# Orchestrator
The Orchestrator is your command center for talking to agents. Ask a question in plain language, get a structured, actionable answer. Check sprint status, create tasks, manage agents — all through a chat interface backed by specialized orchestrator agents that know your project inside and out.

No context switching. No hunting through menus. Just ask, and the right agent handles it.

{{< thumbcard src="/images/ui/orchestrator/orchestrator-overview.png" alt="Orchestrator chat interface with threads panel, agent selector, and launcher preset" caption="One interface to coordinate your entire project — pick an agent, ask a question, get a structured answer" >}}

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**Every orchestrator agent inherits full project context.** Sprint history, task status, agent registry — the agent sees it all. You get precise, data-backed answers instead of generic summaries.
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## What this page covers

- Orchestrator layout: threads, chat area, and controls
- Orchestrator agents: Gunnar, Nikol, and Skadi
- Launcher presets for provider configuration
- Thread management and conversation history
- Real-world examples of orchestrator workflows

## Quick start

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### 1 — Open the Orchestrator

Click **Orchestrator** in the sidebar navigation. The chat interface loads with the threads panel on the left and the message area on the right.

### 2 — Pick your agent

Use the **Orchestrator agent** dropdown at the bottom to select the right agent for your question. Each agent specializes in a different domain.

### 3 — Ask your question

Type a natural-language question in the input box and click **Send**. The agent processes your request using real project data and returns a structured, formatted response.

### 4 — Continue the conversation

Follow up in the same thread to drill deeper, or click **+ New** to start a fresh conversation.

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## Orchestrator agents

The orchestrator routes your questions to specialized agents — each one tuned for a specific domain of project operations. Select the agent that matches what you need.

{{< thumbcard src="/images/ui/orchestrator/orchestrator-agent-selector.png" alt="Agent selector dropdown showing Gunnar, Nikol, and Skadi orchestrators" caption="Switch between specialized agents instantly — each one owns a different domain" >}}

| Agent | Domain | What to ask |
|-------|--------|-------------|
| **Gunnar Orchestrator** | Project management & task creation | Sprint status, task breakdowns, project health, creating and assigning tasks |
| **Nikol Registry Orchestrator** | Agent, prompt, and capability management | Agent configurations, prompt composition, capability assignments, registry operations |
| **Skadi Sprint Orchestrator** | Sprint lifecycle management | Sprint planning, shaping, staffing, status checks, closing sprints |

### Gunnar — General project management

Gunnar is the default orchestrator and handles the broadest range of questions. Ask about project health, task status, sprint history, or have Gunnar create new tasks and plans. Gunnar sees your full project context — tasks, sprints, agents, and their relationships.

**Example prompts:**
- "What is the status of our sprints?"
- "Create a task to add dark mode support"
- "What tasks are in progress right now?"
- "Summarize the work completed this week"

### Nikol — Agent and registry operations

Nikol specializes in managing your agent registry, prompts, and capabilities. Use Nikol when you need to configure agent behavior, review prompt composition, or manage capability assignments without leaving the chat.

**Example prompts:**
- "List all bot agents in the registry"
- "What capabilities does the auditor agent have?"
- "Show me the prompts linked to the executor agent"
- "Create a new agent for frontend code review"

### Skadi — Sprint management

Skadi owns the sprint lifecycle. From planning and shaping sprints to staffing and status checks, Skadi gives you structured visibility into your delivery cadence.

**Example prompts:**
- "What is the status of our sprints?"
- "Create a new sprint for the authentication feature"
- "Which sprints closed in the last 7 days?"
- "Staff the current sprint with reviewers"

{{< thumbcard src="/images/ui/orchestrator/orchestrator-sprint-status.png" alt="Skadi sprint orchestrator returning a structured sprint status summary with tables and task breakdowns" caption="Ask about sprint status and get a structured summary — complete with history, task breakdown, and next steps" >}}

## Layout and controls

The orchestrator interface has three main areas:

### Threads panel

The left panel manages your conversation history:

- **+ New** — Start a fresh conversation thread
- **Search** — Filter threads by keyword to find past conversations
- **Thread list** — Each thread shows the agent name, status (open/closed), provider, timestamp, and session ID
- **Collapse** — Hide the threads panel to maximize the chat area

Each thread is a self-contained conversation with full history. Threads are labeled with the orchestrator agent name and show whether the session is open or closed.

### Chat area

The main panel displays the conversation between you and the orchestrator agent. Agent responses render with full Markdown formatting — headings, tables, code blocks, and lists are all supported. Each response includes a **copy** button for quick extraction.

### Bottom controls

Two dropdowns control how messages are processed:

- **Launcher preset** — Selects the AI provider and model configuration (e.g., Claude GPT OSS). Presets are configured in [Settings](/valdr/docs/ui/settings/).
- **Orchestrator agent** — Selects which specialized agent handles your messages. Switch agents mid-session to ask different types of questions.

The text input and **Send** button complete the interface. Type your question, press Enter or click Send, and the selected agent processes it.

## Thread management

### Creating threads

Click **+ New** to start a fresh conversation. The new thread inherits your currently selected launcher preset and orchestrator agent. Each thread runs as an independent agent session.

### Navigating threads

Click any thread in the panel to load its conversation history. Threads display:
- Agent name and partial session ID
- Open or closed status
- Provider used (e.g., "claude")
- Relative timestamp

### Searching threads

Use the **Find thread...** search box to filter by keyword. This searches across thread metadata to help you locate past conversations quickly.

### Deleting threads

Click the trash icon on any thread to remove it. This deletes the thread and its conversation history.

## Launcher presets

The launcher preset dropdown determines which AI provider and configuration backs the orchestrator agent. Presets define:

- The AI provider (e.g., Claude, OpenAI-compatible endpoints)
- Model selection and parameters
- API key configuration

Presets are managed in [Settings](/valdr/docs/ui/settings/) and can be shared across your team via [Provider Packs](/valdr/docs/valdr-provider-packs/).

> [!TIP]
> Configure multiple launcher presets to test different models or providers with the same orchestrator agent. Switch between them without changing anything else.

## Why this matters

- **One interface for everything**: Stop switching between dashboards, CLIs, and chat windows. Ask questions, create tasks, check status, and manage agents from a single view.
- **Structured, actionable answers**: Orchestrator agents return formatted responses with tables, lists, and next steps — not walls of text. Copy what you need and keep moving.
- **Full project context**: Every answer is grounded in real data — your actual sprints, tasks, agents, and history. No hallucination, no guessing.
- **Specialized agents, zero setup**: Gunnar, Nikol, and Skadi come pre-configured with the right capabilities and project access. Pick an agent and start asking.
- **Conversation history you can search**: Every thread is saved with full context. Come back to a conversation days later and pick up where you left off.

## Next steps

- **[Multi-Agent Workflow Orchestration](/valdr/docs/features/orchestration/)** — Understand the platform capability behind orchestrator agents
- **[Agent Sessions](/valdr/docs/ui/agent-sessions/)** — Inspect the full execution trail behind any orchestrator conversation
- **[Agents](/valdr/docs/ui/agents/)** — Browse and configure the orchestrator agents in the registry
- **[Sprints](/valdr/docs/ui/sprints/)** — Manage sprints directly from the Sprints view
- **[Tasks](/valdr/docs/ui/tasks/)** — Work with tasks created through the orchestrator