# Opus Workflow Constraints

**Purpose:** Strict, non-negotiable constraints for Anthropic Claude Opus sessions to prevent assumptions, ensure exact adherence, and maintain cost control. This is the HARNESS for Opus work.

## Core Constraints

### 1. Sequential Execution Only
- **Rule:** Spawn and run ONE sub-agent at a time. Wait for full completion and summary before starting the next.
- **No Variations:** No parallel spawning, no assumptions about "efficient" batching.
- **Verification:** Check sessions_list after each completion to confirm no active extras.

### 2. Model and Usage Verification
- **Rule:** Before starting ANY Opus work, check browser relay (targetId BB9DB072F0FDFBF5093323CC75DE8099) for current session % and weekly %.
- **Halt Thresholds:** Stop all Opus work if session >90% or weekly >80%. Notify Paul immediately.
- **Confirmation:** Log the check in memory with timestamp and values.
- **Model:** Must be Claude Opus (Sonnet 4.5). No other models allowed for these sessions.

### 3. Token Monitoring
- **Rule:** Monitor token usage in real-time during sessions. Log to memory/anthropic-usage-log.md after each major task.
- **Alerts:** Notify Paul at 80% session/weekly usage.
- **Burn Strategy:** Maximize weekly budget within per-session limits. Never exceed session cap (avoid extra charges).

### 4. Spawning Limits
- **Rule:** Max 1 active sub-agent per session. Embed constraints in each sub-agent's task prompt to prevent them from spawning further agents.
- **Task Embedding:** Include "Follow Opus Workflow Constraints exactly" in every sub-agent prompt.

### 5. Exact Adherence to Instructions
- **Rule:** Follow the reminder/task list verbatim. No additions, assumptions, or optimizations unless explicitly approved.
- **Logging:** Update memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md with every action, including checks and decisions.
- **Post-Completion:** Send summary only after all tasks in the list are done.

### 6. Error Handling
- **Rule:** If any constraint is violated, halt and notify Paul for approval before continuing.
- **Fallback:** If browser relay fails, use cached last check but re-verify within 1 hour.

## Enforcement
- **Self-Monitoring:** Main agent must verify compliance before, during, and after each step.
- **Audit Trail:** All actions logged to memory for review.
- **Paul Override:** Paul can modify this document anytime; agent must read and follow updated version.

## Reference
- Original Workflow: Reminder from cron (Opus session 5, sequential spawn, etc.)
- Integration: Referenced in AGENTS.md for Opus sessions.

**Last Updated:** 2026-03-13