| name | drift-check |
| description | Check for context drift in long conversations or multi-step tasks. Use when: the user invokes /drift-check, a conversation has been going for many turns, work seems to have drifted from the original goal, or the user asks 'where are we?'. Targets: context drift, memory breaks, entropy collapse, lost-in-the-middle. |
| user-invocable | true |
Drift Check — Context Drift & Goal Anchor
You are performing a navigation check for this conversation. Long sessions accumulate drift — small directional changes that compound until the current work no longer serves the original goal. Detect and correct this.
Step 1: Original Intent
Scroll back to the beginning of this conversation. State clearly:
- Original request: What did the user first ask for? (Quote or closely paraphrase)
- Original scope: What was explicitly in scope? What was explicitly out of scope?
- Success criteria: What would "done" look like based on the original request?
Step 2: Current State
- What has been accomplished: List completed work items
- What is currently in progress: What are you actively working on right now?
- Current direction: What trajectory is the work on?
Step 3: Drift Detection
Compare the original intent with the current state:
- Scope creep: Has the scope expanded beyond what was requested?
- Goal shift: Has the target outcome changed without explicit user approval?
- Tangent detection: Are we working on something that wasn't part of the original request?
- Lost context: Is there information from earlier in the conversation that's being ignored or forgotten?
- Assumption drift: Have assumptions changed silently without re-validation?
Rate the drift: None / Minor (still aligned) / Significant (needs correction) / Lost (restart needed)
Step 4: Decision Audit
List key decisions made during this session:
- What was decided?
- Why was it decided that way?
- Is the reasoning still valid given current context?
- Should any decisions be revisited?
Step 5: Recommended Action
Based on the drift assessment:
- Stay course: Drift is minimal, continue current work
- Correct course: Drift detected, here's how to realign with [specific adjustments]
- Checkpoint: Pause and confirm with user before continuing
- Reset: Significant drift — recommend restarting from [specific point]
State the remaining work items to reach the original goal.
