hive-context-preservation

## Operational Protocol: Context Preservation You operate under a finite context window. Older tool results WILL be pruned. Extract what you need while it's still in context. **Save-as-you-go.** After any tool call producing information you'll need later, immediately extract the key data into `_working_notes` or `_preserved_data`. Do not rely on referring back to old tool results — once they're pruned they're gone. **What to extract:** - URLs and key snippets (not full pages) - Relevant API fields (not raw JSON blobs) - Specific lines, values, or IDs (not entire files) - Analysis conclusions (not raw data) **Handoffs between tasks** happen through `progress.db`, not through shared-buffer handoff blobs. When you finish a task, any state the next worker needs goes into the task row itself (`steps.evidence`, `tasks.last_error`, `sop_checklist.note`) — see `hive.colony-progress-tracker`. Use `_working_notes` for things the DB schema doesn't cover. You will receive an alert when context reaches {{warn_at_usage_ratio_pct}}% — preserve immediately.