Claude Context Optimizer

Stop losing important context. Start getting better output from Claude Code.

Real-time context monitoring. Automatic compression. Smart recommendations.

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The Problem

Claude Code has a context window — its working memory. When it gets full:

• Older messages get compacted (details lost)
• Important context may be dropped
• Output quality degrades
• You get "context window full" errors

You've experienced this: Claude Code starts strong, then gradually loses track of what you're working on. By the end of a long session, it's making mistakes it wouldn't have made at the start.

The Solution

Context Optimizer is a Claude Code skill that manages the context window for you:

Feature	What It Does	Why It Matters
Real-time Monitoring	See what's using context space	Know your budget before it's gone
Auto-Compression	Compress redundant content automatically	Fit more work in the same window
Smart Recommendations	Suggest what to load/unload	Focus on what matters
Proactive Optimization	Trigger before context gets full	Prevent quality degradation

Install

One-Line Install (Recommended)

Linux / macOS / WSL:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AlbusZhuo/claude-context-optimizer/main/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/AlbusZhuo/claude-context-optimizer/main/install.ps1 | iex

Manual Install

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/AlbusZhuo/claude-context-optimizer.git

# Copy skills to your Claude Code skills directory
cp -r claude-context-optimizer/skills/context-optimizer ~/.claude/skills/

# Done. Context Optimizer activates automatically.

How It Works

Context Optimizer integrates directly into Claude Code's workflow:

1. Monitors context usage — tracks what's in the window
2. Identifies optimization opportunities — finds redundant content
3. Compresses automatically — reduces token usage without losing key info
4. Recommends actions — suggests what to load/unload

You: "Claude, analyze this large codebase"

Context Optimizer: [AUTOMATIC]
  CONTEXT STATUS: 45% used
  LOADED: 8 files, 12 tool outputs
  RECOMMENDATION: Load src/core.ts first (most relevant)

Claude Code: [loads files efficiently]

Context Optimizer: [LATER]
  CONTEXT STATUS: 72% used
  AUTO-COMPRESS: Summarized old tool outputs
  SAVED: ~15% context space

Claude Code: [continues working with full context]

Usage

Context Optimizer works automatically once installed. But you can also use commands:

Check Context Status

/context-status

Shows:

• Current context usage (estimated %)
• What's consuming the most space
• Optimization recommendations

Trigger Optimization

/context-optimize                 # Full optimization
/context-optimize --compress      # Only compress, don't remove
/context-optimize --dry-run       # Preview what would be optimized
/context-optimize --preserve src/main.ts  # Optimize but keep this file

Protect Important Content

/context-preserve src/main.ts     # Don't compress this file
/context-preserve --conversation  # Keep full conversation history
/context-preserve --clear         # Remove all preserve flags

Configuration

Create .context-optimizer.json in your project root:

{
  "autoOptimize": true,
  "triggerThreshold": 70,
  "strategies": {
    "codeCompression": true,
    "conversationSummary": true,
    "toolOutputCompression": true,
    "fileLoadingOptimization": true
  },
  "preserve": {
    "always": ["CLAUDE.md", "*.test.ts"],
    "never": ["node_modules/**", "*.log"]
  }
}

Demo

Before Context Optimizer

Session: Analyzing 5000-line codebase

Turn 1-5: Works great, Claude understands everything
Turn 6-10: Starts losing track of earlier context
Turn 11-15: Makes mistakes, forgets function signatures
Turn 16+: "Context window full" errors, quality drops

After Context Optimizer

Session: Analyzing 5000-line codebase with Context Optimizer

Turn 1-5: Works great
Turn 6-10: Auto-compresses old tool outputs, maintains quality
Turn 11-15: Smart file loading, keeps relevant context
Turn 16+: Still working well, optimized context usage

Why This Works

Claude Code's default context management is reactive — it compacts when it's already full. Context Optimizer is proactive:

1. Monitors continuously — knows when you're approaching the limit
2. Compresses intelligently — keeps function signatures, removes implementations
3. Prioritizes relevance — keeps what you're working on, compresses the rest
4. Learns patterns — remembers what you usually need

Performance

• Monitoring overhead: < 1% CPU
• Optimization time: < 2 seconds
• Context savings: 20-40% typical
• Zero dependencies: Pure skill, no runtime needed

Comparison

Feature	Context Optimizer	Default Claude Code	Manual Management
Real-time monitoring	Yes	No	No
Auto-compression	Yes	Limited	No
Smart recommendations	Yes	No	No
Proactive optimization	Yes	No	No
User control	Yes	No	Yes
Effort required	None	None	High

FAQ

Q: Does this modify Claude Code's behavior? A: No. It's a skill that provides guidance and recommendations. Claude Code still makes all decisions.

Q: Will this slow down Claude Code? A: No. Monitoring is lightweight (< 1% CPU). Optimization runs only when needed.

Q: Can I disable auto-optimization? A: Yes. Set "autoOptimize": false in .context-optimizer.json.

Q: What if optimization removes something important? A: Use /context-preserve to protect critical content. The skill also has conservative defaults.

Q: Does this work with other skills? A: Yes. Context Optimizer works alongside all other Claude Code skills.

Contributing

We love contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

License

MIT — use it however you want.

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Built with Claude Code. For Claude Code. By the community.

If Context Optimizer saved you from losing important context, give it a star.