Agent Skills: File Boundaries Skill

File Boundaries Skill

Pattern for respecting file ownership in parallel work.

When to Load This Skill

• You are implementing code with defined boundaries
• You're working in parallel with other agents
• You need to avoid file conflicts

Boundary Rules

Files You OWN

boundaries:
  owns: [src/auth/login.ts, src/auth/logout.ts]

You CAN:

• Read these files
• Modify these files
• Create new files in these paths
• Delete these files

Files You READ

boundaries:
  reads: [src/types/user.ts, src/utils/crypto.ts]

You CAN:

• Read these files for reference
• Import from these files

You CANNOT:

• Modify these files
• If you need changes → report BLOCKED

Checking Boundaries

Before modifying any file:

1. Is this file in my owns list?
2. If NO → STOP, don't modify
3. If need to modify → report BLOCKED with details

Reporting Boundary Violations

If you need to modify a file outside boundaries:

status: blocked
blocked_reason: boundary_violation
blocked_details:
  description: "Need to modify src/types/user.ts to add new type"
  needs: "Permission to modify or contract update"
  suggested_resolution: "Add UserSession type to user.ts"

Parallel Work Safety

Boundaries exist to enable parallel work:

• Agent A owns src/auth/
• Agent B owns src/api/
• Both can work simultaneously without conflict

If boundaries are unclear or need changes:

• STOP and report BLOCKED
• Don't assume or proceed

Principles

• Strict ownership - Only touch what you own
• Explicit boundaries - No implicit permissions
• Block, don't break - Report issues, don't work around