://github.com/sbhooley/ainativelang"
  }
}

1.1 Example: OpenClaw monitor agent manifest

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "agent_id": "openclaw.monitor",
  "name": "OpenClaw Infrastructure Monitor",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Runs AINL-based infrastructure and SLA monitors and emits alerts.",

  "role_types": ["executor", "advisor"],
  "available_tools": [
    "http",
    "queue",
    "svc",
    "extras",
    "tiktok",
    "fs.read-only"
  ],
  "execution_mode": "hybrid",

  "trust_domain": "internal",
  "requires_human_approval": {
    "default": false,
    "for_task_types": {
      "prod_deploy": true,
      "high_risk_change": true
    }
  },
  "budget_class": "medium",
  "locality": "local",
  "max_context_size": 32768,

  "contact": {
    "queue": "openclaw_agent_tasks",
    "inbox_file": "agents/openclaw.monitor/inbox.jsonl"
  },

  "policy_refs": [
    "policy://internal/agent-safety/v1"
  ],

  "provenance": {
    "owner": "Steven Hooley / OpenClaw",
    "created_at": "2026-03-09T00:00:00Z",
    "source_repo": "https://github.com/sbhooley/ainativelang"
  }
}

This describes what the agent can do and how to talk to it, but does not imply any automatic wiring in AINL.

2. Task request envelope (AgentTaskRequest)

Minimal JSON schema:

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",

  "task_id": "string",
  "requester_id": "string",
  "target_agent": "string",
  "target_role": "string",

  "task_type": "string",
  "description": "string",

  "input": {
    "refs": [
      {
        "kind": "string",
        "uri": "string"
      }
    ],
    "payload": {}
  },

  "required_output_contract": {
    "format": "json",
    "schema_ref": "schema://ainl/agent-output/v1",
    "must_include_fields": ["status", "summary", "actions"]
  },

  "sensitivity": "internal",
  "deadline": "string|null",

  "budget_limit": {
    "tokens": 2000,
    "usd_cents": 500
  },

  "allowed_tools": [
    "http",
    "openclaw.notifications"
  ],

  "approval_required": "none",
  "human_approver": "string|null",

  "callback": {
    "queue": "agent_results",
    "file_append": "agents/openclaw.monitor/results.jsonl"
  },

  "policy_context": {
    "environment": "staging",
    "change_window": "2026-03-10T01:00:00Z/2026-03-10T02:00:00Z"
  },

  "metadata": {
    "ainl.graph_checksum": "string",
    "ainl.program_id": "string"
  }
}

2.1 Example: local queue/file-backed task handoff

Example request from a planner/dispatcher agent to openclaw.monitor asking it to run a TikTok SLA check (using an AINL program like examples/autonomous_ops/tiktok_sla_monitor.lang):

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "task_id": "task-2026-03-09-0001",
  "requester_id": "planner.agent",
  "target_agent": "openclaw.monitor",
  "target_role": "executor",

  "task_type": "execute_monitor",
  "description": "Run TikTok SLA monitor and report whether KPIs are within bounds.",

  "input": {
    "refs": [
      {
        "kind": "ainl_program",
        "uri": "file://examples/autonomous_ops/tiktok_sla_monitor.lang"
      }
    ],
    "payload": {
      "sla_hours": 24
    }
  },

  "required_output_contract": {
    "format": "json",
    "schema_ref": "schema://ainl/agent-output/v1",
    "must_include_fields": ["status", "summary", "actions"]
  },

  "sensitivity": "internal",
  "deadline": "2026-03-09T23:00:00Z",

  "budget_limit": {
    "tokens": 3000,
    "usd_cents": 300
  },

  "allowed_tools": [
    "http",
    "queue",
    "svc",
    "extras",
    "tiktok"
  ],

  "approval_required": "pre",
  "human_approver": "sre-oncall@example.com",

  "callback": {
    "queue": "agent_results",
    "file_append": "agents/openclaw.monitor/results.jsonl"
  },

  "policy_context": {
    "environment": "staging",
    "change_window": "2026-03-10T01:00:00Z/2026-03-10T02:00:00Z"
  },

  "metadata": {
    "ainl.graph_checksum": "sha256:...",
    "ainl.program_id": "tiktok_sla_monitor.v1"
  }
}

By convention, this envelope would be written to a queue or JSONL file that the openclaw.monitor agent consumes; AINL itself does not interpret this schema.

3. Task result envelope (AgentTaskResult)

Minimal JSON schema:

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",

  "task_id": "string",
  "agent_id": "string",

  "status": "string",
  "confidence": "number|null",

  "output": {
    "summary": "string",
    "actions": [
      {
        "kind": "string",
        "description": "string",
        "status": "pending|executed|skipped"
      }
    ]
  },

  "artifact_refs": [
    {
      "kind": "string",
      "uri": "string"
    }
  ],

  "cost_used": {
    "tokens": 0,
    "usd_cents": 0
  },

  "time_used": {
    "started_at": "string",
    "finished_at": "string",
    "wall_ms": 0
  },

  "needs_review": {
    "required": false,
    "reason": "string|null"
  },

  "error": {
    "kind": "string|null",
    "message": "string|null"
  },

  "provenance_ref": {
    "ainl_graph_checksum": "string",
    "ainl_program_id": "string",
    "runtime_version": "string",
    "recording_uri": "string"
  }
}

3.1 Example: result with status, review flag, and provenance

Example result after openclaw.monitor runs a TikTok SLA monitor and records its execution using AINL’s record/replay tooling:

{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "task_id": "task-2026-03-09-0001",
  "agent_id": "openclaw.monitor",

  "status": "ok",
  "confidence": 0.9,

  "output": {
    "summary": "TikTok SLA is within bounds: all KPIs within 24h window are green.",
    "actions": [
      {
        "kind": "notification",
        "description": "No remediation required; log daily SLA summary.",
        "status": "executed"
      }
    ]
  },

  "artifact_refs": [
    {
      "kind": "run_summary",
      "uri": "file://runs/tiktok_sla_monitor/2026-03-09/summary.json"
    },
    {
      "kind": "run_trace",
      "uri": "file://runs/tiktok_sla_monitor/2026-03-09/trace.json"
    }
  ],

  "cost_used": {
    "tokens": 0,
    "usd_cents": 0
  },

  "time_used": {
    "started_at": "2026-03-09T20:00:00Z",
    "finished_at": "2026-03-09T20:00:05Z",
    "wall_ms": 5000
  },

  "needs_review": {
    "required": false,
    "reason": null
  },

  "error": {
    "kind": null,
    "message": null
  },

  "provenance_ref": {
    "ainl_graph_checksum": "sha256:...",
    "ainl_program_id": "tiktok_sla_monitor.v1",
    "runtime_version": "ainl-runtime-1.0.0",
    "recording_uri": "file://runs/tiktok_sla_monitor/2026-03-09/calls.json"
  }
}

This envelope is designed to be:

  • typed and bounded — no freeform chat,
  • policy‑aware — needs_review, status, and error are explicit,
  • replayable — provenance_ref ties back to AINL runs and recordings.

4. Scope and non-goals (for this pass)

  • These schemas are non‑canonical and extension‑level:
    • they are not part of the AINL language semantics,
    • they are intended for OpenClaw / orchestrators / external agents.
  • AINL does not:
    • interpret these envelopes in the compiler or core runtime,
    • provide built‑in swarm/recursive agent semantics in this pass,
    • implicitly route tasks between agents.
  • Future work (separate passes) may:
    • add extension adapters that read/write these envelopes via queues/files,
    • define policy engines and approval flows that consume trust_domain, sensitivity, approval_required, and needs_review,
    • extend locality/trust modeling to remote/federated agents.

4.1 AINL example using agent.send_task

For a concrete extension-level AINL example that builds a small AgentTaskRequest envelope and appends it to a sandboxed JSONL file via the agent adapter, see:

  • examples/openclaw/agent_send_task.lang

That example:

  • runs locally and uses AINL_AGENT_ROOT (default /tmp/ainl_agents) as the sandbox root,
  • constructs an envelope with:
    • task_id, requester_id, target_agent, target_role,
    • task_type, description, input.refs, input.payload,
    • allowed_tools, approval_required, callback.file_append,
    • metadata.ainl.program_id,
  • and calls:
R agent send_task task "tasks/openclaw_agent_tasks.jsonl" ->result

The resulting JSONL file lives under AINL_AGENT_ROOT and can be consumed by an external orchestrator that understands the AgentTaskRequest schema.

4.2 AINL example using agent.read_result

For a concrete extension-level AINL example that reads a single AgentTaskResult envelope identified by task_id via the agent adapter, see:

  • examples/openclaw/agent_read_result.lang

That example:

  • assumes a result file exists at AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.json,
  • and calls:
R agent read_result "demo-openclaw-monitor-001" ->result

The result is a JSON object compatible with the AgentTaskResult schema and can be inspected or returned by the AINL program. Creation and placement of the result file remains the responsibility of an external orchestrator or human.

5. Local coordination loop walkthrough (extension/OpenClaw)

This section shows how the minimal local coordination loop fits together using files under AINL_AGENT_ROOT (default: /tmp/ainl_agents).

5.1 Suggested file layout under AINL_AGENT_ROOT

By convention, you can use the following layout:

  • AINL_AGENT_ROOT/tasks/openclaw_agent_tasks.jsonl — JSONL file of AgentTaskRequest envelopes written by agent.send_task.
  • AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.json — JSON file containing a single AgentTaskResult envelope for a specific task.

In this repository, an example AgentTaskResult file is provided at:

  • examples/openclaw/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.result.json

You can copy or move that file under your own AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/ directory when testing the local loop.

5.2 End-to-end local loop (manual steps)

  1. Configure sandbox root (optional):

    export AINL_AGENT_ROOT=/tmp/ainl_agents

    If not set, the adapter defaults to /tmp/ainl_agents.

  2. Send a task from AINL:

    Run the extension example that enqueues a task:

    # inside the repo root
ainl-validate examples/openclaw/agent_send_task.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/agent_send_task.lang --json

    After this, you should have:

    • $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/tasks/openclaw_agent_tasks.jsonl containing a line with a task_id of demo-openclaw-monitor-001.

  3. Place a result file (external/orchestrator step):

    An external orchestrator or a human operator is responsible for creating a compatible AgentTaskResult JSON file. For testing, you can seed one from the provided example:

    mkdir -p "$AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results"
cp examples/openclaw/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.result.json \
   "$AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.json"

  4. Read the result from AINL:

    Run the extension example that reads the result:

    ainl-validate examples/openclaw/agent_read_result.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/agent_read_result.lang --json

    This will load the JSON object from $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.json (derived from the task id) and bind it to result within the program.

5.3 Out-of-scope for this local loop

The current design and examples intentionally do not provide:

  • automatic task routing between agents,
  • task/result polling or watching,
  • queue-backed result transport,
  • remote or federated agent communication,
  • policy enforcement or approval workflows,
  • recursive or swarm-style multi-agent behavior.

Those concerns are expected to be handled by higher-level orchestrators or future, explicitly-scoped design passes.

6. Shared protocol boundary (Cursor ↔ OpenClaw)

For shared, local-only coordination between Cursor-side and OpenClaw-side workflows, the only accepted adapter surface in this pass is:

  • agent.send_task
  • agent.read_result

Any additional verbs that might exist in specific OpenClaw environments (read_task, list_agents, or similar) are not part of the shared cross-tool protocol and MUST NOT be relied on by Cursor or other external tools.

The contract boundary is:

  • AINL/OpenClaw programs:
    • may write AgentTaskRequest envelopes using agent.send_task,
    • may read AgentTaskResult envelopes using agent.read_result.
  • External orchestrators (including Cursor) are responsible for:
    • consuming task JSONL files under AINL_AGENT_ROOT/tasks/,
    • creating/placing result JSON files under AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/,
    • handling any routing, discovery, polling, or policy decisions.

No swarm behavior, routing, discovery (list_agents), or task-reading helpers (read_task) are part of the shared protocol at this time.

For a release-facing discussion of safe use, threat model, and which coordination fields are advisory vs enforced, see:

  • docs/advanced/SAFE_USE_AND_THREAT_MODEL.md

7. Real-world advisory examples

This section collects small, practical uses of the local mailbox protocol built on top of the narrow shared adapter surface (agent.send_task / agent.read_result).

7.1 Token-cost review loop (advisory)

As a first example, the repository includes a token-cost advisory loop:

  • examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_request.lang — assembles bounded token/cost usage facts and enqueues an AgentTaskRequest asking a Cursor-side advisor to review daily token cost and suggest safe model/usage optimizations.
  • examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_read.lang — reads a single AgentTaskResult for a known advisory task_id via agent.read_result.

The flow is:

  1. AINL/OpenClaw writes an advisory request

    Run the request example:

    ainl-validate examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_request.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_request.lang --json

    This appends an AgentTaskRequest with task_id: "token-cost-advice-20260309" to:

    • $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/tasks/openclaw_agent_tasks.jsonl

  2. Cursor/External agent writes the advisory result

    A Cursor-side workflow reads the tasks JSONL file, computes advisory recommendations (e.g. which models to downrank or where to cap usage), and writes an AgentTaskResult JSON file to:

    • $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/token-cost-advice-20260309.json

    using the AgentTaskResult schema in this document.

  3. AINL/OpenClaw reads the advisory result

    Run the result reader example:

    ainl-validate examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_read.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_read.lang --json

    This loads the advisory AgentTaskResult for task_id="token-cost-advice-20260309" and binds it to result within the program.

This example remains:

  • local-only and file-backed under AINL_AGENT_ROOT,
  • advisory-only (no remediation or orchestration in AINL),
  • externally orchestrated (Cursor or another agent is responsible for routing and writing the result),
  • and fully aligned with the narrow shared protocol (agent.send_task / agent.read_result).

7.2 Monitor-status advisory review loop

As a second example, the repository includes a monitor-status advisory review loop:

  • examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_request.lang — assembles a bounded snapshot of current monitor statuses (ids, services, ok/warning/error flags, and recent last_ok / last_error timestamps) and enqueues an AgentTaskRequest asking a Cursor-side advisor to review overall state and suggest next manual checks.
  • examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_read.lang — reads a single AgentTaskResult for a known monitor-status advisory task_id via agent.read_result.

The flow is:

  1. AINL/OpenClaw writes an advisory request

    Run the request example:

    ainl-validate examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_request.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_request.lang --json

    This appends an AgentTaskRequest with task_id: "monitor-status-advice-20260309" (or a similar id) to:

    • $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/tasks/openclaw_agent_tasks.jsonl

  2. Cursor/External agent writes the advisory result

    A Cursor-side workflow reads the tasks JSONL file, inspects the monitor snapshot (for example, seeing which monitors are warning or error and how recently they changed state), and writes an AgentTaskResult JSON file with a short narrative summary plus suggested manual checks to:

    • $AINL_AGENT_ROOT/results/monitor-status-advice-20260309.json

    using the AgentTaskResult schema in this document.

  3. AINL/OpenClaw reads the advisory result

    Run the result reader example:

    ainl-validate examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_read.lang
ainl run examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_read.lang --json

    This loads the advisory AgentTaskResult for task_id="monitor-status-advice-20260309" and binds it to result within the program.

This example also remains:

  • local-only and file-backed under AINL_AGENT_ROOT,
  • advisory-only (no remediation or orchestration in AINL),
  • externally orchestrated (Cursor or another agent is responsible for routing and writing the result),
  • and fully aligned with the narrow shared protocol (agent.send_task / agent.read_result).

8. Coordination baseline (human-visible, docs-only)

To reduce ambiguity between Cursor-side and OpenClaw-side environments, this section records the currently accepted coordination artifact bundle for the local mailbox substrate.

8.1 Baseline id

  • Baseline id: coordination-baseline-2026-03-09-token-and-monitor-advisory

Both Cursor and OpenClaw validation runs should confirm they are testing against this baseline (or a descendant commit that still preserves the same artifacts) before drawing protocol-level conclusions.

8.2 Required coordination artifacts (current bundle)

For this baseline, the expected on-disk artifacts include at least:

  • docs/advanced/AGENT_COORDINATION_CONTRACT.md (this document)
  • docs/reference/ADAPTER_REGISTRY.md (documents the agent adapter surface)
  • docs/EXAMPLE_SUPPORT_MATRIX.md (classifies the coordination examples as extension/OpenClaw, noncanonical)

Examples and sample artifacts:

  • examples/openclaw/agent_send_task.lang
  • examples/openclaw/agent_read_result.lang
  • examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_request.lang
  • examples/openclaw/token_cost_advice_read.lang
  • examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_request.lang
  • examples/openclaw/monitor_status_advice_read.lang
  • examples/openclaw/demo-openclaw-monitor-001.result.json
  • examples/openclaw/monitor_status_example_snapshot.json

8.3 Usage guidance

  • Before running controlled coordination validation, both sides should:
    • ensure they are on a commit that includes the baseline id above, and
    • verify that all listed files exist at the specified paths.
  • If any of the required artifacts are missing or renamed, treat that as repo-state drift, not as a protocol change.
  • Do not silently recreate protocol-shaping examples or artifacts without first recording the drift and, if appropriate, updating this baseline section in a follow-up change.

For advanced coordination usage, you can also use the extension-only mailbox validator as a release-check step:

  • python -m scripts.validate_coordination_mailbox --tasks-jsonl path/to/tasks.jsonl
  • python -m scripts.validate_coordination_mailbox --result-json path/to/result.json

This tool checks AgentTaskRequest and AgentTaskResult envelopes in JSON / JSONL files against the minimal upstream schema defined in this document. It is intended as a governance and compatibility helper; it does not change compiler or runtime semantics or enforce policy.