afk
Take a task and run it alone while the user is away, up to committed changes, an open PR or a merged PR. Stops on low confidence, growing blast radius or a block. Use when the user runs /afk with a task or issue.
- Installs
- 419
- Last 24h
- +22
- Trending rank
- #5393
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/timschoch/skilly --skill afk- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads afk automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
AFK
The user hands over a task and leaves. Settle every question up front, then work alone until the chosen end state or a stop.
1. Launch
The user waits on nothing. In the first reply:
-
Print this question before any tool call:
1. End with? 1.1 committed changes 1.2 open PR 1.3 merged PR -
Spawn a researcher agent in the background. Pick its model per the repo's model rule. Task: read the issue with its comments, the code it names,
GLOSSARY.mdand related ADRs, then return a draft of the brief below. -
End the turn.
Numbering follows .claude/rules/workflow-dialog.md.
2. Brief
When the researcher returns, send one message, whether or not question 1 has an answer yet. An open question 1 stays in the message, so the user answers everything in one reply.
- What I'd do: at most three bullets. Name the files and areas you plan to touch. This is the scope.
- Questions: only what blocks the work or forks the solution. Numbered, one sub-item per option, recommended marks your pick. No questions: omit the section.
- Last line:
go?
Repeat until the user approves. A changed scope or end state needs a new go?.
3. Go
On approval, print one line and start work:
starting now... <animal> _<sound>_ "<joke>"
- Pick the animal from this list that fits the task best: 🐒🦍🦧🐕🐩🐺🦊🦝🐈🐈⬛🦁🐯🐅🐆🫎🫏🐎🦄🦓🦌🦬🐂🐃🐄🐖🐗🐏🐑🐐🐫🦙🦒🐘🦣🦏🦛🐁🐀🐇🐿️🦫🦔🦇🐻🐨🐼🦥🦦🦨🦘🦡🦃🐓🐥🐧🕊️🦅🦆🦢🦉🦤🦩🦚🦜🐦⬛🪿🐦🔥🐸🐊🐢🦎🐍🐉🦕🦖🐳🐋🐬🦭🐠🐡🦈🐙🪼🦀🦑🐌🦋🐛🐜🐝🪲🐞🦗🪳🕷️🦂🦟🪰🪱🦠
- Sound: the noise that animal makes, italic.
- Joke: one line, about both the animal and the task.
Example, task "remove the old login auth system": starting now... 🦖 _Roaar_ "Why did the T-Rex die during the meteor hit? He still had the old login credentials for the underground bunker."
4. Work
Build, test, verify per the repo's rules. Ask nothing between go and the end. A question means a stop.
Stop when:
- Confidence drops. You doubt the approach works, you found a better approach that needs a major pivot, or you guess at intent the brief did not settle.
- Blast radius grows. The change needs a file or area outside the scope, a new public API, a schema change or a new dependency.
- Blocked. Missing access, secret or tool, or a decision only the user can make.
- Red loop. The same check stays red after 3 fix attempts.
On a stop, leave the work uncommitted and print the report in the /progress shape (.agents/skills/progress/SKILL.md), the stop reason under Needs you.
5. End
The end state answer is the user's sign-off in advance. It replaces the approval step of .claude/rules/workflow-done.md for this task only.
| End state | Do |
|---|---|
| committed changes | Commit the work, stop. |
| open PR | Commit, push, open the PR. Stop at green CI. |
| merged PR | As open PR, then apply .agents/skills/babysit-pr/SKILL.md with --merge. |
CI failures and review items after the push count toward the stop rules above.
Close with the report in the /progress shape: end state reached, links (PR, commits), what was verified and how.
FAQ
What does the afk skill do?
Take a task and run it alone while the user is away, up to committed changes, an open PR or a merged PR. Stops on low confidence, growing blast radius or a block. Use when the user runs /afk with a task or issue.
How do I install afk?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/timschoch/skilly --skill afk in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/afk/ (personal) or .claude/skills/afk/ (project).
Which AI agents can use afk?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is afk safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains afk?
It is published by timschoch in timschoch/skilly. It has 419 recorded installs.
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