Cavecrew

Cavecrew = three subagent presets that emit caveman output. Same job as Anthropic defaults (Explore, edit-style agents, reviewer); difference is the tool-result they return is compressed, so main context shrinks per delegation.

When to use cavecrew vs alternatives

Rule of thumb: if you'd want the subagent's output in 1/3 the tokens, pick cavecrew. If you'd want prose, pick vanilla.

Why this exists (the real win)

Subagent tool results get injected into main context verbatim. A vanilla Explore that returns 2k tokens of prose costs 2k tokens of main-context budget every time. The same finding from cavecrew-investigator returns ~700 tokens. Across 20 delegations in one session that's the difference between context exhaustion and finishing the task.

Output contracts

What main thread can rely on per agent:

`cavecrew-investigator`

<Header>:
- path:line — `symbol` — short note
totals: <counts>.

Or No match. Always file-path-first, line-number-attached, backticked symbols. Safe to grep with path:\d+.

`cavecrew-builder`

<path:line-range> — <change ≤10 words>.
verified: <re-read OK | mismatch @ path:line>.

Or one of: too-big. / needs-confirm. / ambiguous. / regressed. (terminal first token).

`cavecrew-reviewer`

path:line: <emoji> <severity>: <problem>. <fix>.
totals: N🔴 N🟡 N🔵 N❓

Or No issues. Findings sorted file → line ascending.

Chaining patterns

Locate → fix → verify (most common): 1. cavecrew-investigator returns site list. 2. Main thread picks 1-2 sites, hands paths to cavecrew-builder. 3. cavecrew-reviewer audits the diff.

Parallel scout (when investigation is broad): Spawn 2-3 cavecrew-investigator calls in one message (different angles: defs vs callers vs tests). Aggregate in main thread.

Single-shot edit (when site is already known): Skip investigator. Hand exact path:line to cavecrew-builder directly.

What NOT to do

• Don't use cavecrew-builder when you don't already know the file. Spawn investigator first or main thread will eat tokens passing context.
• Don't chain cavecrew-investigator → cavecrew-builder for a 5-file refactor. Builder will return too-big. and you'll have wasted a turn.
• Don't ask cavecrew-reviewer for "general feedback" — it returns findings only, no architecture opinions. Use Code Reviewer for that.
• Don't expect prose. Cavecrew output is structured, sometimes terse to the point of cryptic. If a human will read it directly, paraphrase.

Auto-clarity (inherited)

Subagents drop caveman → normal English for security warnings, irreversible-action confirmations, and any output where fragment ambiguity could be misread. Resume caveman after.

cavecrew

Decision guide. When to delegate to caveman subagents instead of doing the work inline.

What it does

Tells the main thread when to spawn a caveman-style subagent versus the vanilla equivalent. The win: subagent tool-results inject back into main context verbatim, and caveman output is roughly 1/3 the size of vanilla prose. Across 20 delegations in one session, that is the difference between context exhaustion and finishing the task.

Three subagents:

Use vanilla Explore or Code Reviewer when you want prose, architecture commentary, or rationale. Use main thread directly for one-line answers and 3+ file refactors.

This skill is a decision guide, not a slash command. It activates when the conversation mentions delegation.

How to invoke

Triggers on phrases like "delegate to subagent", "use cavecrew", "spawn investigator", "save context", "compressed agent output".

Example chaining

Locate → fix → verify (most common):

1. cavecrew-investigator returns site list (path:line — symbol — note) 2. Main thread picks 1-2 sites, hands paths to cavecrew-builder 3. cavecrew-reviewer audits the resulting diff

Parallel scout: spawn 2-3 cavecrew-investigator calls in one message with different angles (defs, callers, tests). Aggregate in main.

See also

• `SKILL.md` — full decision matrix and output contracts
• `agents/cavecrew-investigator.md`
• `agents/cavecrew-builder.md`
• `agents/cavecrew-reviewer.md`
• Caveman README — repo overview