ClawdContext — Markdown OS for AI Coding Agents
Stop prompting. Start orchestrating.
ClawdContext is the complete VS Code toolkit for agentic AI development. It transforms your Markdown agent files into a governed operating system — combining deep context engineering (CER dashboard, kernel mapping, lessons lifecycle), advanced security scanning (SKILL.md verdicts, enterprise mTLS, strict file safety), and rich diagnostics (semantic contradiction detection, Lost-in-the-Middle, Kessler risk, kernel bloat analysis). Skill Forge Studio (built-in) guides you through creating production-quality SKILL.md files with AI-powered templates across 6 domains and 7 archetypes — online or fully offline. Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, Ollama, and DeepSeek. Every feature is designed for safe, scalable, and auditable agent workflows — governance, refactoring, and context health, all in one.
What you get (in one glance)
Core (no AI required)
CER Dashboard + status bar — how much "always-loaded" context you burn vs. what's left for reasoning
Markdown OS Linter — mdcc-style diagnostics across kernel, skills, lessons, and tasks
Lessons Governance — TTL / staleness detection, metadata enforcement, prune / archive workflows
SKILL.md Security Scanner — suspicious patterns + verdicts + per-skill security scores
Refactors & Code Actions — extract procedure to SKILL.md, move heuristics to lessons, add missing metadata, archive deprecated entries
Optional AI (provider required)
Explain diagnostics, detect semantic contradictions, validate agent files, suggest refactors, deep security review
Works with OpenAI-compatible, Anthropic-compatible, Azure OpenAI, Ollama (local), and DeepSeek-compatible providers
Skill Forge Studio (new in 0.5.0)
8-step guided wizard to create production-quality SKILL.md files from scratch
6 domains (DevOps, Security, Data, Frontend, Backend, AI/ML) × 7 archetypes (Automator, Guardian, Analyst, Builder, Optimizer, Integrator, Specialist)
Online mode — run the local backend for AI-powered generation with full control and privacy
Offline mode — built-in templates work without any backend or network
AI bridge — automatically reuses your extension AI provider settings for the backend
Server lifecycle — auto-start/stop the Python backend from within VS Code
How to use Skill Forge Studio
Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
Run ClawdContext: Create Skill with Skill Forge — opens the guided wizard
Follow the 8-step flow: name your skill, pick a domain, choose an archetype, define scope, and generate
The status badge shows your current mode: ● Online or ○ Offline
The generated SKILL.md is saved to your workspace — ready to use
Skill Forge modes explained
Mode
Badge
Requires
Quality
Online
● Online
Python backend running
AI-powered (unlimited)
Offline
○ Offline
Nothing
Template-based
The extension tries the local backend first. If unreachable, it falls back to offline templates. No configuration needed — it just works.
Getting a fully working setup (5 minutes)
Skill Forge works out of the box in Offline mode (template-based, no setup needed). For AI-powered generation, follow these steps:
Open Settings (Cmd+, / Ctrl+,) and search for clawdcontext.ai:
Setting
Example value
clawdcontext.ai.provider
openai (or anthropic, ollama, deepseek)
clawdcontext.ai.apiKey
sk-... (not needed for Ollama)
This is the only place you configure API keys. They never leave your machine.
Step 2 — Start the local backend
Requirements: Python 3.12+
Option A — one command (recommended):
git clone https://github.com/yaamwebsolutions/clawdcontext.git
cd clawdcontext/skill_forge_studio
./run.sh # macOS/Linux — creates venv, installs deps, starts on :8742
On Windows (PowerShell):
git clone https://github.com/yaamwebsolutions/clawdcontext.git
cd clawdcontext\skill_forge_studio
.\run.ps1
Option B — manual:
cd clawdcontext/skill_forge_studio
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate # Windows: .venv\Scripts\activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn backend.main:app --reload --port 8742
Option C — Docker:
cd clawdcontext/skill_forge_studio
docker compose up -d
Step 3 — Verify
curl http://localhost:8742/health
# {"status":"ok","ai_available":true,...}
The extension detects the backend automatically — the badge switches to ● Online .
Step 4 — Create your first skill
Cmd+Shift+P → ClawdContext: Create Skill with Skill Forge
Follow the 8-step wizard: name, domain, archetype, scope, generate
Files are written to .clawdcontext/skills/<name>/ in your workspace
How it works: The extension forwards your AI provider settings to the local backend via the AI bridge. No .env file needed — VS Code settings are the single source of truth.
The model: what goes where
File
Role
CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md
Kernel: invariants, non-negotiables, short checklists
SKILL.md
On-demand procedures (reusable workflows, playbooks)
todo.md
Local task state (plan, constraints, done criteria)
lessons.md
Governed learning cache (verified lessons + metadata + TTL)
In 60 seconds
Open a repo containing any of: CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, SKILL.md, lessons.md, todo.md
Run ClawdContext: Analyze Workspace
Open ClawdContext: Open Dashboard and apply quick fixes from diagnostics
New repo? Run ClawdContext: Scaffold Markdown OS Templates
Diagnostics you'll actually see
CER_CRITICAL · CER_WARNING
KERNEL_BLOAT · PROCEDURE_IN_KERNEL · HEURISTIC_IN_KERNEL
KESSLER_RISK · STALE_LESSON · MISSING_METADATA · DEPRECATED_PRESENT
SKILL_NO_FRONTMATTER · SKILL_TOO_LARGE
CONTRADICTION · LOST_IN_MIDDLE
Each diagnostic comes with a quick-fix code action when applicable.
Best commands (the 8 you'll use daily)
Command
What it does
Analyze Workspace
Full scan — tokens, CER, diagnostics, security
Open Dashboard
Interactive CER dashboard with layer breakdown
Lint .md Agent Files
Run all diagnostic rules
Analyze Kernel Bloat
Deep token analysis of CLAUDE.md
Extract Procedure to SKILL.md
Refactor procedure from kernel to skill
Move Heuristic to lessons.md
Move temporal heuristic from kernel
Prune Stale Lessons
Archive lessons past TTL
Archive Deprecated Entries
Clean dead rules
15 core commands + 11 AI commands + 4 OS/Skill Forge commands — 30 total. Full command list →
Safe-by-design write behavior
When AI is enabled, ClawdContext applies strict safety constraints:
File paths validated via sanitizePath() — path traversal blocked (../, absolute paths)
Only .md and .json files can be written
User confirmation required before any file write
Enterprise: mTLS client certs + custom CA + Azure OpenAI deployments
Privacy: what leaves your machine
Scenario
Data sent
No AI provider configured
Nothing. Zero network calls. 100% offline.
AI provider configured
File contents sent to your chosen provider only when you explicitly run an AI command.
No telemetry. No analytics. No tracking.
Minimal settings (start here)
Setting
Default
What it controls
clawdcontext.tokenBudget
200000
Your model's context window size
clawdcontext.cerWarningThreshold
0.4
CER below this → warning
clawdcontext.cerCriticalThreshold
0.2
CER below this → critical
clawdcontext.lessonsTtlDays
60
Days before a lesson is stale
clawdcontext.lessonsMaxEntries
50
Max lessons before Kessler risk
Skill Forge (new in 0.5.0):
Setting
Default
What it controls
clawdcontext.skillForge.serverUrl
http://localhost:8742
Skill Forge Studio backend URL
clawdcontext.skillForge.apiKey
(empty)
API key for the backend (if protected)
clawdcontext.skillForge.generateTimeout
180
Timeout in seconds for AI skill generation (30–600)
clawdcontext.skillForge.autoStart
false
Auto-start the Python backend on activation
All settings: full configuration reference →
Install
code --install-extension clawdcontext.clawdcontext
Or search "ClawdContext" in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).
What ClawdContext is / is not
ClawdContext is
ClawdContext is not
Analyzer + governance + context health
A replacement for hooks / tests / CI gates
Refactoring assistant for kernel vs. skills
An execution sandbox
CER monitor + lessons lifecycle
A full policy engine
Docs / Research
Development
git clone https://github.com/yaamwebsolutions/clawdcontext4vscode.git
cd clawdcontext4vscode
npm install
npm run compile
Press F5 in VS Code to launch the Extension Development Host.
Contributing
We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Star History
License
MIT
Yaam Web Solutions
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