@@ -569,3 +569,10 @@ The CLI couldn't run because `packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts` was missing re-ex
 
 
 📌 Team update (2026-03-04T17:52:00Z): Migration docs file-safety guidance added — doctor command now live in CLI (fixes #188) — decided by Keaton, implemented by McManus
+
+### 2026-03-05: Branching model implementation
+- Created git-workflow skill file for 3-branch model (dev/insiders/main)
+- Updated Kobayashi charter with branching rules
+- Updated team.md with @copilot git workflow instructions
+- Key: Skill file is the single source of truth — coordinator loads it and injects into spawn prompts
+- Decision: `release` branch dropped per Keaton's recommendation (YAGNI pre-1.0)
@@ -356,6 +356,13 @@ All four agents shipped Phase 2 in parallel: Fortier wired TTFT/duration/through
 - **spawn.ts** (8 tests): `loadAgentCharter()` with teamRoot/missing charter/case-insensitive resolution, `buildAgentPrompt()` with charter/systemContext/empty charter.
 - **lifecycle.ts** (6 tests): ShellLifecycle initialization with missing .squad/, missing team.md, error state, agent discovery, registry population, empty team handling.
 - **router.ts** (15 tests): `parseInput()` for slash commands (with args, case-insensitive, multiple args), @Agent direct addressing (comma syntax, case-insensitive, no message, unknown agents), coordinator routing (plain text, empty, whitespace), edge cases (leading/trailing whitespace, multiline content).
+
+### 📌 Team update (2026-03-05T01:05:00Z): CI/CD Pipeline Implications — 3-Branch Branching Model Adopted
+- **Context:** Team adopted 3-branch branching model (dev/insiders/main, drop release). Hockney validated GitHub Actions compatibility.
+- **CI/CD implications:** Issue branches (PRs to dev) require full test suite, build, lint. Dev publishes npm `preview` tag on merge. Insiders publishes npm `insiders` tag (auto-synced from dev). Main is tag-triggered npm publish only.
+- **Validation done:** Reviewed 15 existing workflows. Updated trigger rules per branch. `release` branch removal simplifies promotion pipeline (no RC step).
+- **Testing impact:** No additional test requirements. Existing 2931 tests + upcoming 10 test gap issues (#558–#567) cover CI/CD validation.
+- **Status:** Workflows analyzed, ready for implementation. Hockney available for rollout coordination if needed.
 - **sessions.ts** (10 tests): SessionRegistry operations (register, get, getAll, getActive, updateStatus, remove, clear, no-op on unknown).
 - **commands.ts** (13 tests): `executeCommand()` for all slash commands (/help, /status, /agents, /history with limits, /clear, /quit, /exit, unknown command).
 - **memory.ts** (12 tests): MemoryManager limits, `canCreateSession()`, `trackBuffer()` growth/rejection/multi-session, `trimMessages()`, `clearBuffer()`, `getStats()`.
 
@@ -601,10 +601,18 @@ Keaton's split plan produced definitive SDK/CLI mapping with clean DAG (CLI →
 - Remote mode (`teamRoot` pointer) is better than copying entire squad
 - `.git/info/exclude` is right tool for invisibility (use `git rev-parse --git-path info/exclude`)
 - Extraction should be separate command (`squad extract`), not automatic
-- License checking (copyleft detection) is valuable but belongs in Phase 2+
-- Integration with existing `sharing/` module needs design work — don't force-fit
-
-**Files that would need changes (for actual implementation):**
+- License checking (copyleft detection) is valuable but belongs in Phase 2+
+- Integration with existing `sharing/` module needs design work — don't force-fit
+
+**Files that would need changes (for actual implementation):**
+
+### 📌 Team update (2026-03-05T01:05:00Z): Architecture Decision — 3-Branch Branching Model Adopted
+- **Context:** Team analyzed 4-branch model proposal and recommended 3-branch model for pre-1.0 product with 21 parallel agents shipping frequently.
+- **Decision:** Adopt 3-branch workflow: `dev` (integration) → `insiders` (preview) → `main` (production). Drop `release` branch as YAGNI for pre-1.0.
+- **Rationale:** Fewer branches = fewer merge surfaces. 4 branches is over-engineered; stale v0.5.x branches evidence this (went stale while main advanced to v0.8.21).
+- **Key implications:** All PRs target dev only. Issue branches use `squad/{issue-number}-{slug}`. Main is tag-triggered, released, in-npm only. Insiders is auto-synced from dev (deployment target, not promotion step).
+- **Deliverables:** Git-workflow skill created, CI/CD workflows validated for 3-branch model, branch infrastructure reset (dev/insiders from main).
+- **Decided by:** Keaton (Lead) — recommendation based on technical analysis overrode 4-branch proposal per team protocol.
 - `packages/squad-sdk/src/resolution.ts` — add `consult?: boolean` to SquadDirConfig
 - `packages/squad-sdk/src/index.ts` — export consult helpers
 - `packages/squad-cli/src/cli/commands/consult.ts` (NEW) — implement command
 
@@ -30,6 +30,20 @@
   4. What is the safest path to close that gap?
   5. Is this operation reversible? If not, triple-check.
 
+## Branching Model
+
+Squad uses a dev-first, three-branch workflow:
+- **dev** — Primary development branch (all PRs target dev by default)
+- **insiders** — Early-access channel (auto-synced from dev)
+- **main** — Stable releases (merged from dev, tagged)
+
+**Hard rules:**
+- Issue branches: `squad/{issue-number}-{slug}` (branched from dev)
+- All issue PRs target `dev`, NOT `main`
+- dev → insiders sync is automated
+- dev → main merge is manual (release gate)
+- Main only receives merges from dev. No direct commits.
+
 ## Guardrails — Hard Rules
 
 **NEVER:**
 
@@ -854,3 +854,68 @@ pm publish --access public --ignore-scripts\ — @bradygaster/squad-cli@0.8.20 p
 **Outcome:** Release v0.8.20 completed successfully. All stakeholders can now install latest via \
 pm install -g @bradygaster/squad-cli\. Development continues at 0.8.21-preview.1.
 
+### 2026-03-05: Branch Infrastructure Setup — 3-Branch Model Implementation
+**Status:** COMPLETE. Branch infrastructure reconfigured per team decision on 3-branch model (dev/insiders/main).
+
+#### Pre-flight Assessment
+**Current State:**
+- origin/dev: 20+ commits behind origin/main (stale since v0.5.x era, last commit 06bc103)
+- origin/dev had NO unique commits — all work already in main
+- origin/insider: exists (singular form)
+- Stale branches identified: migration, migration-merged, beta-main-merge, pr-547
+
+**Desired State:**
+- dev reset to match current main (33b61a6)
+- insiders branch (plural) created from main
+- Stale merged branches cleaned up
+- Local working directory on dev
+
+**Safety Verification:**
+- ✅ dev contains no unique work — safe to force-reset
+- ✅ All stale branches verified merged to main via commit inspection
+- ✅ All operations reversible via reflog (90-day retention)
+
+#### Operations Performed
+1. **Dev branch reset:**
+   - Stashed uncommitted changes (history.md edits from other agents)
+   - Checked out dev, reset to origin/main (33b61a6)
+   - Force-pushed with --force-with-lease: `06bc103..33b61a6`
+   - Result: dev now tracking current main
+
+2. **Insiders branch creation:**
+   - Created insiders branch from origin/main
+   - Pushed to origin as new branch
+   - Result: origin/insiders created alongside origin/insider (singular)
+   - **Note:** Left origin/insider intact for Brady to confirm deletion
+
+3. **Stale branch cleanup:**
+   - Verified merge status for each branch:
+     - migration (9a6964c): ✅ in main
+     - migration-merged (905b2d7): ✅ in main
+     - beta-main-merge (905b2d7): ✅ in main
+     - pr-547 (eab6948): ✅ PR #547 merged to main (4ecc244)
+   - Deleted local: migration, beta-main-merge, pr-547
+   - Deleted remote: origin/migration, origin/migration-merged
+   - Result: 2 remote branches removed, 3 local branches removed
+
+4. **Working directory:**
+   - Switched to dev branch as requested
+   - Brady will start on dev per 3-branch workflow
+
+#### Key Decision: Conservative on origin/insider
+Did NOT delete origin/insider (singular). Reasons:
+1. Team decision document says "insiders" but remote has "insider"
+2. Created new "insiders" branch as requested
+3. Both now exist — leaving Brady to confirm which to keep/delete
+4. Zero tolerance for state corruption > speed of execution
+
+#### Outcome
+Branch infrastructure now matches 3-branch model:
+- ✅ dev reset and synced to main
+- ✅ insiders branch created from main
+- ✅ Stale branches cleaned up
+- ✅ Working directory on dev
+- ⚠️ origin/insider and origin/insiders both exist — needs Brady's confirmation
+
+**State is clean, reversible, and ready for Brady's return.**
+
@@ -1940,3 +1940,44 @@ This is low-effort, high-value — a broken link on the GitHub Pages site erodes
 **Why:** Users upgrading from v0.5.4 hit vague migration guidance on which files to preserve. KevinUK's question exposed gap: no directory-level checklist. Copying wrong files (e.g., old casting data) breaks the team. Clear guidance prevents migration failures.
 **Details from inbox:** See keaton-migration-docs-gaps.md for full analysis (root cause, file matrix, implementation details, validation steps).
 
+### 2026-03-05T00:56:39Z: User directive — No working in main
+**By:** Brady (via Copilot)
+**What:** "We shouldn't be working in main." All work must happen on feature/issue branches, flow through dev, then insiders, then main. Main is the released, tagged, in-npm branch only.
+**Why:** User request — captured for team memory. Establishes branching model: dev → insiders → main, with issue branches named by issue number + slug.
+
+### 2026-03-05T01:05:00Z: Branching Model Decision — 3-Branch Model Adopted
+**By:** Keaton (Lead Architect), Kobayashi (Git), Fenster (Core Dev), Hockney (CI/CD)
+**Decision:** Adopt 3-branch model (dev/insiders/main). Drop `release` branch.
+**Branch Model:**
+- `main` — Released code, tagged, in npm. Production traffic.
+- `dev` — Integration branch for all feature work. Publishes as npm `preview` tag on merge.
+- `insiders` — Early-access preview. Auto-synced from dev periodically. Publishes as npm `insiders` tag.
+**Rules:**
+- All PRs target `dev` only. No exceptions.
+- Issue branches: `squad/{issue-number}-{slug}`
+- Main receives merges from dev only. No direct commits.
+- Insiders is a deployment target (auto-synced), not a promotion step.
+- `release` branch omitted — YAGNI for pre-1.0. Can add post-1.0 for LTS.
+**Rationale:** 4 branches over-engineered for pre-1.0 product with 21 agents shipping frequently. Fewer branches = fewer merge surfaces. Evidence: v0.5.x dev/insider branches went stale while main advanced to v0.8.21.
+**Implementation:** Fenster created git-workflow skill. Kobayashi reset branch infrastructure. Hockney validated CI compatibility.
+**Status:** Adopted and implemented.
+
+### 2026-03-05: Git Workflow Skill File Created
+**By:** Fenster (Core Dev)
+**What:** Created `.squad/skills/git-workflow/SKILL.md` — teachable workflow for all agents covering branch naming (`squad/{issue}-{slug}`), PR rules (target dev), promotion pipeline (dev→insiders→main), and anti-patterns.
+**Why:** Every agent must follow identical branching rules. Skills are loaded by coordinator and injected into spawn prompts — safer than scattered documentation.
+**Status:** Skill deployed. All agents now reference it.
+
+### 2026-03-05: CI/CD Pipeline Validated for 3-Branch Model
+**By:** Hockney (CI/CD & Testing)
+**What:** Analyzed and validated GitHub Actions workflows for 3-branch model. Documented per-branch CI rules: issue branches (PR to dev) require full test suite; dev publishes npm `preview`; insiders publishes npm `insiders` tag; main is tag-triggered npm publish only.
+**Why:** Transition from 4-branch to 3-branch requires workflow updates. Skipping release branch simplifies promotion pipeline.
+**Status:** Workflows analyzed. Ready for implementation.
+
+### 2026-03-05: Branch Infrastructure Reset — 3-Branch Setup
+**By:** Kobayashi (Git & Release)
+**What:** Executed branch infrastructure reset: (1) Reset origin/dev to main (33b61a6). (2) Created origin/insiders from main. (3) Deleted stale branches (migration, beta-main-merge, pr-547). (4) Current working branch: dev.
+**Judgment Call:** Preserved both origin/insider (singular, existing) and origin/insiders (plural, new). Conservative approach pending Brady confirmation.
+**Action Required:** Brady to decide: keep origin/insiders (matches decision) + delete origin/insider, or keep origin/insider and delete origin/insiders.
+**Status:** Infrastructure ready. Awaiting final branch naming confirmation.
+
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+---
+name: "git-workflow"
+description: "Squad branching model: dev-first workflow with insiders preview channel"
+domain: "version-control"
+confidence: "high"
+source: "team-decision"
+---
+
+## Context
+
+Squad uses a three-branch model. **All feature work starts from `dev`, not `main`.**
+
+| Branch | Purpose | Publishes |
+|--------|---------|-----------|
+| `main` | Released, tagged, in-npm code only | `npm publish` on tag |
+| `dev` | Integration branch — all feature work lands here | `npm publish --tag preview` on merge |
+| `insiders` | Early-access channel — synced from dev | `npm publish --tag insiders` on sync |
+
+## Branch Naming Convention
+
+Issue branches MUST use: `squad/{issue-number}-{kebab-case-slug}`
+
+Examples:
+- `squad/195-fix-version-stamp-bug`
+- `squad/42-add-profile-api`
+
+## Workflow for Issue Work
+
+1. **Branch from dev:**
+   ```bash
+   git checkout dev
+   git pull origin dev
+   git checkout -b squad/{issue-number}-{slug}
+   ```
+
+2. **Mark issue in-progress:**
+   ```bash
+   gh issue edit {number} --add-label "status:in-progress"
+   ```
+
+3. **Create draft PR targeting dev:**
+   ```bash
+   gh pr create --base dev --title "{description}" --body "Closes #{issue-number}" --draft
+   ```
+
+4. **Do the work.** Make changes, write tests, commit with issue reference.
+
+5. **Push and mark ready:**
+   ```bash
+   git push -u origin squad/{issue-number}-{slug}
+   gh pr ready
+   ```
+
+6. **After merge to dev:**
+   ```bash
+   git checkout dev
+   git pull origin dev
+   git branch -d squad/{issue-number}-{slug}
+   git push origin --delete squad/{issue-number}-{slug}
+   ```
+
+## Anti-Patterns
+
+- ❌ Branching from main (branch from dev)
+- ❌ PR targeting main directly (target dev)
+- ❌ Non-conforming branch names (must be squad/{number}-{slug})
+- ❌ Committing directly to main or dev (use PRs)
+
+## Promotion Pipeline
+
+- dev → insiders: Automated sync on green build
+- dev → main: Manual merge when ready for stable release, then tag
+- Hotfixes: Branch from main as `hotfix/{slug}`, PR to dev, cherry-pick to main if urgent
@@ -68,6 +68,14 @@
 - Performance-critical paths requiring benchmarking
 - Changes requiring cross-team discussion
 
+### Git Workflow
+
+When working on issues, follow the Squad branching model:
+- Branch from `dev` (not main): `git checkout dev && git pull && git checkout -b squad/{issue-number}-{slug}`
+- Create PRs targeting `dev`: `gh pr create --base dev`
+- Use branch naming convention: `squad/{issue-number}-{kebab-case-slug}`
+- After merge, delete branch and switch back to dev
+
 ## Project Context
 
 - **Owner:** Brady