CertainLogic Context Manager

Prevent AI session token bloat and runaway costs. Tracks query count per session, warns at a configurable threshold, auto-writes a dense handoff summary befo...

Security Scan

The skill's requested actions (reading/writing two workspace files and warning the user) line up with its description of preventing token bloat; nothing requested or instructed is disproportionate or unrelated to that purpose.

Purpose & Capability

The name and description claim session/query counting, threshold warnings, and a handoff summary — and the SKILL.md only requires reading/writing session_query_count.txt and handoff.md. Those file operations are exactly what you'd expect for this feature.

Instruction Scope

All runtime instructions are local file operations and conversational behavior (increment counter, write a dense handoff, read it back at session start). This stays within the stated scope. Note: the skill persists conversational context into handoff.md; users should be aware that sensitive conversation content will be written to disk in workspace root per the spec.

Install Mechanism

Instruction-only skill with no install spec and no code files. Nothing is downloaded or written to disk by an installer, which minimizes risk.

Credentials

No environment variables, credentials, or external endpoints are required. The configuration is described as workspace config (AGENTS.md), which is proportionate to the feature.

Persistence & Privilege

Skill is not always-on, does not request elevated privileges, and does not modify other skills or system-wide settings. Its persistence is limited to two workspace files it creates/reads/deletes.

Assessment

This skill appears coherent and limited in scope: it only increments a counter and writes/reads a small handoff file in the workspace to prevent token bloat. Before installing, consider: (1) handoff.md will persist summary data in your workspace root — avoid letting it store secrets or PHI, and ensure workspace access is trusted; (2) confirm your agent actually deletes stale handoffs as specified (the SKILL.md says delete after reading); (3) review and possibly raise the default threshold (10) or the HANDOFF_TTL_HOURS if your workflows differ; and (4) if you need stricter privacy, require the handoff be anonymized or encrypted instead of written in plaintext.

Context Manager

Keeps sessions lean. Tracks query count, warns before context bloats, saves a handoff summary so work continues cleanly in the next session.

How It Works

1. Counter — Increment session_query_count.txt every turn
2. Warn — At threshold, write handoff.md and alert the user
3. Reset — User runs /new; next session reads and deletes handoff.md

Files

File	Purpose
session_query_count.txt	Integer. Increment each turn. Create if missing (default 0).
handoff.md	Workspace root. Written at threshold. Read + deleted on next session start.

Every Turn (mandatory)

1. Read session_query_count.txt (default 0 if missing)
2. Increment by 1
3. Write back
4. If count == THRESHOLD: trigger handoff flow

Default threshold: 10. Configurable per deployment.

Handoff Flow (at threshold)

1. Write handoff.md — see handoff-format.md for exact spec
2. Tell the user:

   ⚠️ 10 queries in — context is getting heavy. Handoff saved. Run /new when ready to continue.

3. Do NOT auto-reset. User controls the reset.

Session Start Flow

1. Check if handoff.md exists
2. If exists AND file is < 3 hours old:
   a. Read it
   b. Apply context to current session
   c. Delete handoff.md
3. Reset session_query_count.txt to 0

Topic Switch Detection

When the user says "BTW", "switching gears", "new topic", or starts a clearly unrelated task:

1. Write/overwrite handoff.md immediately (don't wait for threshold)
2. Tell the user: "Handoff saved — /new when ready"
3. Resume or continue current task

Why This Matters

Session context is cumulative. Every prior message, tool call, and assistant response is re-sent on every new query. Without resets, a lean 18K-token session becomes 50K–400K+ within hours.

See token-math.md for cost impact data and reset savings estimates.

Commands

Command	Behavior
/new or /reset	User-triggered. New session starts; skill reads handoff.md if present.
/handoff	Explicit handoff write. Same as threshold flow, on demand.
/counter	Report current query count and threshold.

Configuration

Override defaults in AGENTS.md or equivalent workspace config:

- CONTEXT_THRESHOLD: 10        # Queries before warning (default: 10)
- HANDOFF_TTL_HOURS: 3         # Hours before handoff.md is considered stale (default: 3)

Reliability Rules

• Never skip the counter increment — even for one-liner responses
• Never auto-reset — the user owns the session lifecycle
• Handoff must be written before warning — never warn without saving state first
• Counter file is source of truth — do not track in memory

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What This Saves You

Without this skill	With this skill
Sessions balloon to 400K+ tokens	Sessions stay under 25K
Cost multiplies 22x over a day	Cost stays near baseline
Work lost on manual /new resets	Handoff auto-saved, resumed next session
No signal before context degrades	Warning fires before quality drops

See token-math.md for the full cost breakdown.

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