Blacknode: Skill for Codex

Blacknode Workflow

Blacknode is the visual workflow layer for agent harnesses. Use it when a chat or coding agent needs a typed node graph instead of raw JSON or ad hoc scripts.

Scope

Use this skill for:

• Building a new workflow graph from a user request.
• Loading, validating, or repairing blacknode.workflow JSON.
• Opening a workflow in the running visual editor.
• Running a workflow or template and inspecting the structured event log.
• Exporting or importing a workflow with Python round-trip, LangGraph, CrewAI, AutoGen, Swarm, or NVIDIA Agent Stack.
• Creating NVIDIA NIM, local NIM, RAG, tool-agent, or research-pipeline demos.
• Discovering or installing the extension package required by a workflow.

If no existing node expresses a reusable capability, stop graph construction and use blacknode-development. After implementing and testing the capability, return here to integrate it into a validated workflow.

Package-Aware Planning

1. Inspect list_nodes and list_templates before assuming a node is missing.
2. Prefer installed core or package nodes over one-off code.
3. If a template reports missing nodes, use its metadata.required_packages and the package index to identify the package.
4. Ask before installing third-party package code. An indexed official package may be installed when package installation is part of the user's request.
5. Run blacknode packages list after installation and resolve declared dependency warnings before cooking affected nodes.
6. Use PythonFn only for workflow-local adapters. Use blacknode-development for reusable nodes or packages.

Outcome-First Workflow Design

• Begin with the requested outcome and build the shortest coherent graph that produces it.
• A tracked template must perform a useful end-to-end task. Do not create templates whose main result is proving a node works, showcasing wiring, smoke testing, or confirming that a dependency is ready.
• Every visible node must materially create, transform, route, persist, deploy, or operate something needed by the final result.
• Do not add checker, test, report, echo, or confirmation nodes as graph padding. The node that owns an operation should validate inputs, preflight dependencies, report progress, and return actionable errors when practical.
• Keep implementation validation in automated tests or untracked local developer workflows rather than turning it into a product template.
• Preserve required physical-motion safety, authorization, cost consent, and destructive-action confirmation. Integrate these controls into the owning action or managed service when possible; keep a separate node when the safety contract must be explicit and reusable.