For agents: an index of these docs is at /docs/llms.txt, and this page as markdown is at /docs/roles.md.

Roles

The six main roles, the supporting roles that run when needed, and why each one is a separate run with its own rules.

Dobby has six main roles, plus supporting roles that run when needed. Each is a separate Claude Code run with its own rules, model and tools.

A role cannot do another role's job. The Tester cannot change code, and the builder cannot merge.

dobby role show builder

The Team page in the dashboard shows the same rules. Role files use the short names in the table.

The six main roles

Role	Short name	Does
Engineering Manager	`lead`	Queues up to 3 backlog tickets per run and writes up to 3 new ones.
Builder	`builder`	Writes one ticket's change on its own branch, in the sandbox.
Tester	`checker`	Checks the work against the done-when line. Reads files only.
Code Reviewer	`reviewer`	Reviews every pull request Dobby opens.
Product Manager	`product-manager`	Ranks problems against your goals and writes specs for large tickets.
Chief of Staff	`chief-of-staff`	Sends a brief every morning and evening.

Plans the work. For a new project, it lets you choose which first tickets to queue.

Has no network and no credentials. For some tickets it works as a web, mobile or backend engineer.

Tries to find why a change should not pass, before the review. On UI tickets it can take Playwright screenshots.

Posts findings on GitHub. It reviews your pull requests too when you ask. See Review commands in a PR.

Turns problems into idea cards. You turn an idea into a ticket or drop it.

The brief says what needs you, what shipped and what is building.

Role	Does
Designer	Writes the screen spec for a UI ticket.
Onboarder	Reads a new project and writes its rules, tickets and ideas.
Front Desk	Answers your chat messages and proposes actions.
Program Manager	Checks a finished program of tickets against its plan.
Product Manager (one area)	Digs into one product area.
Brainstorm	Talks an idea through with you. It never builds.
Company	Turns your notes into work rules for every agent.
Engineer (web, mobile, backend)	The builder's specialties.

Once a day it picks one role and looks for skills and rules that would improve it. Any change it makes arrives as a pull request.

Turn it off with scout.enabled in the configuration.