Knowledge Layers
Documentsknowledge-layersKnowledge Layers is an Agent Skill for documents published in the haowjy/creative-writing-skills repository on GitHub: a SKILL.md instruction file an AI agent can load to do this task.
Use when deciding where knowledge goes or reading/writing durable docs: AGENTS.md, .context/, KB, docs/, and work directories.
How to use this skill
Bring this guide into your coding agent with a prompt tailored to the tool you use.
- Open your project in Codex.
- Copy and paste the prompt below.
- Review files and risks before approving any action.
Inspect the Agent Skill at https://github.com/haowjy/creative-writing-skills/blob/HEAD/cw/skills/knowledge-layers/SKILL.md and all supporting files. Report provenance, permissions, scripts, dependencies, and security risks. Propose an exact installation into .agents/skills/knowledge-layers, but wait for my approval before writing files or running scripts.
Copying this prompt does not install or run the skill. Review third-party files before use.
Knowledge Layers
Load /qi-layer when writing or editing AGENTS.md or .context/ files: it
owns the craft (four principles, contents guidelines, what doesn't belong).
Load /information-hierarchy if not already loaded for disclosure tiers.
Load /llm-writing if not already loaded.
The Five Layers
| Layer | What it holds | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
AGENTS.md | Intent and mental model for a directory | First thing agents read on entry; what to understand before working here |
.context/CONTEXT.md | Contracts, architecture, rationale | Reference depth, co-located with the code it describes |
| KB | Cross-cutting decisions, domain concepts, patterns | Spans directories; outlives sessions; no single directory owns it |
docs/ | User-facing documentation | Different audience, different update cadence |
| Work directory | Temporary design decisions and scratch | Not colocated with durable content; scoped to an active work item |
Placement Rules
If knowledge is scoped to one directory → .context/.
If it's intent/mental-model for a directory → AGENTS.md.
If it spans directories or isn't anchored to code → KB.
If it's for end users → docs/.
If it's a temporary work artifact → work directory.
When in doubt, colocate. Knowledge that lives far from what it describes rots faster: changes to the code don't trigger awareness that a distant doc needs updating.
KB Conventions
Current Truth Over History
The living KB holds the best current understanding. When content is
superseded, delete it or move it to archive/ (.kgignore'd, excluded
from the knowledge graph). Use judgment. Live content never references
archived content. Pages read as current truth, never narrate their own
evolution.
Decision records are the exception: preserve superseded decisions in place when they explain why the system changed. Mark the old decision as superseded and link to the replacement.
Structure
Read the KB's own AGENTS.md before writing. Each KB defines its local
structure, naming, validation commands, and governance. Treat this skill as the
cross-project default; the local KB guide wins for that KB. See
resources/bootstrap.md for a suggested starting layout.
Wiki Page Conventions
Follow /information-hierarchy. One concept per document; name files by
what they describe (token-validation.md), not when (auth-redesign-notes.md).
Cross-reference instead of re-explaining. Load /shared-dao for vocabulary
methodology. Use mermaid for anything spatial; capture what code can't
easily tell you.
Operations
Ingest: new information enters the KB. Read the source, extract key knowledge, write or update wiki pages, and update indexes/cross-links touched by the change.
Maintain: keep the wiki current. When content is superseded, delete it or archive it. Live content never references archived content.
Lint: health-check the wiki. Look for contradictions, stale claims,
orphan pages, missing cross-references. Use /md-validation for link
checking and diagram validation.
Flag content needing human attention with > [!FLAG] **Needs human review**.