Context Index

The Context Index is the structured sum of everything an organization knows about its systems, standards, and practices, organized for machine consumption. It serves as the curated knowledge base that agents draw from during execution, determining how autonomously they can operate.

A well-maintained Context Index typically contains:

1. Live Specs — the active specifications that define current work.
2. System Constitution — architectural rules, coding standards, and organizational constraints.
3. Codebase Context — file structures, module boundaries, API contracts, and dependency maps.
4. Domain Glossary — standardized terminology that ensures consistent language across human and agent communication.
5. Historical Context — past decisions, resolved blockers, and lessons learned that prevent agents from repeating known mistakes.
6. Golden Samples — reference implementations that demonstrate correct patterns.

The richer and more structured the Context Index is, the more autonomously agents can operate. It requires regular maintenance through Context Hygiene Cycles to prevent "poisonous context," which is outdated, conflicting, or misleading information that causes agent errors.