Q40: tasks choose a writing mode; house style applies to conversational work only

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

src/main/services/agent-skill-tools.ts

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export function listSkillsTool(deps: AgentToolDeps, ctx: AgentToolContext): stri
     const summary = skillSummary(skill.manifest_json);
     if (forced.has(skill.slug)) {
       const language = skill.slug === "humanizer-zh" ? "Chinese" : "English";
-      return `- ${skill.name} (${skill.slug})${summary}: house style — carried automatically by every agent when the app language is ${language}`;
+      return `- ${skill.name} (${skill.slug})${summary}: house style — carried automatically by every agent on conversational tasks when the app language is ${language}`;
     }
     const holders = bindings
       .filter((binding) => binding.skill_id === skill.id)

src/main/services/agent-tools.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
-import { RISK_LEVEL, TASK_PRIORITY, TASK_STATUS, type RiskLevel } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { RISK_LEVEL, TASK_PRIORITY, TASK_STATUS, WRITING_MODE, type RiskLevel, type WritingMode } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { ORGANIZATION_DEPARTMENTS } from "./org-governance-service";
 import type { OrganizationService } from "./organization-service";
 import { buildTaskHandoff, HANDOFF_TOOL_PROPERTIES } from "./agent-task-handoff";
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ import { KNOWLEDGE_TOOLS, recordKnowledgeTool, reviseKnowledgeTool, searchKnowle
 import { DOCUMENT_TOOLS, DOCUMENT_TYPES, listDocumentsTool, readDocumentTool, updateDocumentTool } from "./agent-document-tools";
 import { sendMessageTool } from "./agent-send-message";
 import { withSavepoint } from "../database/connection";
-import { optionalString, optionalStringArray, requireString } from "./agent-tool-args";
+import { optionalEnum, optionalString, optionalStringArray, requireString } from "./agent-tool-args";
 import type { JsonRecord } from "./provider-http";
 import type { ToolCall, ToolDefinition } from "./provider-tool-turn";
 
@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ export const AGENT_TOOLS: ToolDefinition[] = [
           type: "boolean",
           description: "Set true for engineering work that must change code or run commands (build, test) in the workspace. The assignee then gets run_command; the operator approves such tasks before they execute.",
         },
+        writing_mode: {
+          type: "string",
+          enum: ["conversational", "technical", "structured"],
+          description: "How the output reads. conversational (default): plain human prose in house style. technical: specs, API docs, code reviews; precise, no house style. structured: output must match an exact format (JSON, table, template).",
+        },
         ...HANDOFF_TOOL_PROPERTIES,
       },
       required: ["title", "description"],
@@ -337,6 +342,7 @@ function createTask(deps: AgentToolDeps, ctx: AgentToolContext, args: JsonRecord
   const assignee = assigneeName ? requireRunnableAgentByName(deps.db, ctx.orgId, assigneeName) : null;
   const handoff = buildTaskHandoff(deps.db, ctx.orgId, { taskId: ctx.taskId, threadId: ctx.sourceThreadId }, args);
   const parentTaskId = delegationParent(deps.db, ctx);
+  const writingMode = optionalEnum(args.writing_mode, "writing_mode", Object.values(WRITING_MODE), WRITING_MODE.CONVERSATIONAL) as WritingMode;
   const create = () => {
     const taskId = deps.organization.createTask({
       orgId: ctx.orgId,
@@ -350,6 +356,7 @@ function createTask(deps: AgentToolDeps, ctx: AgentToolContext, args: JsonRecord
       workspaceId: ctx.workspace?.id ?? null,
       priority: TASK_PRIORITY.NORMAL,
       requiresFilesystem: args.requires_filesystem === true,
+      writingMode,
     });
     deps.db.prepare("update tasks set handoff_json = ?, parent_task_id = ? where id = ?")
       .run(JSON.stringify(handoff), parentTaskId, taskId);

src/main/services/organization-service.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
-import { APPROVAL_STATE, RISK_LEVEL, TASK_STATUS, type ApprovalState } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { APPROVAL_STATE, RISK_LEVEL, TASK_STATUS, WRITING_MODE, type ApprovalState } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { createId } from "../../shared/ids";
 import type { CreateAgentInput, CreateGoalInput, CreateOrganizationInput, CreateProjectInput, CreateTaskInput, CreateWorkspaceInput, DeleteTaskInput, UpdateAgentInput, UpdateEmployeeProfileInput, UpdateTaskInput } from "../../shared/commands";
 import { AuditService } from "./audit-service";
@@ -234,9 +234,9 @@ export class OrganizationService {
     this.db.prepare(`
       insert into tasks(
         id, org_id, title, description, status, assignee_agent_id, risk,
-        project_id, goal_id, workspace_id, priority, requires_filesystem, origin, created_at, updated_at
+        project_id, goal_id, workspace_id, priority, requires_filesystem, writing_mode, origin, created_at, updated_at
       )
-      values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
+      values (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
     `).run(
       id,
       input.orgId,
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ export class OrganizationService {
       input.workspaceId,
       input.priority,
       input.requiresFilesystem ? 1 : 0,
+      input.writingMode ?? WRITING_MODE.CONVERSATIONAL,
       input.origin ?? null,
       now,
       now,

src/main/services/skill-service.ts

@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ export class SkillService {
    * agent carries the forced house-style skill once the catalogue holds a
    * language variant, plus whatever bindings the CEO granted.
    */
-  hasRuntimeSkills(orgId: string, agentId: string): boolean {
-    if (this.forcedSkillRows(orgId).length > 0) return true;
+  hasRuntimeSkills(orgId: string, agentId: string, houseStyle: boolean): boolean {
+    if (houseStyle && this.forcedSkillRows(orgId).length > 0) return true;
     return Boolean(this.db.prepare(`
       select sb.id from skill_bindings sb join skill_definitions sd on sd.id = sb.skill_id and sd.status = 'active'
       where sb.org_id = ? and sb.agent_id = ? and sb.enabled = 1 limit 1
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ export class SkillService {
    * prompt instead of silently overflowing the model's context.
    */
   resolveRuntimeSnapshot(input: ResolveAgentSkillsInput): string {
-    const forcedRows = this.forcedSkillRows(input.orgId);
+    const forcedRows = input.houseStyle ? this.forcedSkillRows(input.orgId) : [];
     const boundRows = this.db.prepare(`
       select
         sb.skill_id as skill_id,

src/main/services/task-execution-service.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import type { DatabaseSync } from "node:sqlite";
 import type { RunTaskInput } from "../../shared/commands";
-import { TASK_STATUS } from "../../shared/domain";
+import { TASK_STATUS, WRITING_MODE } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { isTransientProviderFailure } from "../../shared/provider-runtime-domain";
 import { createId } from "../../shared/ids";
 import { AuditService } from "./audit-service";
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
     let providerRequestId: string | null = null;
     let skillRuntimeSnapshot: SkillRuntimeSnapshotRow | null = null;
     try {
-      skillRuntimeSnapshot = this.resolveSkillRuntimeSnapshot(orgId, agent.id, runId, skillBudgetTokens(provider.context_window_tokens), `${task.title}\n${task.description}`, { providerKey: provider.provider_key, model: provider.model });
+      skillRuntimeSnapshot = this.resolveSkillRuntimeSnapshot(orgId, agent.id, runId, skillBudgetTokens(provider.context_window_tokens), `${task.title}\n${task.description}`, { providerKey: provider.provider_key, model: provider.model }, task.writing_mode === WRITING_MODE.CONVERSATIONAL);
       // Watermark for reply delivery and mid-run message polling.
       const runStartedAt = new Date().toISOString();
       const chatContext = loadChatWakeContext(this.db, orgId, agent.id, isolation.secretScopeJson);
@@ -391,9 +391,9 @@ export class TaskExecutionService {
     `).run(TASK_RUN_STATE.FAILED, providerRequestId, new Date().toISOString(), errorMessage, runId, orgId);
   }
 
-  private resolveSkillRuntimeSnapshot(orgId: string, agentId: string, runId: string, maxTokens: number, taskText: string, runModel: RunModel): SkillRuntimeSnapshotRow | null {
-    if (!this.skills.hasRuntimeSkills(orgId, agentId)) return null;
-    const snapshotId = this.skills.resolveRuntimeSnapshot({ orgId, agentId, runId, maxTokens, taskText, runModel });
+  private resolveSkillRuntimeSnapshot(orgId: string, agentId: string, runId: string, maxTokens: number, taskText: string, runModel: RunModel, houseStyle: boolean): SkillRuntimeSnapshotRow | null {
+    if (!this.skills.hasRuntimeSkills(orgId, agentId, houseStyle)) return null;
+    const snapshotId = this.skills.resolveRuntimeSnapshot({ orgId, agentId, runId, maxTokens, taskText, runModel, houseStyle });
     const snapshot = this.db.prepare(`
       select id, compiled_prompt, tools_manifest, source_revision_ids
       from skill_runtime_snapshots

src/main/services/task-prompts.ts

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { WRITING_MODE, type WritingMode } from "../../shared/domain";
 import { canonicalMentionHandle } from "../../shared/mention-handles";
 
 const RECORD_LEARNINGS_INSTRUCTION =
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ export interface TaskExecutionTaskRow {
   workspace_id: string | null;
   priority: string;
   requires_filesystem: number;
+  writing_mode: WritingMode;
   handoff_json: string | null;
   origin: string | null;
 }
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ function capabilityBriefing(input: AgentInstructionContext): string {
   );
   if (input.isCeo) {
     lines.push(
-      "You are the CEO: you automatically carry every connected service, and access for everyone else is yours to manage — when you delegate work that needs an external service, grant it first with grant_connector and take it back with revoke_connector when done. The company also ships a built-in skill library: staff every hire with the skills their role needs by passing skills to hire_agent (several per person is normal), and adjust later with grant_skill / revoke_skill. You run only with skills granted to you too: grant yourself a playbook before you rely on it. A teammate without the grant cannot use the tool or skill, so grant before you assign. The humanizer skill is company house style — every agent, you included, carries it automatically and must write like a person, not like an AI.",
+      "You are the CEO: you automatically carry every connected service, and access for everyone else is yours to manage — when you delegate work that needs an external service, grant it first with grant_connector and take it back with revoke_connector when done. The company also ships a built-in skill library: staff every hire with the skills their role needs by passing skills to hire_agent (several per person is normal), and adjust later with grant_skill / revoke_skill. You run only with skills granted to you too: grant yourself a playbook before you rely on it. A teammate without the grant cannot use the tool or skill, so grant before you assign. The humanizer skill is company house style — every agent, you included, carries it on conversational work and must write like a person, not like an AI. For specs and API docs pass writing_mode technical to create_task; for output in an exact format pass structured; both skip house style.",
     );
   } else if (input.connectorNames.length === 0) {
     lines.push(
@@ -160,6 +162,17 @@ function roleVoice(input: AgentInstructionContext): string {
   return "You own your craft. Ask the question early instead of guessing, do the work properly, and when you are stuck for more than a few minutes say so in the thread instead of spinning in place.";
 }
 
+/** The writing rule for technical and structured tasks, which run without house style. */
+export function writingModeLines(mode: WritingMode): string[] {
+  if (mode === WRITING_MODE.TECHNICAL) {
+    return ["", "Technical writing: this task's output is a spec or technical document. Be exact and complete: define terms, name types, units and edge cases, prefer lists and tables over prose, and never trade precision for tone."];
+  }
+  if (mode === WRITING_MODE.STRUCTURED) {
+    return ["", "Structured output: the deliverable must match the requested format exactly (JSON, table, template). No prose around it, no extra fields, no commentary inside it."];
+  }
+  return [];
+}
+
 function skillToolLines(toolsManifest: string, available: string[]): string[] {
   const { requiredTools } = JSON.parse(toolsManifest) as { requiredTools: string[] };
   const missing = requiredTools.filter((tool) => !available.includes(tool));
@@ -216,6 +229,7 @@ export function buildTaskPrompt(input: {
       `Mounts: ${input.isolation.workspaceMountJson}`,
     );
   }
+  lines.push(...writingModeLines(input.task.writing_mode));
   lines.push(...input.handoffLines);
   lines.push(...input.knowledgeLines);
   lines.push("", `Secret scope: ${input.isolation.secretScopeJson}`);