| name | context-gather |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| model | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
| description | Gather comprehensive context from Forgetful Memory, Context7 docs, DeepWiki, and web sources before planning or implementation. Follows the exploring-knowledge-graph skill to search across all knowledge tiers and returns a focused summary with a parseable CONTEXT_LOADED marker for downstream skip detection. Use when you say "gather context before planning", "what do we know before I start". Do NOT use for compressing or placing skill text (use context-optimizer). |
| license | MIT |
Context Gather
Collect multi-source context before planning or implementation. Searches Forgetful Memory, Serena, Context7, DeepWiki, and web sources, then returns a focused summary that downstream commands can detect and skip redundant fetches.
Model choice (behavior change from prior /context-gather slash command): this skill declares model: claude-sonnet-4-6, downgraded from the slash command's opus. Context retrieval is search-and-synthesis work, not deep reasoning; the cost-appropriate tier per ADR-002 model selection is sonnet. Skill behavior is otherwise unchanged.
Triggers
| Phrase | Context |
|---|
gather context for | User requests pre-work context collection |
context-gather | Direct skill invocation or programmatic call from build, plan, research commands (SPEC-005) |
what do we know about | Exploratory context retrieval |
Quick Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Input | Task description or technology topic (free text) |
| Output | Focused summary with code snippets, architectural insights, and CONTEXT_LOADED: <topic> marker |
| Quality Gate | Summary addresses the stated topic; at least one queried tier reconciled (short-circuit and early-stop exempt); marker line present |
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- Starting a complex task that needs multi-source context before planning or implementation.
- A lifecycle command (
/build, /plan, /research) triggers preflight context loading.
- You need to pull framework-specific guidance from Context7 alongside project memory.
- Exploring what the knowledge graph knows about a topic before committing to an approach.
When to Skip
Skip this skill when:
- A
CONTEXT_LOADED: <topic> marker for the same topic already exists in the current conversation. Do not re-fetch.
- The task is trivial and single-step (no external context needed).
- You already have sufficient context from a prior skill invocation or manual research.
- The topic is purely internal to the current file (no cross-cutting concerns).
Process
Phase 1: Check for Prior Invocation
- Scan the current conversation for an existing
CONTEXT_LOADED: marker line.
- If a marker exists whose topic matches the current request, report "Context already loaded for " and stop. Do not re-fetch.
Phase 2: Search Across Knowledge Tiers
Follow the exploring-knowledge-graph
skill for the five-source strategy, the untrusted-content guard, and the
synthesis and citation discipline (see its
references/context-retrieval.md).
- Search the following tiers, in parallel where possible:
- Forgetful Memory: Search across ALL projects for relevant patterns, decisions, and code artifacts.
- Serena Memory: Read linked entities, observations, and relations for the topic.
- Context7: Query framework-specific documentation if the topic involves a known library or SDK.
- DeepWiki: Read repository-level documentation for relevant GitHub repos.
- Web Search: Fall back to web sources only when memory and docs are insufficient.
- Stop early once the queried tiers give sufficient coverage for the request.
- For each tier actually queried, emit a marker line:
TIER_QUERIED: <tier>
Where <tier> is one of: forgetful, serena, context7, deepwiki, web. Emit one TIER_QUERIED: line per tier actually queried.
Phase 3: Synthesize, Emit Marker, and Return
- Combine findings into a focused summary. Include:
- Relevant code snippets and file paths.
- Architectural insights and ADR references.
- Framework-specific guidance (if applicable).
- Gaps or unknowns that remain.
- Emit the marker line at the end of the summary output:
CONTEXT_LOADED: <topic>
Where <topic> is a short, normalized label for the subject (e.g., pytest-fixtures, session-protocol, react-server-components).
- Return the summary and marker to the calling command or user. Downstream callers (
/build, /plan, /research per SPEC-005) detect the marker and skip redundant context fetches.
Extension Points
- Additional knowledge tiers: new MCP servers (e.g., a future code-search server) slot into Phase 2 without changing the skill structure.
- Marker protocol: the
CONTEXT_LOADED: format can be extended with metadata (e.g., CONTEXT_LOADED: <topic> [tier=serena,context7]) to convey which sources were queried.
Tools
This skill searches the knowledge tiers using:
mcp__forgetful__execute_forgetful_tool
mcp__serena__read_memory, mcp__serena__list_memories
mcp__context7__resolve-library-id, mcp__context7__get-library-docs
mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_structure, mcp__deepwiki__read_wiki_contents, mcp__deepwiki__ask_question
WebSearch, WebFetch
Anti-Patterns
| Avoid | Why | Instead |
|---|
| Re-fetching when marker exists | Wastes tokens and time; duplicates context | Check for CONTEXT_LOADED: marker first |
| Querying all sources sequentially | Slow; unnecessary when early sources suffice | Query in parallel; stop early if coverage is sufficient |
| Returning raw tool output | Floods context window; not actionable | Synthesize into a focused summary with citations |
| Skipping the marker emission | Downstream commands cannot detect prior invocation | Always emit CONTEXT_LOADED: <topic> at the end |
| Using opus model for retrieval | Context gathering is search and synthesis, not deep reasoning | Use sonnet (cost-appropriate) |
Verification
After execution, confirm:
References
| Artifact | Relationship |
|---|
| SPEC-005 REQ-005 | Acceptance criteria AC-12 defines runtime-conditional skip via CONTEXT_LOADED: marker |
| SPEC-005 DESIGN-005 | Per-command edit specs reference context-gather as preflight dependency |
.claude/skills/reflect/SKILL.md | Downstream consumer that may benefit from context loaded in this skill |
.claude/skills/steering-matcher/SKILL.md | Sibling preflight skill in the /build chain |
.claude/skills/chestertons-fence/SKILL.md | Sibling preflight skill in the /build chain |