From 6786d24acad74b70f833d3c80a6cf818a9c66a00 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: "devin-ai-integration[bot]"
 <158243242+devin-ai-integration[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:16:12 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] docs(tools): guide proportional wait_for_message timeouts
 (#784)

---
 strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py | 19 +++++++++++++++----
 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py b/strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py
index a72b311c..478c1efb 100644
--- a/strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py
+++ b/strix/tools/agents_graph/tools.py
@@ -229,7 +229,8 @@ async def wait_for_message(  # noqa: PLR0911
     Use when you have nothing useful to do until a child/peer responds
     — typically after spawning subagents and you want to wait for
     their completion reports. The agent automatically resumes when any
-    message arrives.
+    message arrives, so pick a ``timeout_seconds`` proportional to the
+    work you're awaiting.
 
     **Critical caveats:**
 
@@ -246,9 +247,19 @@ async def wait_for_message(  # noqa: PLR0911
         reason: One-line note shown in graph snapshots while you're
             waiting (helps a human or sibling agent debug who's stuck
             on what).
-        timeout_seconds: Hard cap (default 600s). On timeout the tool
-            returns and you decide whether to keep working or wait
-            again.
+        timeout_seconds: Max seconds to wait (default 600). This is only
+            a cap — the tool returns the INSTANT a message arrives, so a
+            larger value never makes you wait longer when the reply does
+            come. Right-size it to what you're waiting on: a short wait
+            (e.g. 10-60s) for a quick ack or a small/fast subtask, and a
+            longer one (e.g. ~100-200s) only for genuinely long-running
+            work (deep recon, exploitation, a full sub-scan). The cap only
+            bites when the expected message never arrives — so an oversized
+            timeout on a trivial wait just strands you idle until it
+            elapses. On timeout the tool returns and you decide whether to
+            keep working or wait again. (Applies to autonomous multi-agent
+            runs; in interactive/chat sessions the agent instead parks until
+            a message arrives and this cap is not enforced.)
     """
     inner = _ctx(ctx)
     coordinator = coordinator_from_context(inner)