prompts

Author: spoons-and-mirrors

lib/prompts/compress.md

@@ -63,6 +63,18 @@ WHERE TO PICK STRINGS FROM (important for reliable matching):
 - Previous compress summaries
 - Tool input string values (individual values, not whole serialized objects)
 
+NEVER USE GENERIC OR REPEATING STRINGS:
+
+Tool status messages repeat identically across every invocation. These are ALWAYS ambiguous:
+
+- "Edit applied successfully." (appears in EVERY successful edit)
+- "File written successfully" or any tool success/error boilerplate
+- Common tool output patterns that are identical across calls
+
+Instead, combine the generic output with surrounding unique context (a file path, a specific code snippet, or your own unique assistant text).
+
+Each boundary string you choose MUST be unique to ONE specific message. Before using a string, ask: "Could this exact text appear in any other place in this conversation?" If yes, extend it or pick a different string.
+
 WHERE TO NEVER PICK STRINGS FROM:
 
 - `<system-reminder>` tags or any XML wrapper/meta-commentary around messages

lib/prompts/nudge.md

@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ When multiple independent stale ranges are ready, batch MICRO/MESO compressions
 
 If you are performing a critical atomic operation, do not interrupt it, but make sure to perform context management rapidly
 
-Be mindful of the startString and endString you use for compression and prefer using `muid` and `uid` strings for reliable boundary matching. Ensure your summaries are inclusive of all parts of the range.
+BE VERY MINDFUL of the startString and endString you use for compression for RELIABLE boundary matching. NEVER use generic tool outputs like "Edit applied successfully." or generic status message as boundaries. Use unique assistant text or distinctive content instead with enough surrounding context to ensure uniqueness.
 
+Ensure your summaries are inclusive of all parts of the range.
 If the compressed range includes user messages, preserve user intent exactly. Prefer direct quotes for short user messages to avoid semantic drift.
 </instruction>

lib/prompts/system.md

@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ Treat token counts and context growth as soft signals, not hard triggers.
 BOUNDARY MATCHING
 `compress` uses inclusive string boundaries, matching a string at the start of a message or tool output will consume the entire item. Be conservative and precise: choose unique strings with enough surrounding context to avoid ambiguous matches or accidental range capture
 
+NEVER use generic tool status messages as boundaries (e.g. "Edit applied successfully.", "File written successfully"). These repeat across every tool call and will always fail with multiple matches.
+
 THE SUMMARY STANDARD
 Your summary MUST be technical and specific enough to preserve FULL understanding of what transpired, such that NO ambiguity remains about what asked, found, planned, done, or decided - yet noise free