Getting Started with ContextDocs

Summary: Install ContextDocs, generate canonical AGENTS.md plus bridge files for 8 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

---

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).

---

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 canonical AGENTS.md, then add the bridge files each tool needs:

File	Role	Budget
AGENTS.md	Canonical shared context	<120 lines
CLAUDE.md	Claude Code bridge (@AGENTS.md + Claude-specific notes)	<80 lines
.cursorrules	Cursor bridge	<60 lines
.github/copilot-instructions.md	GitHub Copilot bridge	<60 lines
.windsurfrules	Windsurf compatibility bridge	<60 lines
.clinerules	Cline bridge	<60 lines
GEMINI.md	Gemini compatibility bridge	<60 lines

For Claude Code users: Claude Code auto-loads CLAUDE.md every session. The generated CLAUDE.md starts with @AGENTS.md, which imports the canonical shared context — so you get everything without duplication. The other bridge files are optional and only needed if team members use Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, or Gemini.

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

---

3. Verify Context Quality

Check that your generated files are healthy:

/contextdocs:context-verify

This scores your context files 0–100 across 6 dimensions with 13 checks:

• 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 bridge files stay aligned with AGENTS.md?
• 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?

---

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 a health check and two tiers of enforcement:

• SessionStart — validates context files at session start, warns if stale or over budget
• Tier 1 (Nudge) — at session end, reminds you if context files may be stale
• Tier 2 (Guard) — blocks commits when structural files haven’t been reflected in AGENTS.md or other affected bridge files

Hooks automatically launch the context-updater agent to apply AGENTS-first updates — shared changes go to AGENTS.md first, then only the affected bridge sections are refreshed.

To check hook status or uninstall:

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

---

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

---

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.

---

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