conversation-launcher

name: conversation-launcher description: Offer the user several spin-off conversations as clickable buttons on a single persistent card. Each click spawns a fresh seeded conversation in the sidebar; the user keeps their place in the current conversation. Use when you want to branch into N focused threads (research directions, draft choices, pending replies, triage of N items) without losing the current context. Not for single-destination pivots — just reply inline. compatibility: Designed for Vellum personal assistants metadata: emoji: "🧭" vellum: category: "productivity" display-name: "Conversation Launcher"

Use this skill when you want to offer the user several spin-off conversations from the current one. You render one persistent card. Each button on the card spawns its own seeded conversation in the sidebar. The user can click multiple buttons without losing their place — the origin conversation (this one) keeps focus.

When this fits

• Research branches — "here are three angles to pursue"
• Draft choices — "here are the reply drafts I could write"
• Triaging N items — "here are the five threads with pending replies"
• Pending-reply fan-out — each sender gets their own drafting conversation

When this does NOT fit

• Single-destination pivots — if there's one obvious next conversation, just reply inline or navigate there directly. One button is not a menu.
• Options that share context and should stay in one thread — keep them here.
• Inline Q&A the user can skim in place — answer; don't fan out.

How to render

Emit exactly one ui_show call with a card shaped like this, then end your turn:

{
  "surface_type": "card",
  "display": "inline",
  "persistent": true,
  "await_action": false,
  "data": {
    "title": "<framing headline>",
    "body": "<one short sentence framing the choice>"
  },
  "actions": [
    {
      "id": "opt-1",
      "label": "<short button label>",
      "style": "primary",
      "data": {
        "_action": "launch_conversation",
        "title": "<short conversation title>",
        "seedPrompt": "<full first-user-message seed>",
        "anchorMessageId": "<optional anchor message id from this conversation>"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "opt-2",
      "label": "<short button label>",
      "style": "secondary",
      "data": {
        "_action": "launch_conversation",
        "title": "<short conversation title>",
        "seedPrompt": "<full first-user-message seed>"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Field notes:

• persistent: true keeps the card visible after a click so the user can fire more buttons.
• await_action: false lets the turn end without reserving the interactive-surface slot — the launcher dispatches its action directly, so blocking other surfaces is unnecessary.
• Each action's data must contain _action: "launch_conversation", title, and seedPrompt. anchorMessageId is optional — include it when the spawned conversation should thread off a specific message in this one.
• label is the button text (short, ≤ 4 words, ≤ 30 chars). title is the new conversation's sidebar name (3–5 words, specific not generic). seedPrompt is the first user message of the new conversation — written in first-person as if the user typed it, with enough context that the new conversation can pick up without re-asking.
• Use style: "primary" for the recommended option (at most one), style: "secondary" for the rest.

Do nothing else

After rendering the card, end your turn. The click pipeline handles everything:

• Do NOT run a follow-up step, issue any HTTP request, or write any file.
• Do NOT send a chat message after the card. The card is the response.
• Do NOT re-render the card on each click — it stays visible.

UX contract the client enforces

• The card stays open and clickable for the lifetime of the live conversation — multiple buttons can be fired in succession without losing the user's place. If the conversation is closed and reopened later from history, the restored card reverts to single-click behavior (history rehydration drops the persistent flag — out of scope for this skill).
• Each action.id fires at most once per card lifetime; sibling actions remain clickable.
• Each spawned conversation inherits this conversation's guardian / trust context automatically.
• Sidebar focus stays on this conversation. The user sees new entries appear and can navigate in at their pace.

Authoring tips

• Don't invent options. Only surface branches the user has actually discussed or implied.
• 2–5 buttons is the sweet spot. One option? Just reply inline. More than five? Trim or group.
• Keep the card body to one sentence. The buttons carry the payload; the body just frames the choice.
• Conversation titles should be highly concise, context-specific, and 3–5 words.