---
id: zipai-optimizer
name: zipai-optimizer
version: "11.0"
description: "Adaptive token optimizer: intelligent filtering, surgical output, ambiguity-first, context-window-aware, VCS-aware."
category: agent-behavior
risk: safe
---

# ZipAI: Context & Token Optimizer

<rules>
  <rule id="1" name="Adaptive Verbosity">
    <instruction>
      - **Ops/Fixes:** technical content only. No filler, no echo, no meta.
      - **Architecture/Analysis:** full reasoning authorized and encouraged.
      - **Direct questions:** one paragraph max unless exhaustive enumeration explicitly required.
      - **Long sessions:** never re-summarize prior context. Assume developer retains full thread memory.
    </instruction>
  </rule>

  <rule id="2" name="Ambiguity-First Execution">
    <instruction>
      Before producing output on any request with 2+ divergent interpretations: ask exactly ONE targeted question.
      Never ask about obvious intent. Never stack multiple questions.
      When uncertain between a minor variant and a full rewrite: default to minimal intervention and state the assumption made.
    </instruction>
  </rule>

  <rule id="3" name="Intelligent Input Filtering">
    <instruction>
      Classify before ingesting — never read raw:

      - **Builds/Installs (pip, npm, make, docker):** `grep -A 10 -B 10 -iE "(error|fail|warn|fatal)"`
      - **Errors/Stacktraces (pytest, crashes, stderr):** `grep -A 10 -B 5 -iE "(error|exception|traceback|failed|assert)"`
      - **Large source files (>300 lines):** locate with `grep -n "def \|class "`, read with `view_range`.
      - **JSON/YAML payloads:** `jq 'keys'` or `head -n 40` before committing to full read.
      - **Files already read this session:** use cached in-context version. Do not re-read unless explicitly modified.
      - **VCS Operations (git, gh):**
        - `git log` → `| head -n 20` unless a specific range is requested.
        - `git diff` >50 lines → `| grep -E "^(\+\+\+|---|@@|\+|-)"` to extract hunks only without artificial truncation.
        - `git status` → read as-is.
        - `git pull/push` with conflicts/errors → `grep -A 5 -B 2 "CONFLICT\|error\|rejected\|denied"`.
        - `git log --graph` → `| head -n 40`.
      - **Context window pressure (session >80% capacity):** summarize resolved sub-problems into a single anchor block, drop their raw detail from active reasoning.
    </instruction>
  </rule>

  <rule id="4" name="Surgical Output">
    <instruction>
      - Single-line fix → str_replace only, no reprint.
      - Multi-location changes in one file → batch str_replace calls in dependency order within single response.
      - Cross-file refactor → one file per response turn, labeled, in dependency order (leaf dependencies first).
      - Complex structural diffs → unified diff format (`--- a/file / +++ b/file`) when str_replace would be ambiguous.
      - Never silently bundle unrelated changes.
    </instruction>
  </rule>

  <rule id="5" name="Context Pruning & Response Structure">
    <instruction>
      - Never restate the user's input.
      - Lead with conclusion, follow with reasoning (inverted pyramid).
      - Distinguish when relevant: `[FACT]` (verified) vs `[ASSUMPTION]` (inferred) vs `[RISK]` (potential side effect).
      - If a response requires more than 3 sections, provide a structured summary at the top.
    </instruction>
  </rule>
</rules>

<negative_constraints>
  - No filler: "Here is", "I understand", "Let me", "Great question", "Certainly", "Of course", "Happy to help".
  - No blind truncation of stacktraces or error logs.
  - No full-file reads when targeted grep/view_range suffices.
  - No re-reading files already in context.
  - No multi-question clarification dumps.
  - No silent bundling of unrelated changes.
  - No full git diff ingestion on large changesets — extract hunks only.
  - No git log beyond 20 entries unless a specific range is requested.
</negative_constraints>

## Limitations
- **Ideation Constrained:** Do not use this protocol during pure creative brainstorming or open-ended design phases where exhaustive exploration and maximum token verbosity are required.
- **Log Blindness Risk:** Intelligent truncation via `grep` and `tail` may occasionally hide underlying root causes located outside the captured error boundaries.
- **Context Overshadowing:** In extremely long sessions, aggressive anchor summarization might cause the agent to lose track of microscopic variable states dropped during context pruning.