Why clnode?

Claude Code's multi-agent mode has a fundamental limitation: agents can't communicate with each other. Every result must flow through the Leader agent, and after a few review cycles, the Leader's context explodes.

clnode solves this by using Claude Code's own hook system to create a shared memory layer:

Agent A finishes → summary saved to DB
Agent B starts   → receives A's summary automatically
Leader           → stays lean, only makes decisions

No wrapper. No custom framework. Just a plugin that fills the gap.

Quick Start

For Claude Code Users

Just ask Claude Code to run this:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SierraDevsec/clnode/main/docs/installation.md

Claude will read the guide and install clnode automatically. Restart your Claude Code session after init — hooks activate on session start.

For VS Code Users

Install clnode for VSCode from the Marketplace.

Documentation

https://sierradevsec.github.io/clnode/

For Development

git clone https://github.com/SierraDevsec/clnode.git
cd clnode && pnpm install && pnpm build
node dist/cli/index.js start

Features

No MCP Required

Pure hook-based implementation. No external MCP servers, no complex setup — just npx clnode init . and you're done.

Smart Context Injection

Not just recent context — relevant context:

| Type | Description | |------|-------------| | Sibling Summaries | Results from agents with the same parent | | Same-Type History | What previous agents of the same role accomplished | | Cross-Session | Summaries from previous sessions on the same project | | Tagged Context | Entries explicitly tagged for specific agents |

Context Compression

Automatic 2-layer output compression (skill + hook). Agents self-compress to 10-line [COMPRESSED] format. See Compression.

Token Analytics

Track token usage per agent. See exactly how much each subagent costs in the Web UI dashboard.

6-Stage Kanban

idea → planned → pending → in_progress → needs_review → completed

Visual task tracking with automatic status updates when agents start/stop.

Review Loop Protocol

Structured feedback cycle: Implement → Review → Fix → Re-review (user decides when to stop). Prevents infinite loops.

Cost Optimization Guide

Built-in model recommendations:

• Opus: Leader, Reviewer (decisions)
• Sonnet: Implementation agents (coding)
• Haiku: Simple/mechanical tasks

Prompt Auto-Attach

Every user prompt automatically receives:

• Active agents and their status
• Open tasks (prioritized by status)
• Recent decisions and blockers
• Completed agent summaries

Web UI & VSCode Extension

Real-time dashboard at http://localhost:3100, also available as a VSCode sidebar. Install the VSCode extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace.

CLI

clnode start              # Start daemon (port 3100)
clnode stop               # Stop daemon
clnode status             # Show active sessions/agents
clnode init [path]        # Install hooks + agents/skills/rules + register project
clnode ui                 # Open Web UI
clnode logs [-f]          # View/follow daemon logs

Requirements

• Node.js ≥ 22
• jq — brew install jq / apt install jq
• curl — pre-installed on most systems

Troubleshooting

DuckDB binding error

Error: Cannot find module '.../duckdb/lib/binding/duckdb.node'

DuckDB requires native bindings compiled for your platform.

Local install:

pnpm rebuild duckdb
# or
npm rebuild duckdb

Docker: Add build tools and rebuild in your Dockerfile:

# Alpine
RUN apk add --no-cache python3 make g++

# Debian/Ubuntu
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y python3 make g++

# Rebuild after dependencies installed
RUN pnpm rebuild duckdb

Docker with volume mounts: Exclude node_modules from host:

# docker-compose.yml
volumes:
  - .:/app
  - /app/node_modules  # Use container's node_modules, not host's

Command not found: clnode

After pnpm install, link the CLI globally:

pnpm link --global
# or run directly
node dist/cli/index.js start

Uninstall

To completely remove clnode from your project:

# 1. Stop the daemon
npx clnode stop

# 2. Remove hooks from settings
# Edit .claude/settings.local.json and remove the "hooks" section

# 3. Remove clnode templates (optional)
rm -rf .claude/agents/clnode-reviewer.md .claude/agents/clnode-curator.md
rm -rf .claude/skills/compress-output .claude/skills/compress-review .claude/skills/clnode-agents
rm -rf .claude/rules/team.md

# 4. Remove clnode data (optional - deletes all session history)
rm -rf ~/.npm/_npx/**/node_modules/clnode/data

Note: After removing hooks, restart your Claude Code session.

Issues & Feedback

Found a bug or have a feature request?

👉 Open an issue

License

Source Available — free for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires a license. See LICENSE.