Steer /compact before autocompact nukes the wrong details
Proactively run `/compact` with focus instructions so summaries keep the work that matters instead of stale debugging.
The problem
Autocompact fires when the model is weakest and may drop the warning or decision you still need.
The hack
At natural boundaries, run `/compact focus on <current goal>, drop <noise>` instead of waiting for auto compaction.
Why it works
Anthropic's session guide recommends steered compaction mid-task. You decide what survives instead of hoping autocompact guesses.
Setup
1. Watch context pressure with `/context` during long tasks. 2. At a boundary (tests green, approach chosen), run `/compact focus on the auth refactor, drop the flaky-test rabbit hole`. 3. Confirm Claude still knows the constraint you care about. 4. Continue implementation on the cleaner window.
Prompt
/compact focus on the auth refactor, drop the test debugging
Discussion
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