| name | scaffold-context |
| description | Author a CONTEXT.md routing file for a specified project subdirectory using the canonical CONTEXT.md anatomy (.claude/rules/context-md-anatomy.md). Use when adding a new high-traffic area whose routing logic the root CLAUDE.md cannot describe economically. Skip for trivial directories. NOT for: editing existing CONTEXT.md files, authoring CLAUDE.md, or documenting project architecture — only new L1 routing files.
|
| auto-activate | true |
scaffold-context
Generate a CONTEXT.md for a specified subdirectory following the canonical anatomy in .claude/rules/context-md-anatomy.md. The skill exists because authoring per-area CONTEXT.md files by hand often produces stubs that violate the anatomy's own constraints — empty Skip columns, vague "Use when needed" triggers, sizes outside the 25-80 line band.
When to fire
User names a subdirectory and requests a CONTEXT.md, with phrasings such as:
- "Author a CONTEXT.md for
src/payments/"
- "scaffold-context for
experiments/2026-05-baseline"
- "Add context routing to
tests/integration/"
Skip if:
- The subdirectory has fewer than ~5 files and one obvious purpose (over-routing).
- The routing is identical to the root CLAUDE.md (CONTEXT.md adds no information).
- The user has not named the target subdirectory and refuses to name one when asked.
Process
- Read
.claude/rules/context-md-anatomy.md if not already in context.
- Walk the target subdirectory: enumerate files, identify workflow boundaries (e.g.,
output/, intermediate/, raw/, tests/), note dominant file types.
- Classify the dominant tasks performed in this area. If unclear from the file inventory, ask the user before drafting — do not invent tasks.
- Ask the user: "What does successful work in this area look like? (One verifiable sentence.)" Include their answer as a
Done looks like: line at the end of "The Process" section in the generated CONTEXT.md.
- Identify which skills (from
.claude/skills/) wire to this area and under what trigger condition. If none, the Skills table can be omitted; do not fill it with placeholders.
- Identify reference files this area should explicitly Skip — older directories, raw data already summarized, sibling areas with overlapping content. The Skip column must be non-empty for at least one task row.
- Draft
<subdir>/CONTEXT.md with all six required sections in this order:
- What this area is (1-2 sentences)
- What to Load (table: Task | Load These | Skip These)
- Folder (this area's directory layout — NOT the project tree)
- The Process (numbered steps for the dominant workflow)
- Skills & Tools (table: Skill/Tool | When | Purpose) — omit entirely if no skills wire here
- What NOT to Do (specific anti-patterns)
- Target 25-80 lines. If the area genuinely needs more, split into multiple CONTEXT.md files for distinct sub-areas rather than bloating one.
- Print the drafted CONTEXT.md to the user as a diff/preview.
- Ask the user to review before writing to disk. On approval, write to
<subdir>/CONTEXT.md.
Must NOT include
- Empty stubs. Anatomy constraint: CONTEXT.md must be 25-80 lines of real content. Stubs invite the model to read them as authoritative when they are not.
- Mirrored content from root CLAUDE.md. If the routing is identical, the subdirectory should not have its own CONTEXT.md.
- Vague "When" triggers. Each Skill row must have a condition like "Before validate runs" or "After every edit to
src/payments/". Triggers like "Available", "Useful for X", "Use when you need" are rejected.
- Folder section that duplicates the project tree. The Folder section is for this area's layout only.
Done looks like
<subdir>/CONTEXT.md exists, between 25 and 80 lines.- All six required sections present (with Skills & Tools optional).
- Skip column non-empty for at least one task row.
- Every Skill row has a non-trivial When trigger.
- "The Process" section ends with a
Done looks like: line from the user.
- The user has acknowledged the draft.
Source
.claude/rules/context-md-anatomy.md (the canonical template this skill operationalizes).
