colony template

Manage agent templates for reusable configurations.

Synopsis

colony template <SUBCOMMAND>

Subcommands

list

List all available templates (both installed and built-in).

colony template list

Example Output:

Available Templates

  code-reviewer 1.0.0 (custom)
    Code quality and best practices review agent
    Role: Code Reviewer

  security-auditor 1.0.0 (custom)
    OWASP Top 10 focused security auditing agent
    Role: Security Auditor

show

Show detailed information about a specific template.

colony template show <NAME>

Arguments:

NAME - Template name

Example:

colony template show code-reviewer

Output:

Template: code-reviewer

Version: 1.0.0
Source: custom

Description:
  Code quality and best practices review agent

Author: Colony Community
License: MIT

Agent Configuration:
  Role: Code Reviewer
  Focus: Review code for quality, best practices, and potential issues
  Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514

Compatible Repository Types:
  - source
  - application

install

Install a built-in template to .colony/templates/.

colony template install <NAME>

Arguments:

NAME - Built-in template name

Example:

colony template install code-reviewer

Output:

✓ Installed template: code-reviewer

Template location: .colony/templates/code-reviewer

You can now use this template when creating agents:
  colony agent create --template code-reviewer --id my-agent

Error if already installed:

Error: Template 'code-reviewer' is already installed

builtin

List all built-in templates available for installation.

colony template builtin

Example Output:

Built-in Templates

  code-reviewer
    Code quality and best practices review agent
    Role: Code Reviewer

  security-auditor
    OWASP Top 10 focused security auditing agent
    Role: Security Auditor

  test-engineer
    Automated testing and QA specialist
    Role: Test Engineer

  documentation-writer
    Technical documentation specialist
    Role: Documentation Writer

  data-analyst
    Data analysis and insights agent
    Role: Data Analyst

Use 'colony template install <name>' to install a template
Use 'colony template show <name>' to see details (after installing)

Template Storage

Templates are stored in:

.colony/templates/
  ├── code-reviewer/
  │   └── template.yaml
  ├── security-auditor/
  │   └── template.yaml
  └── custom-template/
      └── template.yaml

Using Templates

In colony.yml Configuration

agents:
  - id: reviewer
    worktree_branch: review/auto
    template: code-reviewer

  - id: security
    worktree_branch: security/scan
    template: security-auditor

With Custom Startup Prompt

agents:
  - id: reviewer
    worktree_branch: review/auto
    template: code-reviewer
    startup_prompt: |
      Override the template's default prompt.
      Focus on TypeScript and React best practices.

Creating Custom Templates

Create a custom template directory:

mkdir -p .colony/templates/my-template

Create template.yaml:

name: my-template
version: 1.0.0
description: My custom agent template
author: Your Name
license: MIT

agent:
  role: Custom Role
  focus: Specific responsibilities
  model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514

  startup_prompt: |
    Your custom instructions here.

requirements:
  repo_types:
    - source

Use your custom template:

agents:
  - id: custom-agent
    worktree_branch: feature/work
    template: my-template

Built-in Template Details

code-reviewer

Role: Code Reviewer
Focus: Quality, best practices, potential issues
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Use Case: Automated code review

security-auditor

Role: Security Auditor
Focus: OWASP Top 10, vulnerabilities, security best practices
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Use Case: Security scanning and auditing

test-engineer

Role: Test Engineer
Focus: Unit tests, integration tests, test coverage
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Use Case: Writing comprehensive test suites

documentation-writer

Role: Documentation Writer
Focus: API docs, user guides, README files
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Use Case: Maintaining technical documentation

data-analyst

Role: Data Analyst
Focus: Data processing, analysis, insights
Model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514
Use Case: Data analysis and visualization

Examples

Install and Use Template

# Install the code-reviewer template
colony template install code-reviewer

# Verify installation
colony template show code-reviewer

# Use in configuration
cat > colony.yml <<EOF
agents:
  - id: reviewer
    worktree_branch: review/auto
    template: code-reviewer
EOF

# Start colony
colony start

List All Templates

# List built-in (not installed)
colony template builtin

# Install a few
colony template install code-reviewer
colony template install security-auditor

# List all (installed + custom)
colony template list

Create Custom Template

# Create template directory
mkdir -p .colony/templates/frontend-specialist

# Create template.yaml
cat > .colony/templates/frontend-specialist/template.yaml <<EOF
name: frontend-specialist
version: 1.0.0
description: React and TypeScript frontend specialist

agent:
  role: Frontend Developer
  focus: React components, TypeScript, and styling
  model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514

  startup_prompt: |
    You are a frontend specialist focusing on:
    - React component development
    - TypeScript type safety
    - CSS-in-JS styling
    - Component testing with Jest/React Testing Library
    - Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)
EOF

# List templates (will include custom)
colony template list

# Use in config
cat >> colony.yml <<EOF
  - id: frontend
    worktree_branch: feature/ui
    template: frontend-specialist
EOF

Exit Codes

0 - Success
1 - Template not found
1 - Template already installed
1 - Invalid template format

Colony Documentation