| name | salience-splitter |
| description | Splits an over-loaded always-loaded context asset — a SKILL.md, CLAUDE.md, or memory index — into a lean always-loaded layer + an on-demand layer, using a governance-semantic criterion (not length, but when the content is needed), connected by imperative pointers. Based on paper §9.5 Protocol-Priority Split pattern. Diagnoses, classifies, splits, and verifies in one pass. Renamed from skill-splitter (old name still routes here). Triggers: "SKILL.md too large", "split this skill", "skill is bloated", "skill file too long", "CLAUDE.md 너무 커". |
salience-splitter — Governance-Semantic Context Split
Renamed from skill-splitter (2026-07-05). Old-name references still route here. The rename reflects
the generalized scope: the split criterion applies to any always-loaded context asset — a SKILL.md,
a CLAUDE.md, or a memory index — not only skills. The label now names the substance (salience-tiering of
always-loaded context), not one instance of it. Dogfood: applied to a memory index 2026-07-05.
An always-loaded asset that holds everything in one layer is not simple — it is unscoped.
The goal is a lean always-loaded layer + an on-demand layer, not one file and its appendix.
Scope (all three share one criterion — salience: what must be in attention every load):
- SKILL.md → always-loaded SKILL.md + on-demand
SKILL_detail.md
- CLAUDE.md → lean rules + on-demand detail docs (imperative
> **Detail**: See … pointers)
- memory index → hot
MEMORY.md + on-demand MEMORY_archive.md (cold/closed/superseded entries)
Trigger Phrases
| Phrase | Situation |
|---|
| "this skill is getting too long", "trim the skill", "split this SKILL.md" | Direct split request |
| "context-doctor flagged this skill", "SKILL.md is bloated" | Post-diagnosis split |
| "I can't see the key parts", "too much detail in the skill file" | Readability problem |
| "separate the bash from the logic", "move the templates out" | Structural refactor request |
/salience-splitter | Explicit invocation |
Core Principle — Governance-Semantic Criterion
The split criterion is NOT length. It is: when does this content need to be in memory?
| Layer | When needed | Examples |
|---|
| SKILL.md (always-loaded) | Every invocation — session boundaries, trigger recognition, step overview, decision tables | Triggers, principles, step names + criteria, key decision tables, Done When |
| SKILL_detail.md (on-demand) | Only when executing a specific step | Bash scripts, format templates, edge cases, step-by-step execution detail |
Behavioral rules stay in SKILL.md — if a rule governs what counts (e.g. "these patterns = closed"), it is behavioral logic and must be always-loaded regardless of length.
One test: "If a consumer agent had only SKILL.md, could they recognize the trigger, understand the full step sequence, and make the key decisions?" → Yes = correct split. No = something behavioral is missing from SKILL.md.
Step Overview
Step 1 — Diagnose
Read target SKILL.md → classify every section as Always / On-demand / Ambiguous
→ Produce classification table
Step 2 — Draft SKILL.md (trimmed)
Keep: triggers · principles · step names + one-line criteria · decision tables · Done When
Remove: bash scripts · format templates · multi-step execution detail · edge case catalogs
Add: imperative pointer for each removed section → SKILL_detail.md §SectionName
Step 3 — Draft SKILL_detail.md
One ## §SectionName header per pointer in SKILL.md
Move removed content under its section
Front-matter: name, description, load: on-demand
Step 4 — Verify
phantom-quench: every §pointer in SKILL.md resolves to ## §SectionName in SKILL_detail.md
sim-conductor Area D-skill: consumer agent with SKILL.md only → must reach grade F
→ Any pointer mismatch or grade P/B → fix before commit
Detail: See SKILL_detail.md §Verification-Checklist — pre-commit checklist table (8 checks) — read when running Step 4 verification.
Detail: See SKILL_detail.md §Split-Execution — step-by-step trimming procedure, SKILL_detail.md front-matter format, orphan-section check — read when executing Steps 2–3.
Detail: See SKILL_detail.md §Classification — ambiguous content decision algorithm, behavioral-vs-implementation test, 12 annotated examples — read when unsure which layer a section belongs to.
Imperative Pointer Format (required)
Pointers must be imperative (not advisory). The difference:
| Form | Risk |
|---|
Advisory: "see SKILL_detail.md for details" | Consumer agent may skip |
Imperative: "> **Detail**: See \SKILL_detail.md §` — [what's there] — read when [specific condition]."` | Consumer agent loads on trigger |
Every removed section must have exactly one imperative pointer at the point of removal in SKILL.md.
Detail: See SKILL_detail.md §Pointers — pointer format variants, multi-pointer blocks, pointer placement rules — read when writing pointers.
Target Selection
Run on a SKILL.md when any one of:
- context-doctor flags the file as oversized
- SKILL.md exceeds ~300 lines
- sim-conductor Area D-skill grades P or B (cold-start fails)
- Consumer agent reports "could not proceed — too much detail before step 1"
Not a target: SKILL.md that has no bash scripts, format templates, or multi-step execution detail. Splitting a file with only behavioral content adds structure without governance value.
Connected Skills
| Situation | Skill |
|---|
| Diagnose which SKILL.md files are candidates | /context-doctor or /harness-doctor |
| Verify §pointer grounding after split | /phantom-quench |
| Verify cold-start still works after split | /sim-conductor D skill <name> |
| Check new SKILL_detail.md for phantom claims | /phantom-quench |
| Adversarial review of the split result | /steel-quench |
Done When
Step 1 classification table produced
+ SKILL.md trimmed: triggers · principles · step overview · decision tables · Done When retained
+ SKILL.md has imperative pointer for every removed section (> **Detail**: See SKILL_detail.md §<X>)
+ SKILL_detail.md created: ## §SectionName header for every pointer in SKILL.md
+ phantom-quench: 0 phantoms (all §pointers resolve)
→ Fallback (skill unavailable): run §Verification-Checklist manually from SKILL_detail.md
+ sim-conductor Area D-skill: grade F (consumer completes core task from SKILL.md alone)
→ Fallback (skill unavailable): manually confirm "trigger → step overview → key decision → Done When" all present in SKILL.md
Not done: SKILL_detail.md has a §section with no pointer from SKILL.md (orphan section).
Not done: Consumer agent grade P/B after split — a behavioral rule was moved to SKILL_detail.md when it should have stayed.
Not done: Any behavioral rule present only in SKILL_detail.md.
