Protocol Authoring

Overview

Authoring protocols IS Test-Driven Development applied to process documentation.

Personal protocols live in agent-specific directories (~/.claude/skills for Claude Code, ~/.agents/skills/ for Codex)

You design test scenarios (pressure-based exercises with subagents), observe failure (baseline behavior), author the protocol (documentation), observe compliance (agents follow the protocol), and harden (seal loopholes).

Core principle: If you never observed an agent fail without the protocol, you cannot know what the protocol needs to prevent.

REQUIRED BACKGROUND: You MUST understand godmode:test-first before using this skill. That skill defines the foundational RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle. This skill adapts TDD to documentation.

What is a Protocol?

A protocol is a reference guide for proven techniques, patterns, or tools. Protocols help future Claude instances discover and apply effective approaches.

Protocols are: Reusable techniques, patterns, tools, reference guides