TAKT

Stop babysitting AI coding agents.

TAKT is an open-source CLI that turns AI coding agents into repeatable development workflows. Define planning, implementation, review, fix loops, human checkpoints, permissions, and output contracts in YAML, then run tasks with isolated worktrees and traceable logs.

Instead of asking one agent to remember the whole process, TAKT gives each step its own role, context, and transition rules. Agents can code, but the workflow decides what happens next.

• Run plan → implement → review → fix loops as explicit workflow steps
• Keep context focused with step-specific personas, policies, knowledge, instructions, and output contracts
• Execute queued tasks in isolated worktrees and inspect logs and reports afterward
• Use Claude Code, Claude SDK, Codex SDK, OpenCode SDK, Cursor, GitHub Copilot CLI, or Kiro as providers

TAKT Agent Koordination Topology orchestrates multiple AI agents with structured review loops, managed prompts, and guardrails.

Talk to AI to define what you want, queue it as a task, and run it with takt run. Planning, implementation, review, and fix loops are defined in YAML workflow files, so the process is not left to the agent's discretion. TAKT coordinates Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor, GitHub Copilot CLI, and Kiro CLI as agents with different roles, permissions, and context.

TAKT is built primarily for AI coding workflows, but the same model applies beyond coding: any task where multiple AI agents need to coordinate, or where review, judgment, and feedback loops can improve task quality.

TAKT is built with TAKT itself (dogfooding).

Why TAKT

AI coding agents are powerful, but they do not automatically create a stable development process. In long-running work, they forget instructions, accumulate polluted context, blur implementation and review responsibilities, and often force humans to repeat the same feedback again and again. That wears people down.

Adding more rules to prompts, CLAUDE.md, or skills can help, but it cannot enforce the process. Whether the rules are followed is still left to the agent's behavior.

TAKT treats AI agents as something to be controlled from the outside, not simply trusted.

Workflows define the phases, and each step receives its own persona, policy, knowledge, instruction, and output contract. TAKT manages implementation, review, fix, and re-review flows declaratively. By separating responsibilities, knowledge, and constraints, then giving each agent only what it needs for the current step, TAKT improves task quality without bloating context.

Reviews cannot be silently skipped. Findings route work back to fix steps, and human judgment can be requested when needed. Tasks run in isolated worktrees, and each step leaves logs and reports so the path from task to PR remains traceable.

At its core, TAKT runs reusable agent processes built from roles, phases, judgments, and feedback loops.

The goal is simple: make development processes reusable, reviewable, and reproducible without depending on constant human intervention.

Try It in 5 Minutes

From a Git repository with at least one commit:

npm install -g takt

# Talk to AI, describe a task, use /go, then choose "Queue as task"
takt

# Execute queued tasks in isolated worktrees
takt run

# Review diffs, merge, retry, requeue, or delete task branches
takt list

If this is your first run, configure a provider in ~/.takt/config.yaml or use the API key environment variables listed in Configuration. SDK-based providers such as claude-sdk, codex, and opencode can run with Node.js and API keys; CLI-based providers require their external CLIs.

TAKT vs Plain AI Coding Agents

| Plain AI coding agents | TAKT | |------------------------|------| | The prompt asks the agent to follow a process | The YAML workflow owns the process | | Review steps can be forgotten or skipped | Review and fix loops are explicit transitions | | One long context keeps growing | Each step receives only the context it needs | | Implementation and review responsibilities blur | Personas, permissions, and output contracts separate responsibilities | | Work often lands directly in the current tree | Queued tasks run in isolated worktrees by default | | The path from task to result is hard to audit | Logs and reports preserve the path from task to PR | | The same process must be recreated by memory | Workflows are reusable, reviewable, and versionable |

Requirements

The provider you choose determines whether you need to install an external CLI or can run on Node.js alone via a TypeScript SDK.

These providers run via SDK (no CLI required, Node.js only):

• claude-sdk — @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk
• codex — @openai/codex-sdk
• opencode — @opencode-ai/sdk

These providers require an external CLI:

• claude — Claude Code
• claude-terminal — Claude Code driven in an interactive terminal session (also requires tmux)
• copilot — GitHub Copilot CLI
• cursor — Cursor Agent
• kiro — Kiro CLI

Optional:

• GitHub CLI (gh) — for takt #N (GitHub Issue tasks)
• GitLab CLI (glab) — for GitLab Issue/MR integration (auto-detected from remote URL)

OAuth usage: Whether OAuth is permitted varies by provider and use case. Check each provider's terms of service before using TAKT.

Quick Start

Install

npm install -g takt

With Nix flakes:

nix run github:nrslib/takt
nix profile install github:nrslib/takt

The Nix package installs the TAKT CLI itself. External CLI providers, git, and gh/glab still need to be installed and available on PATH or configured separately as described in Requirements.

Talk to AI and queue tasks

$ takt

Select workflow:
  ❯ 🎼 default (current)
    📁 🚀 Quick Start/
    📁 🎨 Frontend/
    📁 ⚙️ Backend/

> Add user authentication with JWT

[AI clarifies requirements and organizes the task]

> /go

Proposed task:
  ...

What would you like to do?
    Execute now
    Create GitHub Issue
  ❯ Queue as task          # ← normal flow
    Continue conversation

Choosing "Queue as task" saves the task to .takt/tasks/. Run takt run to execute — TAKT creates an isolated worktree, runs the workflow (plan → implement → review → fix loop), and offers to create a PR when done.

# Execute queued tasks
takt run

# You can also queue from GitHub Issues
takt add #6
takt add #12

# Execute all pending tasks
takt run

"Execute now" runs the workflow directly in your current directory without worktree isolation. Useful for quick experiments, but note that changes go straight into your working tree.

Manage results

# List task branches — merge, retry, requeue, force-fail, or delete
takt list

How It Works

The name TAKT comes from the German word for "beat" or "baton stroke," used in conducting to keep an orchestra in time. TAKT uses workflow and step consistently in both user-facing and implementation-facing terminology.

A workflow is defined by a sequence of steps. Use steps, initial_step, and max_steps. Each step specifies a persona (who), permissions (what's allowed), and rules (what happens next). Here's a minimal example:

name: plan-implement-review
initial_step: plan
max_steps: 10

steps:
  - name: plan
    persona: planner
    edit: false
    rules:
      - condition: Planning complete
        next: implement

  - name: implement
    persona: coder
    edit: true
    required_permission_mode: edit
    rules:
      - condition: Implementation complete
        next: review

  - name: review
    persona: reviewer
    edit: false
    rules:
      - condition: Approved
        next: COMPLETE
      - condition: Needs fix
        next: implement    # ← fix loop

Rules determine the next step. COMPLETE ends the workflow successfully, ABORT ends with failure. See the Workflow Guide for the full schema, parallel steps, and rule condition types.

Workflow files live in workflows/ as the official directory name.

When the same workflow name exists in multiple locations, TAKT resolves in this order: .takt/workflows/ → ~/.takt/workflows/ → builtins.

Recommended Workflows

| Workflow | Use Case | |-------|----------| | default | Standard development workflow. Test-first with AI antipattern review and parallel review (architecture + supervisor). | | frontend | Frontend development workflow. | | backend | Backend development workflow. | | dual | Combined frontend + backend workflow. | | takt-default | The workflow used to develop TAKT itself. Directly applicable to other CLI tool development. | | frontend-maintenance | Frontend production maintenance. Strict multi-phase review with loop monitors. | | backend-maintenance | Backend production maintenance. Strict multi-phase review with dual-supervisor sign-off. | | *-mini series | Lightweight variants of each workflow (default-mini / frontend-mini / backend-mini / dual-mini). Omits write_tests. |

See the Builtin Catalog for all workflows and personas.

Key Commands

| Command | Description | |---------|-------------| | takt | Talk to AI, refine requirements, execute or queue tasks | | takt exec | Start instant Assistant/Worker/Review agent mode without writing workflow YAML | | takt run | Execute all pending tasks | | takt list | Manage task branches (merge, retry, requeue, force-fail, instruct, delete) | | takt #N | Execute GitHub Issue as task | | takt eject | Copy builtin workflows/facets for customization | | takt workflow init | Create a new workflow scaffold | | takt workflow doctor | Validate workflow definitions | | takt repertoire add | Install a repertoire package from GitHub |

See the CLI Reference for all commands and options.

TAKT also ships two client-integration entrypoints: takt-acp runs TAKT as an Agent Client Protocol agent over stdio JSON-RPC, and takt-mcp runs it as a stdio MCP server so an MCP client (Codex, Claude Code, …) can enqueue tasks, create an issue and enqueue, or run the next pending task.

Instant exec mode

takt exec starts TAKT's interactive task-entry mode. The Assistant agent clarifies the request, /go turns the conversation into a generated workflow, Worker agent(s) implement the task, Review agent(s) review the result, the Replanning agent asks the user for direction when needed, and loop detection prevents repeated unproductive cycles.

Exec starts from the previous exec configuration, or the default configuration on first run. Pass a preset name to start from that preset. Use /setup during the conversation to edit agents, loop detection thresholds, presets, and referenced instruction/knowledge/policy facets. Builtin/default presets define the agent roles, facets, and loop thresholds only. Provider and model are resolved from normal TAKT configuration when exec mode starts, and the same resolved values are used for the Assistant dialogue, /setup display, and workflow generation. An exec config overrides provider/model only when it sets them explicitly. effort is emitted only when it is explicitly configured.

Exec presets resolve in this order: project .takt/exec/presets/ → global $TAKT_CONFIG_DIR/exec/presets/ (default ~/.takt/exec/presets/) → builtin builtins/exec/presets/. Changes made in /setup are saved to $TAKT_CONFIG_DIR/exec.yaml (default ~/.takt/exec.yaml) for the next exec session. /setup can also save or delete project/global presets, and created facets are stored under .takt/facets/ or $TAKT_CONFIG_DIR/facets/ (default ~/.takt/facets/).

When /go runs, TAKT generates .takt/exec/workflow.yaml and executes it through the normal workflow engine. Inline text after /go is treated as an additional note. /go without prior conversation or inline task text does not generate the workflow. Use /cancel to exit without running.

Exec input supports image attachments while editing the current line. Use /paste-image or Ctrl+V to attach a clipboard image on macOS, or paste an OSC 1337 inline image from a compatible terminal. TAKT inserts a [Image #N] placeholder. Reference that placeholder in an Assistant message or /go note to send the image with that Assistant request; placeholders that were not attached in the session are treated as normal text. When /go runs, referenced stored images are copied into the generated task spec and listed in its attachment section. Supported image types are PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP. Inline and clipboard images are limited to 10 MiB. TAKT rejects unsupported image data, mismatched inline-image filename types, oversized images, and stored attachments whose temp path is missing, a symlink, or not a regular file. Providers without native image input receive the attachment as a local path reference in the prompt.

Normal agent steps, parallel sub-steps, and loop detection judges may set session_key to share or isolate persona sessions. System steps, workflow_call steps, and parallel parent steps cannot set session_key. TAKT builds the runtime key as session_key plus the resolved provider, so values must be non-empty strings that do not collide with other generated session routes.

Configuration

Minimal ~/.takt/config.yaml:

provider: claude    # claude, claude-sdk, claude-terminal, codex, opencode, cursor, copilot, kiro, or mock
model: sonnet       # passed directly to provider
language: en        # en or ja

To let TAKT choose provider/model per step, set provider: auto and define auto_routing candidates:

provider: auto
auto_routing:
  strategy: balanced   # cost, balanced, or performance
  router:
    provider: claude-sdk
    model: claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
  candidates:
    - name: coding
      description: Implementation, tests, debugging, and refactoring
      provider: codex
      model: gpt-5
      cost_tier: medium
    - name: lightweight
      description: Formatting and small mechanical edits
      provider: claude-sdk
      model: claude-haiku-4-5-20251001
      cost_tier: low
  rules:
    tags:
      implementation: coding

Auto-routing decisions are written locally to .takt/events/ as NDJSON. TAKT does not upload routing decisions. Local recording is enabled by default, can be configured with telemetry.routing_decisions, and can be inspected or changed with takt telemetry status|enable|disable.

Or use API keys directly (no CLI installation required for Claude, Codex, OpenCode):

export TAKT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...   # Anthropic (Claude)
export TAKT_OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...          # OpenAI (Codex)
export TAKT_OPENCODE_API_KEY=...           # OpenCode
export TAKT_CURSOR_API_KEY=...             # Cursor Agent (optional if logged in)
export TAKT_COPILOT_GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_...   # GitHub Copilot CLI
export TAKT_KIRO_API_KEY=...               # Kiro CLI

See the Configuration Guide for all options, provider profiles, and model resolution.

Customization

Custom workflows

takt workflow init my-flow   # Create a new workflow scaffold
takt workflow doctor my-flow # Validate a workflow definition
takt eject default           # Copy builtin workflow to ~/.takt/workflows/ and edit

Custom personas

Create a Markdown file in ~/.takt/personas/:

# ~/.takt/personas/my-reviewer.md
You are a code reviewer specialized in security.

Reference it in your workflow: persona: my-reviewer

See the Workflow Guide for details. The list of builtin personas is in the Builtin Catalog.

CI/CD

TAKT provides takt-action for GitHub Actions:

- uses: nrslib/takt-action@main
  with:
    anthropic_api_key: ${{ secrets.TAKT_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

For other CI systems, use pipeline mode:

takt --pipeline --task "Fix the bug" --auto-pr

See the CI/CD Guide for full setup instructions.

Project Structure

~/.takt/                    # Global config
├── config.yaml             # Provider, model, language, etc.
├── workflows/              # User workflow definitions
├── facets/                 # User facets (personas, policies, knowledge, etc.)
└── repertoire/             # Installed repertoire packages

.takt/                      # Project-level
├── config.yaml             # Project config
├── workflows/              # Project workflow overrides
├── facets/                 # Project facets
├── tasks.yaml              # Pending tasks
├── tasks/                  # Task specifications
└── runs/                   # Execution reports, logs, context

Workflow definitions are stored under workflows/.

Adopting Spec-Driven Development

TAKT enforces phase transitions declaratively as a YAML state machine, formalizes the artifact of each phase with output contracts, and routes deviations back via parallel review and fix loops. This structure is particularly well-suited for users who follow Spec-Driven Development (SDD) and keep the spec at the center of the process. Once the spec is well-defined, the AI cannot silently skip a phase, drop an acceptance criterion, or claim "done" without passing the verification gate.

For users who want to adopt SDD, the community provides j5ik2o/takt-sdd as a ready-made implementation. It ships pieces for Requirements → Gap Analysis → Design → Tasks → Implementation → Validation, plus an OpenSpec-style change-proposal flow. Install in one command:

npx create-takt-sdd

See External Integrations for other community integrations.

Documentation

| Document | Description | |----------|-------------| | Tutorial | Improve one example over three phases while queuing, running, and inspecting tasks | | CLI Reference | All commands and options | | Configuration | Global and project settings | | Observability | Phase-level usage events and analysis workflow | | Design Philosophy | Why TAKT is built around workflows, facets, feedback loops, and traceability | | Workflow Guide | Creating and customizing workflows | | Builtin Catalog | All builtin workflows and personas | | Faceted Prompting | Prompt design methodology | | Repertoire Packages | Installing and sharing packages | | Task Management | Task queuing, execution, isolation | | CI/CD Integration | GitHub Actions and pipeline mode | | External Integrations | Community examples that extend TAKT without modifying core (audit trails, etc.) | | Changelog (日本語) | Version history |

Sponsors

TAKT is supported by CodeRabbit through its Open Source Support Program.

Community

Join the TAKT Discord for questions, discussions, and updates.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.

License

MIT — See LICENSE for details.