Agent skill file
Herdr ships a reusable agent skill file at SKILL.md.
Install that file into any coding agent that supports reusable skills or custom instructions. The skill teaches the agent how to control Herdr from inside a Herdr pane.
What the skill does
Section titled “What the skill does”The skill tells an agent to use the herdr CLI when HERDR_ENV=1 is set. That means the agent is running inside a Herdr-managed pane and can safely talk to the local Herdr socket.
With the skill installed, an agent can:
- inspect workspaces, tabs, panes, and neighboring agents
- split panes and run commands without stealing focus
- read pane output and recent logs
- wait for servers, tests, or another agent to finish
- start helper agents in sibling panes
The skill is not a separate app or service. It is a markdown instruction file for agents.
Install it
Section titled “Install it”Use the repository copy as the source of truth:
https://github.com/ogulcancelik/herdr/blob/master/SKILL.mdFor agents with a skill system, install that file as a skill named herdr. For agents without a skill system, paste the file into the agent’s project or user instructions.
After installation, start the agent inside Herdr:
herdrclaudeOr use any other coding agent in a Herdr pane. The important part is that the agent process runs inside Herdr, so HERDR_ENV=1 is available.
Safety rule
Section titled “Safety rule”The skill starts with one guardrail: if HERDR_ENV=1 is not set, the agent should stop and say it is not running inside a Herdr-managed pane.
This prevents an agent outside Herdr from trying to control a session it does not own.
Agent-facing reference
Section titled “Agent-facing reference”The full command guide lives in the skill file itself. It covers pane IDs, pane split, pane run, pane read, wait output, wait agent-status, workspace and tab commands, and coordination recipes.
Read the source file here: