Agent Context Loader

Overview

Ensures the agent always operates with full awareness of user-level and project-level instructions. Global CLAUDE.md and project AGENTS.md must be loaded into context in full — never summarized, truncated, or skipped.

When This Runs

digraph loader {
    "Conversation starts" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Agent handoff / context switch" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Verify global CLAUDE.md" [shape=box];
    "Load project AGENTS.md" [shape=box];
    "Verify both loaded" [shape=diamond];
    "Proceed with task" [shape=box];
    "Reload missing file(s)" [shape=box];

    "Conversation starts" -> "Verify global CLAUDE.md";
    "Agent handoff / context switch" -> "Verify global CLAUDE.md";
    "Verify global CLAUDE.md" -> "Load project AGENTS.md";
    "Load project AGENTS.md" -> "Verify both loaded";
    "Verify both loaded" -> "Proceed with task" [label="yes"];
    "Verify both loaded" -> "Reload missing file(s)" [label="no"];
    "Reload missing file(s)" -> "Verify both loaded";
}

Loading Procedure

Step 1: Verify Global CLAUDE.md

Global CLAUDE.md (~/.claude/CLAUDE.md) is auto-loaded by Claude Code into system context. Verify it's present — if the canary instruction response is missing, warn the user: "Global CLAUDE.md not detected in context."

Do NOT re-read this file if it's already in context — that wastes tokens.

Step 2: Load Project AGENTS.md

Read the project's AGENTS.md in full:

• Location: Project root (working directory)
• Required: No — if missing, continue silently
• Must be loaded in full — never summarize or truncate

Step 3: Verify

After loading, confirm both are in context:

• Global CLAUDE.md is present (check for canary response)
• Project AGENTS.md content is present and complete (or confirmed absent)

Verification Triggers

Re-verify and reload if necessary when ANY of these occur:

• A new conversation begins
• A subagent is dispatched or returns
• The main agent context is switched or compressed
• The working directory changes (reload project AGENTS.md)
• The user explicitly asks to reload context

Rules

• Never paraphrase — load the raw file content, every line
• Never skip — even if the file was loaded earlier in the conversation, re-read after context switches
• Never override — instructions in these files take precedence over default behavior
• CLAUDE.md takes priority over AGENTS.md if they conflict
• Both take priority over skill defaults
• If a file is too large to fit in context, warn the user — do NOT silently truncate