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From context-engineering
Principles for designing context-efficient AI agents and tools. Use when designing LLM tools, agents, MCP servers, or multi-agent systems.
npx claudepluginhub byunk/skills --plugin context-engineeringHow this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
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/context-engineering:context-engineeringThis skill is limited to the following tools:
The summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Principles and patterns for strategically designing the information provided to LLMs.
references/01-quality-over-quantity.mdreferences/02-start-minimal.mdreferences/03-hierarchical-organization.mdreferences/04-multi-dimensional-context.mdreferences/05-simple-composable-patterns.mdreferences/06-invest-in-tool-design.mdreferences/07-match-architecture-to-complexity.mdreferences/08-transparency-in-planning.mdreferences/09-contextualize-retrieved-chunks.mdreferences/10-dynamic-context-adaptation.mdreferences/11-meta-context.mdreferences/12-ground-in-environment.mdreferences/13-test-and-measure.mdreferences/14-retrieve-generously.mdreferences/15-anti-patterns.mdreferences/16-guide-model-thinking.mdreferences/17-multi-window-state.mdreferences/18-calibrate-autonomy.mdMandates invoking relevant skills via tools before any response in coding sessions. Covers access, priorities, and adaptations for Claude Code, Copilot CLI, Gemini CLI.
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Principles and patterns for strategically designing the information provided to LLMs. Context is a critical but finite resource — these principles help you use it well.
| # | Principle | File | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quality Over Quantity | 01-quality-over-quantity.md | Include only relevant context. Precision beats exhaustiveness. |
| 2 | Start Minimal, Layer Progressively | 02-start-minimal.md | Begin with essentials, expand based on performance gaps. |
| 3 | Hierarchical Context Organization | 03-hierarchical-organization.md | Structure context from general to specific. Use XML tags for disambiguation. |
| 4 | Multi-Dimensional Context | 04-multi-dimensional-context.md | Effective context spans task, domain, history, constraints, motivation, and format. |
| 5 | Simple Composable Patterns | 05-simple-composable-patterns.md | Prefer prompt chaining, routing, parallelization over complex frameworks. |
| 6 | Invest in Tool Design (ACI) | 06-invest-in-tool-design.md | Tool descriptions deserve as much effort as UIs. Calibrate action language for Claude 4.6. |
| 7 | Match Architecture to Complexity | 07-match-architecture-to-complexity.md | Choose the right pattern: chaining, routing, parallelization, orchestrator, or agent. |
| 8 | Transparency in Agent Planning | 08-transparency-in-planning.md | Show planning steps. Use structured state tracking for long-horizon tasks. |
| 9 | Contextualize Retrieved Chunks | 09-contextualize-retrieved-chunks.md | Prepend explanatory context before embedding. Reduces retrieval failures by 35-67%. |
| 10 | Dynamic Context Adaptation | 10-dynamic-context-adaptation.md | Adjust context based on task complexity and model confidence. |
| 11 | Meta-Context | 11-meta-context.md | Explain why information is provided. Use grounding directives to reduce hallucinations. |
| 12 | Ground Agents in Environment Feedback | 12-ground-in-environment.md | Use tool results and human checkpoints, not just model reasoning. |
| 13 | Test and Measure Systematically | 13-test-and-measure.md | A/B test context variations. Measure accuracy, latency, reasoning quality. |
| 14 | Retrieve Generously, Filter Late | 14-retrieve-generously.md | Top-20 chunks outperform top-5. Don't over-filter prematurely. |
| 15 | Avoid Common Anti-Patterns | 15-anti-patterns.md | Don't dump everything, over-abstract, overengineer, or inherit stale aggressive prompts. |
| 16 | Guide Model Thinking | 16-guide-model-thinking.md | Control reasoning depth with adaptive thinking. Prevent overthinking on simple tasks. |
| 17 | Multi-Window State Management | 17-multi-window-state.md | Externalize state for tasks spanning multiple context windows. |
| 18 | Calibrate Autonomy and Safety | 18-calibrate-autonomy.md | Tune action thresholds. Claude 4.6 defaults to high autonomy; set guardrails. |