How do you manage tasks across multiple AI coding agents?

Most developers use a plain TASKS.md or CLAUDE.md file that agents can read and write. Structured tools like Kanban-md and Mission Control emerged in 2026 but none are dominant yet.

Is there a CLI task manager designed for AI agents?

Yes, Kanban-md and Kanban CLI both launched in early 2026. They use file-based (Markdown) storage so coding agents can read/write tasks via the filesystem without API calls.

A file-based CLI Kanban board where each task is a Markdown file in a kanban/ directory. No server, no API, just files. Coding agents can read and write tasks using regular file tools.

How do parallel AI coding agents coordinate?

With worktrees (one per agent) + a shared task board or TASKS.md at the repo root. The agent reads its assigned task, works in its worktree, and marks done. Mission Control and Kanban-md formalize this pattern.

Why do developers need agent-first task management?

Running 3+ parallel agents without a shared task board creates duplicate work, merge conflicts, and lost context. A file-based CLI task tracker lets every agent know what's assigned, in-progress, and done.

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clawsmith.com/signal/local-first-agent-task-coordination-cli-missing

⚠ IssueWide Opendev_tool_cliLive

No local-first CLI to coordinate tasks across parallel AI coding agents without a server

Developers running 3-10 parallel coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor) have no lightweight way to track which agent is working on what, hand off tasks between agents, or see cross-agent progress from the terminal. Three tools launched in 6 weeks (Kanban-md 19 pts, Kanban CLI 17 pts, Mission Control 130 stars) all trying to fill the same gap: a file-based or terminal task board that coding agents can read/write without a server. The pattern is real: every dev running parallel agents built their own TASKS.md.

Product Idea from this Signal

A CLI tool that gives parallel AI coding agents isolated git worktrees and shared task state with no server

6.3k ▲

Running multiple AI coding agents in the same repo causes merge conflicts, clobbered files, and lost task context because agents share a single working tree and there is no lightweight way to coordinate which agent owns which task. Developers need a way to spin up N isolated worktrees on demand, route tasks to each agent, and let agents read shared task state without standing up a database or server. This tool handles the full lifecycle: worktree creation, task routing, status sync via flat files, and teardown.

ai-agentsgit-worktreesparallel-developmentclideveloper-toolslocal-firsttask-management

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