Optimize Agent Context

Enforce the Band-Aid Philosophy: an agent context file should only contain rules that fix mistakes the agent is actively making. Everything else is bloat that degrades performance and increases cost.

Core Rules (Non-Negotiable)

• NO BLOAT — Never include directory structures, file trees, dependency lists, or package inventories. The agent has tools to discover these.

• NO SUMMARIES — Never include vague app descriptions ("This is a video sharing app"). This distracts the model and triggers hallucinations.

• ONLY FIX KNOWN FAILURES — Every line must correct a specific, observed agent mistake or enforce an architectural constraint the agent cannot guess.

• USE NEGATIVE CONSTRAINTS — When the agent uses the wrong tool/library, explicitly state what NOT to use, then what TO use.

• BE MINIMAL — Target under 20 lines. Bullet points preferred. If a rule can be removed without the agent breaking, remove it.

Why This Matters

Studies show bloated, AI-generated context files:

• Degrade agent performance by ~3%

• Increase token costs by 20%+

• Trigger hallucinations by surfacing legacy code the agent then tries to use ("pink elephants" effect)

Workflow

Mode A: Create New Agent File (Interview)

When the user wants to create a new context file from scratch:

Ask these questions one at a time (do not dump all at once):

• "What specific mistakes has the AI agent been making repeatedly?" (e.g., wrong imports, forgetting to format, modifying wrong files)

• "Are there legacy tools/libraries the agent keeps using but shouldn't?" (e.g., "We have Redux but use Zustand for new features")

• "Any build/test/env quirks the agent can't figure out on its own?" (e.g., special env vars, non-standard test commands)

Synthesize answers into a ruthlessly minimal bulleted markdown file.

Validate the output against the Core Rules above. Strip anything that violates them.

Present the file and ask: "Does this capture the mistakes? Anything to add or remove?"

Mode B: Audit Existing Agent File

When the user has an existing agent.md / claude.md / cursorrules and wants it optimized:

• Read the file using view_file .

• Classify every line into one of:

• ✅ KEEP — Fixes a known failure or states an ungessable constraint

• ❌ BLOAT — Directory trees, dependency lists, file structures

• ❌ SUMMARY — Vague app descriptions, project overviews

• ❌ OBVIOUS — Things the agent can discover via tools (package.json, tsconfig, etc.)

• ⚠️ MAYBE — Potentially useful but needs user confirmation

• Present the audit as a table showing each section and its classification.

• Generate the optimized version with only ✅ KEEP and confirmed ⚠️ MAYBE lines.

• Show before/after line count to demonstrate the reduction.

Mode C: Add a Band-Aid

When the user reports a specific agent mistake mid-session:

• Ask: "What did the agent do wrong?"

• Write a single, precise negative constraint: Do NOT [wrong thing]. Instead, [correct thing].

• Suggest appending it to the existing context file.

Output Format

The generated file should follow this structure:

Agent Rules

• [Negative constraint or correction]
• [Negative constraint or correction]
• [Build/test quirk]
• [Architectural constraint]

No headers beyond the title. No explanations. No examples. Just rules.

Anti-Patterns to Reject

If the user or another agent tries to include any of these, push back:

Anti-Pattern Why It's Bad

Folder tree / file structure Agent has list_dir and find_by_name

Dependency list Agent reads package.json / requirements.txt

"This app is a..." summary Distracts model, triggers hallucination

Tech stack overview Agent reads config files

Code style rules already in linter config Redundant — linter enforces these

Long code examples Bloats context, agent writes its own code