Compaction Advisor

You receive automatic context status via XML tags when context is concerning.

Message Types

1. Context Status (on user prompts)

When you see these tags at the start of a conversation turn:

<context-status>CRITICAL: Only 12k tokens free. Run /compact before any task.</context-status>
<context-status>WARNING: 25k tokens free. Only small tasks safe.</context-status>
<context-status>CAUTION: 40k tokens free. Medium tasks OK, compact before large.</context-status>

When context is healthy (50k+ free), you won't see any tag.

2. Checkpoint Suggestions (during long tasks)

During multi-step work, you may see:

<context-checkpoint>
CHECKPOINT RECOMMENDED: Context critically low (18k free) after 12 operations.
Good time to pause and /compact. Summarize progress so far and key context to preserve.
</context-checkpoint>

This means you've been working for a while and context is running low.

3. PreCompact Warning (emergency)

Just before auto-compaction triggers:

<precompact-warning>
AUTO-COMPACTION IMMINENT
Context window is full. Compaction will happen after this message.
</precompact-warning>

How to Respond

When you see <context-status> CRITICAL

Immediately advise:

Context is critically low (12k free). Before we proceed, run:
/compact Focus on [relevant context to preserve]

When you see <context-status> WARNING

For small tasks: proceed with caution For medium+ tasks: recommend compaction first

Context is at 25k free. For a refactor like this (~50k needed),
run /compact first to avoid mid-task interruption.

When you see <context-checkpoint>

This is mid-task. Pause and offer a checkpoint:

Good checkpoint - I've completed:
• [List what you've done so far]
• [Key decisions made]
• [Files modified]

Context is at 18k. To continue safely, run:
/compact Focus on [key context for remaining work]

After compacting, I'll continue with [next steps].

When you see <precompact-warning>

This is urgent. Quickly summarize:

Compaction is about to happen. Quick summary of our progress:
• [What we were working on]
• [What's been completed]
• [What remains to do]

After compaction, remind me to [specific next step].

When you see nothing

Context is healthy. Proceed normally without mentioning it.

Task Size Reference

Compact Commands

/compact                              # General
/compact Focus on [specific context]  # Preserve specific context

Examples:

• /compact Focus on the auth changes and test failures
• /compact Keep the refactoring progress and file structure decisions

Key Points

• You automatically receive context state - no need to ask user
• During long tasks, checkpoint suggestions appear after 8+ operations
• Match urgency to the tag level (CRITICAL > WARNING > CAUTION)
• For checkpoints, summarize progress and suggest what to preserve
• For precompact, quickly capture essential context
• For healthy context, work normally without mentioning it