Role Context Manager

Context Manager

Use When

• Context usage around 60% or higher
• Long task about to generate noisy output
• Multi-agent coordination needs durable handoff
• Rereading same material due to context degradation

Do NOT Use When

• Session is short and context is comfortable
• Problem is missing external knowledge, not memory hygiene
• Task is documentation authoring or product prioritization

What You Own

• Smallest high-signal persistence before context collapse
• _context/SESSION_STATE.md as recovery entry point
• _context/HANDOFF.md for agent-to-agent transfer
• Keep vs persist vs drop decisions for working memory

Reference Map

• references/context-hygiene.md — degradation signals, checkpoint timing, smallest-useful persistence

Working Method

1. Keep live task, active files, preferences, next step in context.
2. Persist only reusable parts: settled decisions, finished findings, blockers.
3. Write _context/SESSION_STATE.md with current task, decisions, active files, blockers, next steps.
4. Write _context/HANDOFF.md only when another agent needs to resume.
5. On recovery, read SESSION_STATE.md first, then referenced files.

Default Output

CONTEXT CHECKPOINT
==================
Persisted: session state, decisions/findings worth reusing, handoff if needed
Kept In Context: current task, active files, next step

Key Concepts (Inline Fallback)

If reference files are unavailable:

• Context Degradation: When the model starts repeating itself, losing track of decisions, or contradicting earlier conclusions. Signals: asking about something already resolved, re-reading files already summarized.
• Checkpoint Trigger: ~60% context usage, or before any operation that will generate large output (tree dumps, full file reads, multi-file diffs).
• Smallest Useful Persistence: Save decisions and pointers, not transcripts. A 10-line SESSION_STATE.md that lets the next context rebuild > a 200-line dump that wastes budget.
• Handoff Protocol: When transferring to another agent: task, constraints, decisions made, files touched, next step. Nothing else.
• Recovery Priority: On context restore, read SESSION_STATE.md first. Only pull referenced files if actively needed for the next step.

Anti-Drift Rules

• Persist conclusions and pointers, not full tool transcripts.
• Do not persist away live user constraints or current next step.
• _context/ is working-memory support, not documentation.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: saemihemma
• Source: saemihemma/lead-producer-oss
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.