[FEATURE] Add /context --brief for token-efficient context checking
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
The /context command consumes 4-5k tokens per invocation due to listing all MCP tools, agents, and skills. This is ironic for a command designed to monitor token usage.
Example from actual session:
Before first /context: Messages: 1.5k tokens (0.8%)
After first /context: Messages: 10.4k tokens (5.2%)
What happened:
- User ran
/contextto check token usage - Command output listed 85+ MCP tools, 60+ agents, 80+ skills
- This added ~4-5k tokens to conversation history
- Running
/contextagain to verify consumed another ~4-5k tokens - Total cost: ~10k tokens just to check token usage twice
The MCP tools, agents, and skills listings are rarely needed - users typically just want to know if they're approaching context limits.
Proposed Solution
Add a --brief flag (or make it the default) that shows only:
Context Usage
claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 · 47k/200k tokens (24%)
⛁ System prompt: 3.0k (1.5%)
⛁ System tools: 22.3k (11.2%)
⛁ Custom agents: 4.7k (2.4%)
⛁ Memory files: 3.3k (1.6%)
⛁ Skills: 3.6k (1.8%)
⛁ Messages: 10.4k (5.2%)
⛶ Free space: 117k (58.3%)
⛝ Autocompact: 45.0k (22.5%)
Optional: Keep full output available via /context --full for when users need detailed listings.
Impact
This would reduce context checking from ~4-5k tokens to ~50-100 tokens, making it practical to check context usage without ironically consuming massive context.
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
Medium - Would be very helpful
Feature Category
Interactive mode (TUI)
Use Case Example
_No response_
Additional Context
_No response_
This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗