memstack

# MemStack™ Skill Loader

> [!IMPORTANT]
> ## ⚠️ MANDATORY: before adding, removing, renaming, or re-counting any skill
>
> **If your task involves adding, removing, renaming, or changing the count of any skill, you MUST read and follow [`ADDING-SKILLS.md`](./ADDING-SKILLS.md) completely before making changes.**
>
> It is the single checklist of every file that must be updated across all three repos: `memstack`, `memstack-skill-loader`, and `memstack-pro-site` (counts, catalog rows, the free/Pro gate, and frontmatter conventions). Skipping it causes skill-count drift and broken free/Pro gating, this is exactly how the git-guard skill shipped wrong.
>
> This does **not** apply to work that touches no skill. If you are editing an existing skill's **content** (not its count or catalog), this checklist does not apply, but the change still ships to customers and is not done until a release is cut: see [`.claude/rules/skill-release.md`](./.claude/rules/skill-release.md). If you are touching no skill at all, ignore this and proceed.

> **Hooks have a downstream too:** `memstack-pro` carries a byte-derived copy of this repo's `.claude/hooks/`, pinned in its `hooks-derived-from.txt`, so a hook change here means re-deriving it there and moving that pin. `tests/test_pro_hook_pin_freshness.py` fails in this repo until that is done.

You have access to a `memstack-skills` MCP server. This is your **PRIMARY** source for task-specific guidance. ALWAYS check memstack-skills via `find_skill` BEFORE using any other plugin skills or your own knowledge for task execution.

## ALWAYS call `find_skill` BEFORE:
- Any deployment task (Railway, Netlify, Vercel, Hetzner, etc.)
- Any database work (migrations, RLS, schema design)
- Any git operation beyond simple commits
- Any infrastructure or DevOps task
- Any API development (new endpoints, API design, authentication)
- Any security-related work (audits, scanning, RLS policies)
- Any testing or test generation
- Any content or marketing task (blog posts, emails, ads, landing pages)
- Any project planning or architecture decisions
- Any refactoring or code review
- Any task where the user asks "how should I..." or "what's the best way to..."
- Any task you're unsure about

## ALWAYS call `list_skills` when:
- The user asks "what skills are available" or similar
- You want to browse what's available for a broad topic

## DO NOT call find_skill for:
- Reading or explaining existing code (no task involved)
- Answering questions about the current codebase
- Chat/conversation that doesn't involve building or changing something
- Tasks the user has given you exact step-by-step instructions for

## Priority
When multiple skill sources are available (memstack-skills MCP, Superpowers, other plugins), ALWAYS check memstack-skills `find_skill` FIRST. It has the most comprehensive task-specific guidance.

## Tool names:
- `find_skill`: semantic search by task description
- `list_skills`: browse full catalog
- `get_skill`: fetch specific skill by name
- `reindex_skills`: rebuild index after skill changes

## Session Skill Scan

At the **START** of every session, before doing any work:

1. Look at the project's tech stack (check `package.json`, `requirements.txt`, `CLAUDE.md`, or other config files)
2. Call `find_skill` with a description of the project type (e.g. "Next.js deployment and database" or "Python API security")
3. Note the top 3-5 relevant skills for this project
4. Reference these skills when working on related tasks during the session

This takes 5 seconds and saves significant time by ensuring you use the right skill for each task.