optimizing-context

name	optimizing-context
description	Audits and optimizes context, memory, and skill use for projects. Reviews CLAUDE.md files, .claude/rules/, and skill configurations for efficiency. Use when context feels bloated, skills aren't triggering correctly, or memory needs organization.
allowed-tools	Read, Glob, WebFetch, Write

Optimizing Context

Audit and optimize how context, memory, and skills are configured.

When to Use

• Context window feels cluttered or inefficient
• Skills aren't triggering as expected
• CLAUDE.md or rules need review
• Starting a new project and setting up memory
• Periodic maintenance of existing configurations

Audit Process

1. Inventory - List all memory files and skills
2. Review - Check each for conciseness and relevance
3. Identify - Find redundancy, verbosity, or gaps
4. Recommend - Suggest specific optimizations
5. Implement - Apply changes with user approval

What to Check

Component	Location	Look For
Project memory	CLAUDE.md	Verbosity, outdated info, missing essentials
Local memory	CLAUDE.local.md	Personal prefs that should be global
Rules	.claude/rules/*.md	Overlap, poor organization, missing globs
Skills	.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md	Unclear descriptions, excessive content
User memory	~/.claude/CLAUDE.md	Project-specific content that doesn't belong

Key Principles

• Concise is key - Every token competes for context space
• Progressive disclosure - Link to details, don't inline everything
• One level deep - Avoid nested file references
• Specific descriptions - Skills need clear triggers in descriptions

Reference Documentation

For detailed guidance, visit these pages:

• Memory management: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory
• Skill authoring: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/best-practices
• Claude Code best practices: https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices

Audit Report Format

Context Audit: [project name]
Date: [date]

Memory Files:
- [file]: [status] - [notes]

Skills:
- [skill]: [status] - [notes]

Issues Found:
1. [issue] → [recommendation]

Optimizations Applied:
- [change made]