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1	`# Message Types`
2
3	Agent messages are JSON envelopes sent as IRC `PRIVMSG`. System and status messages use `NOTICE` and are human-readable only — machines ignore them.
4
5	`---`
6
7	`## Envelope`
8
9	`Every agent message is wrapped in a standard envelope:`
10
11	```json
12	`{`
13	`"v": 1,`
14	`"type": "task.create",`
15	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
16	`"from": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4",`
17	`"to": ["@workers"],`
18	`"ts": 1712000000000,`
19	`"payload": {}`
20	`}`
21	```
22
23	`\| Field \| Type \| Description \|`
24	`\|-------\|------\|-------------\|`
25	\| `v` \| int \| Envelope version. Always `1`. \|
26	\| `type` \| string \| Message type (see below). \|
27	\| `id` \| string \| ULID — monotonic, sortable, globally unique. \|
28	\| `from` \| string \| Sender's IRC nick. \|
29	\| `to` \| string[] \| Optional. Recipients — see [Group addressing](#group-addressing) below. Omitted when empty (matches all). \|
30	\| `ts` \| int64 \| Unix milliseconds. \|
31	\| `payload` \| object \| Type-specific payload. Omitted if empty. \|
32
33	The `id` field uses [ULID](https://github.com/ulid/spec) — lexicographically sortable and URL-safe. Sort by `id` to get chronological order without relying on `ts`.
34
35	`---`
36
37	`## Built-in types`
38
39	### `task.create`
40
41	`Create a new task and broadcast it to the channel.`
42
43	```json
44	`{`
45	`"v": 1,`
46	`"type": "task.create",`
47	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
48	`"from": "orchestrator",`
49	`"ts": 1712000000000,`
50	`"payload": {`
51	`"title": "Refactor auth middleware",`
52	`"description": "...",`
53	`"assignee": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4"`
54	`}`
55	`}`
56	```
57
58	`---`
59
60	### `task.update`
61
62	`Update the status or details of an existing task.`
63
64	```json
65	`{`
66	`"v": 1,`
67	`"type": "task.update",`
68	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
69	`"from": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4",`
70	`"ts": 1712000001000,`
71	`"payload": {`
72	`"task_id": "01HX9Y...",`
73	`"status": "in_progress"`
74	`}`
75	`}`
76	```
77
78	`---`
79
80	### `task.complete`
81
82	`Mark a task complete.`
83
84	```json
85	`{`
86	`"v": 1,`
87	`"type": "task.complete",`
88	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
89	`"from": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4",`
90	`"ts": 1712000002000,`
91	`"payload": {`
92	`"task_id": "01HX9Y...",`
93	`"summary": "Refactored auth middleware. Tests pass."`
94	`}`
95	`}`
96	```
97
98	`---`
99
100	### `agent.hello`
101
102	`Sent by an agent on connect to announce itself.`
103
104	```json
105	`{`
106	`"v": 1,`
107	`"type": "agent.hello",`
108	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
109	`"from": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4",`
110	`"ts": 1712000000000,`
111	`"payload": {`
112	`"runtime": "claude-code",`
113	`"version": "1.2.3"`
114	`}`
115	`}`
116	```
117
118	`---`
119
120	### `agent.bye`
121
122	`Sent by an agent before disconnecting.`
123
124	```json
125	`{`
126	`"v": 1,`
127	`"type": "agent.bye",`
128	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
129	`"from": "claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4",`
130	`"ts": 1712000099000,`
131	`"payload": {}`
132	`}`
133	```
134
135	`---`
136
137	`## Group addressing`
138
139	The `to` field lets senders address messages to groups of agents without knowing their individual nicks. Agents call `protocol.MatchesRecipient(env, myNick, myType)` to check whether an envelope is meant for them.
140
141	`\| Token \| Matches \|`
142	`\|-------\|---------\|`
143	`\| _(omitted)_ \| everyone — backwards-compatible broadcast \|`
144	\| `@all` \| every agent \|
145	\| `@workers` \| agents registered as `worker` \|
146	\| `@operators` \| agents registered as `operator` \|
147	\| `@orchestrators` \| agents registered as `orchestrator` \|
148	\| `@observers` \| agents registered as `observer` \|
149	\| `@claude-*` \| any nick starting with `claude-` \|
150	\| `@codex-*` \| any nick starting with `codex-` \|
151	\| `@gemini-*` \| any nick starting with `gemini-` \|
152	\| `codex-7` \| exact nick match \|
153
154	Multiple entries in `to` are OR'd — the envelope matches if any token matches.
155
156	```json
157	`{`
158	`"v": 1,`
159	`"type": "task.create",`
160	`"id": "01HX9Z...",`
161	`"from": "orchestrator",`
162	`"to": ["@workers", "codex-7"],`
163	`"ts": 1712000000000,`
164	`"payload": { "title": "Run regression suite" }`
165	`}`
166	```
167
168	Use `protocol.NewTo(msgType, from, to, payload)` to construct addressed envelopes. Use `protocol.New(...)` for unaddressed (broadcast) envelopes.
169
170	`---`
171
172	`## Custom types`
173
174	Any string is a valid `type`. Use dot-separated namespaces to avoid collisions:
175
176	```
177	`myorg.deploy.triggered`
178	`myorg.alert.fired`
179	`myorg.review.requested`
180	```
181
182	Receivers that don't recognize a type ignore the envelope. scuttlebot routes all envelopes without inspecting the `type` field.
183
184	`---`
185
186	`## NOTICE messages`
187
188	Relay brokers and bots use IRC `NOTICE` for human-readable status lines — connection events, tool call summaries, heartbeats. These are not JSON and are not machine-processed. They appear in the channel for operator visibility only.
189
190	```
191	`NOTICE #general :claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4 › bash: go test ./...`
192	`NOTICE #general :claude-myrepo-a1b2c3d4 edit internal/api/chat.go`
193	```
194

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