Cortivex Pipeline Templates

Templates are pre-built, tested pipeline configurations for common development workflows. They are ready to run immediately and serve as starting points for customization.

Built-in Template Directory

Using Templates

Running a Template

/cortivex run <template-name>

Examples:

/cortivex run pr-review
/cortivex run security-audit --verbose
/cortivex run full-test-suite --dry-run
/cortivex run pr-review --param pr_number=42 --param branch=feature/auth

Getting Template Info

/cortivex templates info <template-name>

Shows the full template YAML with node definitions, configurations, and dependency graph.

Dry Run

Always available with any template:

/cortivex run <template-name> --dry-run

Output:

Dry Run: pr-review
===================
Nodes: 5
Estimated Cost: $0.05
Estimated Duration: 3m

Execution Plan:
  1. SecurityScanner     (parallel: none)         ~15s  ~$0.004
  2. CodeReviewer        (after: SecurityScanner)  ~45s  ~$0.018
  3. AutoFixer           (after: CodeReviewer)     ~30s  ~$0.012
  4. TestRunner          (after: AutoFixer)        ~60s  ~$0.008
  5. PRCreator           (after: TestRunner)       ~8s   ~$0.003

No issues found. Ready to run.

Customizing Templates

Copy and Modify

To customize a template:

/cortivex templates copy pr-review --as my-pr-review

This creates a copy in your custom pipelines directory. Edit the copy freely.

Common Customizations

Change a model for a specific node:

nodes:
  - id: code_review
    type: CodeReviewer
    config:
      model: claude-sonnet-4-20250514    # override default

Add a node to an existing template: Insert the node definition and update depends_on references to maintain the DAG.

Remove a node: Delete the node definition and update any depends_on references that pointed to it.

Change scope or parameters:

nodes:
  - id: security_scan
    type: SecurityScanner
    config:
      scan_depth: deep            # override default "standard"
      severity_threshold: low     # override default "medium"

Add conditions:

nodes:
  - id: security_scan
    type: SecurityScanner
    condition:
      if: "changed_files.any(f => f.path.startsWith('src/auth/'))"
      skip_message: "No auth files changed, skipping security scan"

Add retry logic:

nodes:
  - id: test_run
    type: TestRunner
    retry:
      max_attempts: 3
      backoff: exponential
      base_delay_seconds: 5

Sharing Templates

Export a Template

/cortivex templates share my-pr-review --output my-pr-review.yaml

Produces a standalone YAML file that can be shared with teammates.

Import a Template

/cortivex templates import ./shared/team-review.yaml --as team-review

Imports a YAML template file into your local template registry.

Team Template Repository

For teams, store shared templates in a git repository:

my-org/cortivex-templates/
  pr-review-strict.yaml
  nightly-security.yaml
  release-process.yaml

Configure the remote repository:

cortivex_config({
  action: "set",
  key: "template_repos",
  value: ["https://github.com/my-org/cortivex-templates"]
})

Templates from remote repos are available with their prefix:

/cortivex run my-org/pr-review-strict

Best Practices for Pipeline Design

1. Start with Analysis

Always begin pipelines with an analysis node (ArchitectAnalyzer, SecurityScanner, CodeReviewer) before modification nodes. Analysis output provides context that makes modifications more accurate.

2. Validate After Modification

Every modification node (AutoFixer, RefactorAgent, TypeMigrator) should be followed by a validation node (TestRunner, LintFixer). Never end a pipeline on a modification without verification.

3. Keep Pipelines Focused

A pipeline should do one thing well. Instead of a 15-node mega-pipeline, compose smaller pipelines:

/cortivex run security-audit
/cortivex run pr-review
/cortivex run documentation-refresh

4. Use Conditions to Save Cost

Add conditions to skip nodes when they are not relevant:

condition:
  if: "changed_files.length > 0 && changed_files.any(f => f.endsWith('.ts'))"

5. Set Appropriate Timeouts

Set timeout_seconds based on expected duration, not on worst case:

• LintFixer: 30s
• TestRunner: 300s (5m) for most projects, up to 900s (15m) for large suites
• TypeMigrator: 600s (10m) for large codebases

6. Use Haiku for Lightweight Nodes

Nodes that do not require deep reasoning (LintFixer, TestRunner, ChangelogWriter, PRCreator) can use claude-haiku-4-20250414 at a fraction of the cost with equivalent results.

7. Leverage the Learning System

After several runs, check cortivex_insights to see if the system has learned optimizations for your specific repository. Apply high-confidence insights to your custom templates.

8. Name Pipelines Descriptively

Use names that describe the workflow, not the trigger:

• Good: security-audit, pr-review-strict, nightly-quality-check
• Bad: pipeline1, my-pipeline, test

Template File Format

All templates follow this YAML structure:

name: template-name
version: "1.0"
description: What this pipeline does
tags: [tag1, tag2]
estimated_cost: "$0.05"
estimated_duration: "3m"

# Optional: parameters that can be overridden at runtime
params:
  branch:
    type: string
    default: main
    description: Target branch
  coverage_threshold:
    type: number
    default: 80
    description: Minimum test coverage percentage

# Node definitions
nodes:
  - id: unique_node_id
    type: NodeType
    depends_on: []                # list of node IDs this depends on
    config:
      key: value
    condition:                    # optional
      if: "expression"
      skip_message: "reason"
    retry:                        # optional
      max_attempts: 3
      backoff: exponential
    fallback_for: other_node_id   # optional

Refer to the individual template YAML files in the templates/ directory for complete, runnable examples.

Reasoning Protocol

Before selecting or customizing a template, reason through:

1. Does a built-in template cover this use case? Check the template directory table above. If a template covers 80%+ of the need, customize it rather than building from scratch.
2. What customizations are needed? Lis