Index files/directories into context-mode

Index a local file or directory into context-mode's FTS5 knowledge base for targeted retrieval via ctx_search.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentBeginner
108/29/2026
Claude Code
#context-mode#indexing#search#fts5#knowledge-base

Recommended for


name: ctx-index description: | Index a local file or directory into context-mode's persistent FTS5 knowledge base so future ctx_search calls can retrieve focused snippets without rereading raw files. Trigger: /context-mode:ctx-index user-invocable: true

Context Mode Index

Index local project content for later search.

Instructions

  1. Prefer the ctx_index MCP tool when it is available.
  2. Ask for a path only if the user did not provide one and the current project root is ambiguous.
  3. Use path, not large inline content, so file bytes do not enter the conversation.
  4. For repository indexing, pass conservative bounds and a clear source label:
ctx_index({
  path: ".",
  source: "project:<name>",
  maxDepth: 5,
  maxFiles: 200
})
  1. If MCP tools are unavailable, fall back to the CLI:
context-mode index . --source project:<name>
  1. Report the indexed source label, file count or section count, and the matching search command:
ctx_search({ source: "project:<name>", queries: ["..."] })

Safety

  • Do not index dependency directories, build outputs, secrets, or generated artifacts.
  • Prefer --exclude or exclude for project-specific noisy paths.
  • For broad repos, ask the user before raising maxFiles above 500.
Related skills