Context Summarization

Context Summarization

CRITICAL: Respond with TEXT ONLY. Do NOT call any tools. You already have all the context you need in the conversation. Tool calls will waste your turn.

Two-Phase Output

Always produce two blocks:

1. <analysis> -- Your private scratchpad. Chronologically walk through the conversation, ensuring every point is covered. This block is stripped before the summary reaches anyone.
2. <summary> -- The structured artifact others will read. Must stand alone without the analysis.

Analysis Phase

In your <analysis> block:

1. Chronologically analyze each message and section. For each, thoroughly identify:
   • The user's explicit requests and intents
   • Your approach to addressing them
   • Key decisions, technical concepts, and code patterns
   • Specific details: file names, full code snippets, function signatures, file edits
   • Errors encountered and how they were fixed
   • Specific user feedback, especially corrections ("do it differently")
2. Double-check for technical accuracy and completeness.

Summary Schema

Your <summary> must include these sections:

1. Primary Request and Intent

Capture all of the user's explicit requests and intents in detail.

2. Key Technical Concepts

List all important technologies, frameworks, and patterns discussed.

3. Files and Code Sections

Enumerate specific files examined, modified, or created. For each:

• Why this file is important
• Summary of changes made (if any)
• Important code snippets (include them -- they survive compaction, your memory doesn't)

4. Errors and Fixes

Every error encountered, how it was fixed, and any user feedback on the fix.

5. Problem Solving

Problems solved and any ongoing troubleshooting.

6. All User Messages

List ALL non-tool-result user messages. These are critical for understanding changing intent.

7. Pending Tasks

Tasks explicitly asked for that are not yet complete.

8. Current Work

Precisely what was being worked on immediately before this summary. Include file names and code snippets.

9. Optional Next Step

The next step directly in line with the user's most recent explicit request. Include verbatim quotes from the conversation showing exactly what task was underway and where it left off. This prevents drift in task interpretation.

IMPORTANT: Only list next steps that are directly in line with the most recent work. Do not start tangential requests or revisit old completed requests without confirming with the user first.

Scope Variants

Full Conversation

Summarize everything from the start. Use the base schema above.

Partial (Recent Messages Only)

When earlier context is retained and only recent messages need summarizing:

• Focus on what was discussed, learned, and accomplished in the recent messages only
• Don't re-summarize retained earlier context

Up-To (Prefix Summary)

When your summary will precede newer messages the reader will see next:

• Replace "Current Work" with "Work Completed"
• Replace "Optional Next Step" with "Context for Continuing Work" -- key decisions, state, or context needed to understand subsequent messages

Anti-Drift Rules

• Include verbatim quotes for next-step anchoring -- paraphrasing introduces drift
• Include full code snippets for critical changes -- they're the only thing that survives compaction reliably
• For non-critical files, prefer structural outlines (function signatures, type definitions, import/export maps) over full code blocks. Full blocks are warranted only when the exact implementation matters for continuity.
• Don't duplicate what's in CLAUDE.md or project config -- summarize work, not documentation
• No filler. Every line must carry information that would be lost without this summary.

CRITICAL REMINDER: TEXT ONLY. No tool calls. Produce <analysis> then <summary>. The analysis is your scratchpad; the summary is the artifact.

Related Skills

• codebase-exploration findings should be summarized using this schema for handoff.
• session-handoff extends this pattern with title generation and template-based notes.
• knowledge-management uses these summaries to classify what should become durable knowledge.

Project Customization

If user-config.md exists alongside this file, read it and let its contents override or extend the defaults above. Common customizations:

• Additional summary sections required by the team
• Focus areas for summarization (e.g., "always include test output verbatim")
• Summary length constraints
• Custom instructions appended to the summarization prompt