The orchestrator (/aria-go) is an automated dispatch system that polls platform state and routes work to the correct agent. It is not an agent persona -- it is a system mechanism.
How It Works
The orchestrator runs a continuous loop:
- Poll -- Query the platform for current project state (documents, epics, work items, sprints, labels)
- Evaluate -- Check dispatch rules in priority order against current state
- Dispatch -- Launch the first matching agent with pre-loaded context
- Wait -- Monitor for completion (handoff label or state change)
- Repeat -- Return to step 1
State Reader
Before evaluating rules, the orchestrator queries the platform to build a state snapshot:
| Query | What It Finds |
|---|---|
list_documents |
Which artefacts exist (brief, PRD, architecture, UX) |
list_projects |
Epic structure and status |
list_issues with filters |
Story states, labels, estimates, assignments |
list_cycles |
Active and upcoming sprints |
| Handoff labels | Which agent completed work last |
| Git state | Branch, PR, and merge status |
Dispatch Rules
Rules are evaluated in priority order. The first matching rule triggers dispatch:
| Priority | Condition | Dispatches | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Handoff label aria-handoff-dev on reviewed issue |
Code Review | Pitch |
| 2 | Issues in "In Review" state | Code Review | Pitch |
| 3 | Issues in "Todo" or "Ready for Dev" | Dev Story | Riff |
| 4 | Unrefined stories (no estimate, missing context) | Create Story | Tempo |
| 5 | Stories in backlog, no active cycle | Sprint Planning | Tempo |
| 6 | Projects exist, readiness not validated | Implementation Readiness | Opus |
| 7 | Architecture exists, no projects | Create Epics & Stories | Maestro |
| 8 | PRD exists, no architecture | Create Architecture | Opus |
| 9 | PRD exists, no UX design | Create UX Design | Lyric |
| 10 | Brief exists, no PRD | Create PRD | Maestro |
| 11 | No brief exists | Create Brief | Cadence |
Context Pre-Loading
Before dispatching an agent, the orchestrator pre-loads relevant context:
- Parses the most recent handoff comment for decisions, questions, and artefact references
- Loads referenced documents from the platform
- Passes structured context to the dispatched agent
This reduces redundant context discovery by each agent.
Safety Rails
- Max iterations -- the orchestrator stops after a configurable number of dispatch cycles to prevent runaway loops
- Cooldown -- brief pause between dispatches to allow state to settle
- Error handling -- if a dispatched agent fails, the orchestrator logs the error and evaluates the next rule
- Course corrections -- always require user approval regardless of autonomy level
Running the Orchestrator
/aria-go
The orchestrator respects the configured autonomy level:
- interactive -- asks before each dispatch
- balanced -- auto-dispatches when the next step is obvious, asks on ambiguous states
- yolo -- fully autonomous dispatch (except course corrections)