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ctx is not a prompt.
ctx is version-controlled cognitive state.

ctx is the persistence layer for human-AI reasoning.

Deterministic. Git-native. Human-readable. Local-first.

Start here.

Learn what ctx does, set it up, and run your first session.

Pre-1.0: Moving Fast

ctx is under active development. This website tracks the development branch, not the latest release:

Some features described here may not exist in the binary you have installed.

Expect rough edges.

If something is missing or broken, open an issue.

Introduction¶

About ¶

What ctx is, how it works, and why persistent context changes how you work with AI.

Is It Right for Me?¶

Good fit, not-so-good fit, and a 5-minute trial to find out for yourself.

FAQ ¶

Quick answers to the questions newcomers ask most about ctx, files, tooling, and trade-offs.

Get Started¶

Getting Started ¶

Install the binary, set up the plugin, and verify it works.

Your First Session ¶

Step-by-step walkthrough from ctx init to verified recall.

Common Workflows ¶

Day-to-day commands for tracking context, checking health, and browsing history.

Concepts¶

Context Files ¶

What each .context/ file does. What's their purpose. How do we best leverage them.

Configuration ¶

Flexible configuration: .ctxrc, environment variables, and CLI flags.

Hub ¶

A fan-out channel for decisions, learnings, conventions, and tasks that need to cross project boundaries — without replicating everything else.

Working with AI¶

Prompting Guide ¶

Effective prompts for AI sessions with ctx.

Keeping AI Honest ¶

AI agents confabulate: they invent history, claim familiarity with decisions never made, and sometimes declare tasks complete when they aren't. Tools and habits to push back.

My AI Keeps Making the Same Mistakes ¶

Stop rediscovering the same bugs and dead-ends across sessions.

Joining a Project ¶

You inherited a .context/ directory. Get oriented fast: priority order, what to read first, how to ramp up.

Customization¶

Steering Files ¶

Tell the assistant how to behave when a specific kind of prompt arrives.

Lifecycle Triggers ¶

Make things happen at session boundaries: block dangerous tool calls, inject standup notes, log file saves.

Community¶

#ctx ¶

We are the builders who care about durable context.
Join the community. Hang out in IRC. Star ctx on GitHub.

Contributing ¶

Development setup, project layout, and pull request process.