| name | ctx-kb-ask |
| description | Q&A grounded in the existing kb. Read-only on prose; refuses to web-jump; if the kb cannot answer, opens a Q-### row in outstanding-questions.md and reports the gap. Writes an ask closeout for the audit trail. |
| allowed-tools | Bash(ctx:*), Bash(ls:*), Read, Edit |
Ask the KB
Answer a question using only what .context/kb/ already contains.
Cite by EV-###. Do not web-jump, do not invent prose, do not
modify topic pages. If the kb cannot answer, open a Q-### row
in .context/kb/outstanding-questions.md and report the gap.
This is the read side of the editorial pipeline. The write side
is /ctx-kb-ingest. Authority for prose synthesis lives there;
this skill is read-only on prose.
Authoritative background reading:
.context/ingest/KB-RULES.md §Authority boundary and
§Evidence discipline; specs/kb-editorial-pipeline.md §Interface.
When to Use
- The user asks "does the kb say...", "according to evidence...",
"what do we know about ", or invokes the explicit slash
form with the question.
- The user wants a citation-backed answer before deciding whether
to ingest more material.
- The user is auditing what is already known versus what is
asserted elsewhere (DECISIONS.md, LEARNINGS.md, conversation).
When NOT to Use
- The user wants new material extracted (use
/ctx-kb-ingest).
- The user wants the kb structurally audited (use
/ctx-kb-site-review).
- The user wants kb claims re-grounded against external sources
(use ).
