Skill Retrieval Gate

Goal

Use this skill to decide whether the current task should query memory_search before following another skill or workflow.

This skill is for retrieval judgment, not mandatory retrieval.

Core rule

Do not make every skill query memory first.

Instead:

1. Judge whether the task depends on local knowledge or history
2. Retrieve only when that dependency is real
3. Load only a few high-signal results
4. Fall back immediately if retrieval is weak, unavailable, or unnecessary

Example triggers

This skill is especially useful for requests like:

• continue the previous work on this project
• check what we already documented before you proceed
• use project memory first if this depends on earlier decisions
• decide whether retrieval is worth it before following the skill
• base this on existing notes instead of asking me again

Workflow

1. Decide whether retrieval is needed

Use decision-flow when the request may depend on:

• project history
• prior decisions
• local knowledge bases
• user-specific preferences
• previously organized notes

2. Judge the skill tier

Use skill-tiering to classify the current skill or task into:

• retrieval-first
• retrieval-optional
• retrieval-usually-skip

3. Build the query

Use query-construction to build a compact query from:

• task object
• task type
• key module, symptom, or entity

4. Keep the result set small

Use result-trimming to limit context expansion.

Default rule:

• fetch top 1-3 results first
• only expand deeper when clearly needed

5. Fall back fast

Use fallback-rules if retrieval is empty, noisy, low-confidence, unavailable, or unnecessary.

Anti-patterns

Avoid these mistakes:

• forcing retrieval for every task
• copying the entire user prompt into memory_search
• expanding every hit just because it matched
• dragging weak or stale snippets into later reasoning
• treating retrieval failure as a blocker instead of falling back

Output expectation

After using this skill, the agent should be able to answer:

• Should I call memory_search for this task?
• What query should I use?
• How many results should I keep?
• Should I fall back to the original skill flow immediately?