context-audit

# Usage Audit Bloated context costs more and produces worse output. This skill finds the waste and tells you what to cut. ## Step 1: Get /context Data Check the conversation history for /context output. If the user already ran /context in this session, use that data. If not, ask: "Run /context in this session terminal and let me know when you're done. I can't run slash commands myself, but once I can see the breakdown I'll audit everything it flags." STOP HERE. Do NOT proceed to Step 2 until the user has ran /context. The context breakdown determines what to audit and in what order. Without it, the audit is guessing. Output the message above and wait for the user's next message. ## Step 2: Audit What's Bloated Based on the /context output, audit each category from largest to smallest. Run checks in parallel where possible. ### MCP Servers Each server loads full tool definitions into context every turn (~15,000-20,000 tokens each). - Count configured servers from settings.json - Flag any with CLI alternatives (Playwright, Google Workspace, GitHub all have CLIs that cost zero tokens when idle) - Report total MCP overhead from /context output ### CLAUDE.md Read all CLAUDE.md files (project root, .claude/, ~/.claude/). Count lines. Then read every rule and test against five filters: | Filter | Flag when... | |--------|-------------| | Default | Claude already does this without being told ("write clean code", "handle errors") | | Contradiction | Conflicts with another rule in same or different file | | Redundancy | Repeats something already covered elsewhere | | Bandaid | Added to fix one bad output, not improve outputs generally | | Vague | Interpreted differently every time ("be natural", "use good tone") | If total CLAUDE.md lines > 200, check for progressive disclosure opportunities: rules that only apply to specific tasks (API conventions, deployment steps, testing guidelines) should move to reference files with one-line pointers. Only recommend splitting when the file is actually bloated -- a lean CLAUDE.md with universal context is fine as a single file. ### Skills Scan .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md. For each skill: - Count lines (flag > 200, critical > 500) - Run the same five filters on instructions - Check for restated goals, hedging ("you may want to"), synonymous instructions ("be concise" + "keep it short" + "don't be verbose") ### Settings Check settings.json for: | Setting | Flag if | Recommended | |---------|---------|-------------| | autocompact_percentage_override | Missing or > 80 | 75 | | BASH_MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH (env) | At default (30-50K) | 150000 | ### Hooks Check settings.json for `hooks` configuration. For each hook: - Flag hooks that run slow commands (network calls, heavy builds) - Flag hooks with no timeout configured - Check if any hook runs on high-frequency events (e.g., every tool call) where latency compounds ### Memory Files Glob `~/.claude/projects/*/memory/*.md`. For each memory directory: - Count total files and estimate total lines - Flag stale memories (check if referenced project paths still exist) - Flag memories > 50 lines (memories should be concise pointers, not docs) - Flag memory directories with > 20 files (index bloat) ### .claudeignore Check if `.claudeignore` exists in the project root. If missing and the project has large generated/indexed directories, recommend creating one. Key patterns to check for: - Large data directories (fixtures, seeds, dumps) - Generated docs (typedoc, javadoc, storybook-static) - Monorepo packages the user isn't actively working on ### File Permissions Check settings.json for `permissions.deny` rules. If missing, check whether bloat directories exist in the project: | If this exists... | Should deny... | |-------------------|---------------| | .git | .git | | package.json | node_modules, dist, build, .next, .nuxt, .cache, coverage | | Cargo.toml | target | | go.mod | vendor | | pyproject.toml / requirements.txt | __pycache__, .venv, *.egg-info | ## Step 3: Score and Report Score starts at 100. Deduct per issue: | Issue | Points | |-------|--------| | CLAUDE.md > 200 lines | -10 | | CLAUDE.md > 500 lines | -20 | | Per 5 rules flagged by filters | -5 | | Contradictions between files | -10 | | Missing autocompact override | -10 | | Missing bash output override | -5 | | Skill > 200 lines | -5 each | | Skill > 500 lines | -10 each | | Per MCP server | -3 each | | No deny rules + bloat dirs exist | -10 | | Hook with no timeout on frequent event | -5 each | | Stale or oversized memory files | -5 | | Memory directory > 20 files | -5 | | Missing .claudeignore + large dirs exist | -5 | Floor at 0. Output this format: ``` # Usage Audit Score: {N}/100 [{CLEAN|NEEDS WORK|BLOATED|CRITICAL}] ## Context Breakdown (from /context) {Paste the key numbers from /context output} ## Issues Found ### [{CRITICAL|WARNING|INFO}] {Category} {What's wrong} Fix: {One-line actionable fix} ### Rules to Cut {Each flagged rule: the text, which filter, one-line reason} ### Conflicts {Contradictions between files, with paths} ## Top 3 Fixes 1. {Highest-impact fix} 2. {Second} 3. {Third} ``` Score labels: 90-100 CLEAN, 70-89 NEEDS WORK, 50-69 BLOATED, 0-49 CRITICAL. Severity: CRITICAL > 10pts, WARNING 5-10pts, INFO < 5pts. ## Step 4: Offer to Fix After the report: "Want me to fix any of these? I can: - Show you a cleaned-up CLAUDE.md with the flagged rules removed - Add the missing settings.json configs - Add permissions.deny rules for build artifacts - Add timeouts to hooks missing them - Clean up stale memory files - Generate a .claudeignore for this project - Show which skills to compress" Auto-apply settings.json and permissions.deny (safe, reversible). Show diffs for CLAUDE.md and skills -- let the user confirm before modifying instruction files.