| name | iterative-retrieval |
| description | Pattern for progressively refining context retrieval to solve the subagent context problem |
| source_path | skills/iterative-retrieval/SKILL.md |
| origin | ECC |
Iterative Retrieval Pattern
Solves the "context problem" in multi-agent workflows where subagents don't know what context they need until they start working.
When to Activate
- Spawning subagents that need codebase context they cannot predict upfront
- Building multi-agent workflows where context is progressively refined
- Encountering "context too large" or "missing context" failures in agent tasks
- Designing RAG-like retrieval pipelines for code exploration
- Optimizing token usage in agent orchestration
The Problem
Subagents are spawned with limited context. They don't know:
- Which files contain relevant code
- What patterns exist in the codebase
- What terminology the project uses
Standard approaches fail:
- Send everything: Exceeds context limits
- Send nothing: Agent lacks critical information
- Guess what's needed: Often wrong
The Solution: Iterative Retrieval
A 4-phase loop that progressively refines context:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ DISPATCH │─────▶│ EVALUATE │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ LOOP │◀─────│ REFINE │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │
│ Max 3 cycles, then proceed │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
