strategic-compact

Manual compaction at logical milestones preserves AI context by prompting compaction after research or planning phases, retaining crucial context while trimming exploratory details. This ensures context carries through task transitions without relying on arbitrary auto-compaction.

Configure PreToolUse hooks in ~/.claude/settings.json to execute suggest-compact.sh, enabling automated guidance that tracks tool usage during a session and triggers periodic compaction prompts at strategic workflow moments.

Trigger manual context compaction at logical milestones like post-research, pre-execution, or after completing major workflow phases. Avoid mid-action compression and clear context after debugging to maintain optimal context preservation across task transitions.

Adjust the tool usage tracking threshold using the configurable COMPACT_THRESHOLD environment variable. The default threshold is 50 tool calls, after which the system sends periodic compaction reminders every 25 subsequent calls.

Threshold-based compaction reminders depend on tool usage counting and may not align perfectly with complex task transitions. Users must follow hook prompts for decisions and plan before compaction to ensure effective context preservation.

Manual compaction integrates with PreToolUse hooks specifically for Edit and Write actions. This ensures compaction suggestions trigger during active development phases when file modifications occur at logical workflow milestones.