Getting Started with ContextDocs

Summary: Install ContextDocs, generate AI context files for 7 tools, and optionally set up Context Guard hooks for freshness enforcement.

Time to Hello World: Under 60 seconds for your first context files. Full walkthrough below: ~5 minutes.

Prerequisites

• Claude Code or OpenCode installed
• A project repository you want to add AI context files to

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1. Install ContextDocs

Open Claude Code in your terminal and run:

# Add the LBA plugin marketplace (once per machine)
/plugin marketplace add littlebearapps/lba-plugins

# Install ContextDocs
/plugin install contextdocs@lba-plugins

Note: When installed as a plugin, all commands use the contextdocs: prefix (e.g., /contextdocs:ai-context).

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2. Bootstrap Context Files

Navigate to the project you want to add context files to, then run:

/contextdocs:ai-context init

ContextDocs will:

1. Scan your codebase (manifest files, project structure, conventions)
2. Apply the Signal Gate filter — only include what agents cannot discover on their own
3. Generate up to 7 context files, each within its line budget:

File	Tool	Budget
CLAUDE.md	Claude Code	<80 lines
AGENTS.md	Codex CLI, OpenCode, Gemini CLI	<120 lines
.cursorrules	Cursor	<60 lines
.github/copilot-instructions.md	GitHub Copilot	<60 lines
.windsurfrules	Windsurf	<60 lines
.clinerules	Cline	<60 lines
GEMINI.md	Gemini CLI	<60 lines

Tip: To generate a single file, specify the tool: /contextdocs:ai-context claude or /contextdocs:ai-context cursor.

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3. Verify Context Quality

Check that your generated files are healthy:

/contextdocs:context-verify

This scores your context files 0–100 across 6 dimensions:

• Line budget — are files within their size targets?
• Signal quality — does the content pass Signal Gate (no discoverable content)?
• Path accuracy — do referenced file paths actually exist?
• Consistency — do files agree on conventions, tech stack, and key paths?
• Freshness — have files been updated since the last significant code change?
• Context load — is the aggregate token usage across all context files within healthy limits per tool?

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4. Set Up Context Guard (Optional, Claude Code Only)

Context Guard hooks keep your context files in sync as your project evolves:

/contextdocs:context-guard install

This installs hooks with two tiers of enforcement:

• Tier 1 (Nudge) — at session end, reminds you if context files may be stale
• Tier 2 (Guard) — blocks commits when context files haven’t been updated after structural changes

Hooks automatically launch the context-updater agent to apply updates — no manual intervention needed. The agent applies surgical edits to only the affected sections, respecting line budgets and the Signal Gate principle.

To check hook status or uninstall:

/contextdocs:context-guard status
/contextdocs:context-guard uninstall

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5. Keep Context Fresh

As your project evolves, context files drift. Use these commands to maintain them:

# Patch only what drifted (incremental update)
/contextdocs:ai-context update

# Move patterns from MEMORY.md into CLAUDE.md
/contextdocs:ai-context promote

# Check for staleness without changing anything
/contextdocs:ai-context audit

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What’s Next?

• Generate public-facing docs — Install PitchDocs for README, CHANGELOG, ROADMAP, user guides, and launch artifacts
• Improve context quality — Run /contextdocs:context-verify after changes to track your score over time
• Explore the skills — Each command loads specialised reference knowledge. See the Available Skills table for details.

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Need help? See SUPPORT.md for getting help, common questions, and contact details.