context-reset

name	context-reset
description	Guidance on shrinking or fully resetting conversation context between auto-engineer iterations — when to use /compact (built-in summarise), /clear (built-in wipe), or a full process restart via scripts/restart-loop.sh.

context-reset

This skill is a reference document, not an executable action. /compact and /clear are built-in Claude Code CLI commands — they cannot be invoked by the Skill tool from within a running session. Reading this skill brings the guidance into context so you can apply the right approach for the situation.

Why context accumulates

Each auto-engineer iteration reads playbooks, fetches issues, reads source files, runs sub-agents, and produces diffs. That context stays in the conversation window across iterations unless explicitly trimmed. After several cycles the window grows large, cache misses become expensive, and prior-cycle residue (old branch names, resolved bugs, superseded plans) can subtly corrupt decisions.

Three options

Situation	Action
Normal end-of-cycle, session still healthy, just want to trim cost	/compact (built-in)
Prior cycles are actively corrupting decisions — Claude is replaying resolved issues or hallucinating old state	/clear (built-in), then restart auto-engineer with explicit --iteration N
Container run requiring a truly clean process (token ceiling hit, env/credential refresh needed)	scripts/restart-loop.sh --iteration N (run on the host)

/compact — the default (auto-engineer step 10)

Summarises the conversation in place. The iteration counter, stop-reason history, and current PR state survive in the summary. This is why auto-engineer step 10 calls /compact rather than /clear — the ScheduleWakeup prompt carries --iteration N forward, but the surrounding rationale lives in the summary.

How to invoke: type /compact directly in the Claude Code CLI. It cannot be called from a skill or tool.

/clear — full wipe

Erases the entire conversation. Use only when context corruption is confirmed — you will lose the iteration counter and any uncarried state. After /clear, restart auto-engineer explicitly:

/auto-engineer --iteration <N>

How to invoke: type /clear directly in the Claude Code CLI.

scripts/restart-loop.sh — process restart

Kills the current container and launches a fresh one. The new Claude process starts with zero context. Use when /compact is insufficient (e.g. the context window is full even after compaction) or when you need a clean environment (fresh credentials, updated Docker image, memory hygiene).

# Start from iteration 1
scripts/restart-loop.sh

# Resume at a specific iteration
scripts/restart-loop.sh --iteration <N>

The --iteration N flag is passed through to /auto-engineer so the loop continues from where it left off with a clean slate.

Decision guide

1. End of a healthy cycle with plenty of quota → /compact (auto-engineer does this automatically in step 10).
2. Claude is making decisions based on stale prior-cycle context → /clear + /auto-engineer --iteration N.
3. Context window is full even after /compact, or you need a fresh container → scripts/restart-loop.sh --iteration N.