Templates

Templates define how each AI agent behaves. Operum uses a centralized template system that auto-syncs from the cloud while preserving your customizations.

How Templates Work

Each agent's CLAUDE.md is composed from multiple sources at runtime:

  1. System Templates - Core instructions managed by Operum (auto-updated)
  2. Your Customizations - Project-specific instructions you add (preserved)
Auto-Sync: When system templates are updated, you'll see a changelog notification. Your custom sections are never overwritten.

Template Hierarchy

System templates are layered by priority:

100
Global

Overall orchestration context

95
Environment

Working directory setup

90
Workflow

Pipeline stages and labels

50
Agent

Role-specific instructions

Adding Customizations

Each agent has an agent.md file in your team directory where you can add project-specific instructions:

~/.config/operum/teams/my-team/
├── pm/
│   └── agent.md           # Your PM customizations
├── engineer/
│   └── agent.md           # Your Engineer customizations
└── shared/
    └── knowledge/         # Shared project context

Composed CLAUDE.md Structure

The final CLAUDE.md seen by agents has this structure:

<!-- SYSTEM:START - Do not edit -->
[Global template]
[Workflow template]
[Agent-specific template]
<!-- SYSTEM:END -->

<!-- USER:START - Your customizations -->
[Content from your agent.md file]
<!-- USER:END -->
Ephemeral Files: CLAUDE.md files are generated in a temporary directory at runtime. They're read-only to prevent tampering. Edit agent.md to customize.

Basic vs Premium Templates

Basic Templates

Included with Free Trial and Standard

  • Standard agent roles (PM, Architect, Engineer, Tester, Marketing, Community)
  • General-purpose instructions
  • Works with any project type

Premium Templates

Premium, Unlimited, and Cloud Pro

  • Refined prompts for better results
  • Advanced coordination patterns
  • Industry-specific workflows
  • Optimized from real-world usage

Customizing Templates

To customize an agent's behavior:

  1. Open the CLAUDE.md file for that agent
  2. Edit the instructions to match your needs
  3. Save the file
  4. Restart the agent to apply changes

Example: Customizing the Engineer Agent

# Engineer Agent

You are the Software Engineer for Acme SaaS.

## Tech Stack
- Frontend: Next.js 14 with TypeScript
- Backend: Node.js with Prisma
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Testing: Jest + Playwright

## Coding Standards
- Use functional components with hooks
- Follow Airbnb style guide
- All functions must have JSDoc comments
- Minimum 80% test coverage for new code

## PR Guidelines
- Create small, focused PRs
- Include screenshots for UI changes
- Reference the issue number in PR title

Shared Workspace

All agents can access the shared workspace in your team directory:

shared/workspace/
├── project.yaml       # Project name, description, URL
├── goals.yaml         # Strategic and near-term goals
├── architecture.md    # Technical architecture
├── business.md        # Business processes
├── marketing.md       # Marketing strategy
├── team-log.md        # Activity log (auto-updated)
├── decisions.md       # Technical decisions
└── workflow.md        # Pipeline stages (auto-generated)

The workspace is populated during onboarding and referenced by all agents for project context.

Best Practices

  • Be specific - Include your tech stack, coding standards, and conventions
  • Keep it updated - Update templates as your project evolves
  • Test changes - Try small changes first to see how they affect behavior
  • Share context - Include links to documentation agents might need