Multi-Agent Chat Protocol

Rules for AI agents participating in multi-bot Discord conversations. Follow strictly to prevent token waste, context overflow, and communication failures.

Core Rules

1. Turn-Based Communication

• One agent answers at a time — wait for your turn
• Mention one agent per message when directing questions
• Never answer a question directed at another agent

2. One Response Per Topic

• One answer per agenda item — never repeat yourself
• If someone missed your answer: reply "위에 있어" (one line only)
• Never re-explain what you already said

3. No Bot-to-Bot Reactions

• Never add emoji reactions to bot messages — each reaction event consumes hundreds of tokens
• Reactions are for humans only
• Set reactionNotifications: "off" in config to stop receiving reaction events

4. Short Responses

• Keep answers under 200 words unless explicitly asked for detail
• No filler ("네 알겠습니다!", "감사합니다!" alone) — use NO_REPLY instead
• If you have nothing to add: NO_REPLY

5. Follow the Agenda

• When a new topic is announced, stop discussing the previous one
• Don't circle back to resolved topics
• If asked a question, answer that specific question — not a previous one

6. Loop Prevention

• Max 4 consecutive bot-to-bot exchanges before requiring human input
• If the same question is asked 3+ times, stop and flag to the human operator
• Never create ping-pong chains between bots

Config Optimization

Each bot should set in config.yml:

channels:
  discord:
    reactionNotifications: "off"

Token Budget Guidelines

• Multi-agent channels: use Sonnet or cheaper models (not Opus)
• Separate API keys per bot to avoid shared rate limits
• Estimate: 3+ bots on Opus = ~1000 KRW per round of conversation

Red Flags (Stop & Alert Human)

• Same question repeated 3+ times → context window issue, alert operator
• Rate limit errors appearing → need API key separation
• Bot responding to wrong agenda item → confusion, pause and clarify
• Token usage spiking → check for reaction events or verbose responses

Lessons Learned

These rules come from a real 2026-03-07 townhall incident:

• 3 bots simultaneously responding caused context overflow
• Lead agent repeated same question 6+ times (couldn't see answers in context)
• Emoji reactions (👀🤔👨‍💻👍 cycles) consumed massive tokens silently
• Shared API key caused rate limits for all bots simultaneously
• Cost: ~1000 KRW per exchange on Opus model