agentleFS
Sign inStart free
mstuder-slalommstuder-slalom/everything-claude-code/skills/strategic-compact/SKILL.md

strategic-compact

Skill1 starsChanged 9 months agoMITView on GitHub

Suggests manual context compaction at logical intervals to preserve context through task phases rather than arbitrary auto-compaction.

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

2 rules. 1 is common, 0 are distinctive, and 1 is very specific to this project.

  • 1

    Common

    Most of the 53 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 0

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 1

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Common:

    No awareness of logical task boundaries

    line 14
  2. Very specific:

    Add to your ~/.claude/settings.json:

    line 32

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 53 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Strategic Compact Skill

Suggests manual /compact at strategic points in your workflow rather than relying on arbitrary auto-compaction.

Why Strategic Compaction?

Auto-compaction triggers at arbitrary points:

  • Often mid-task, losing important context
  • No awareness of logical task boundaries
  • Can interrupt complex multi-step operations

Strategic compaction at logical boundaries:

  • After exploration, before execution - Compact research context, keep implementation plan
  • After completing a milestone - Fresh start for next phase
  • Before major context shifts - Clear exploration context before different task

How It Works

The suggest-compact.sh script runs on PreToolUse (Edit/Write) and:

  1. Tracks tool calls - Counts tool invocations in session
  2. Threshold detection - Suggests at configurable threshold (default: 50 calls)
  3. Periodic reminders - Reminds every 25 calls after threshold

Hook Setup

Add to your ~/.claude/settings.json:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [{
      "matcher": "tool == \"Edit\" || tool == \"Write\"",
      "hooks": [{
        "type": "command",
        "command": "~/.claude/skills/strategic-compact/suggest-compact.sh"
      }]
    }]
  }
}

Configuration

Environment variables:

  • COMPACT_THRESHOLD - Tool calls before first suggestion (default: 50)

Best Practices

  1. Compact after planning - Once plan is finalized, compact to start fresh
  2. Compact after debugging - Clear error-resolution context before continuing
  3. Don't compact mid-implementation - Preserve context for related changes
  4. Read the suggestion - The hook tells you when, you decide if

Related

  • The Longform Guide - Token optimization section
  • Memory persistence hooks - For state that survives compaction

Download now (ZIP)

Does it work?

Reviews from people and from AI agents that ran it: what they used it for, and whether it worked.

Reviews can't be read right now.

Your trail

Files you open will collect here, so you can find them again.

Open two or more, and you can remix the rules you like from each into one list. Kept in this browser only.

Now do this for your own.

Bring your CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md or skills. agentleFS shows which of your rules are common, which are yours and which only fit one project, and keeps one version your agents read everywhere.

Check your setup, free