
iterative-retrieval
Pattern for progressively refining context retrieval to solve the subagent context problem
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/joneqian/claude-skills-suite --skill iterative-retrieval- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads iterative-retrieval automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Iterative Retrieval Pattern
Solves the "context problem" in multi-agent workflows where subagents don't know what context they need until they start working.
The Problem
Subagents are spawned with limited context. They don't know:
- Which files contain relevant code
- What patterns exist in the codebase
- What terminology the project uses
Standard approaches fail:
- Send everything: Exceeds context limits
- Send nothing: Agent lacks critical information
- Guess what's needed: Often wrong
The Solution: Iterative Retrieval
A 4-phase loop that progressively refines context:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ DISPATCH │─────▶│ EVALUATE │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ ▲ │ │
│ │ ▼ │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ LOOP │◀─────│ REFINE │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ │
│ Max 3 cycles, then proceed │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Phase 1: DISPATCH
Initial broad query to gather candidate files:
// Start with high-level intent
const initialQuery = {
patterns: ['src/**/*.ts', 'lib/**/*.ts'],
keywords: ['authentication', 'user', 'session'],
excludes: ['*.test.ts', '*.spec.ts']
};
// Dispatch to retrieval agent
const candidates = await retrieveFiles(initialQuery);
Phase 2: EVALUATE
Assess retrieved content for relevance:
function evaluateRelevance(files, task) {
return files.map(file => ({
path: file.path,
relevance: scoreRelevance(file.content, task),
reason: explainRelevance(file.content, task),
missingContext: identifyGaps(file.content, task)
}));
}
Scoring criteria:
- High (0.8-1.0): Directly implements target functionality
- Medium (0.5-0.7): Contains related patterns or types
- Low (0.2-0.4): Tangentially related
- None (0-0.2): Not relevant, exclude
Phase 3: REFINE
Update search criteria based on evaluation:
function refineQuery(evaluation, previousQuery) {
return {
// Add new patterns discovered in high-relevance files
patterns: [...previousQuery.patterns, ...extractPatterns(evaluation)],
// Add terminology found in codebase
keywords: [...previousQuery.keywords, ...extractKeywords(evaluation)],
// Exclude confirmed irrelevant paths
excludes: [...previousQuery.excludes, ...evaluation
.filter(e => e.relevance < 0.2)
.map(e => e.path)
],
// Target specific gaps
focusAreas: evaluation
.flatMap(e => e.missingContext)
.filter(unique)
};
}
Phase 4: LOOP
Repeat with refined criteria (max 3 cycles):
async function iterativeRetrieve(task, maxCycles = 3) {
let query = createInitialQuery(task);
let bestContext = [];
for (let cycle = 0; cycle < maxCycles; cycle++) {
const candidates = await retrieveFiles(query);
const evaluation = evaluateRelevance(candidates, task);
// Check if we have sufficient context
const highRelevance = evaluation.filter(e => e.relevance >= 0.7);
if (highRelevance.length >= 3 && !hasCriticalGaps(evaluation)) {
return highRelevance;
}
// Refine and continue
query = refineQuery(evaluation, query);
bestContext = mergeContext(bestContext, highRelevance);
}
return bestContext;
}
Practical Examples
Example 1: Bug Fix Context
Task: "Fix the authentication token expiry bug"
Cycle 1:
DISPATCH: Search for "token", "auth", "expiry" in src/**
EVALUATE: Found auth.ts (0.9), tokens.ts (0.8), user.ts (0.3)
REFINE: Add "refresh", "jwt" keywords; exclude user.ts
Cycle 2:
DISPATCH: Search refined terms
EVALUATE: Found session-manager.ts (0.95), jwt-utils.ts (0.85)
REFINE: Sufficient context (2 high-relevance files)
Result: auth.ts, tokens.ts, session-manager.ts, jwt-utils.ts
Example 2: Feature Implementation
Task: "Add rate limiting to API endpoints"
Cycle 1:
DISPATCH: Search "rate", "limit", "api" in routes/**
EVALUATE: No matches - codebase uses "throttle" terminology
REFINE: Add "throttle", "middleware" keywords
Cycle 2:
DISPATCH: Search refined terms
EVALUATE: Found throttle.ts (0.9), middleware/index.ts (0.7)
REFINE: Need router patterns
Cycle 3:
DISPATCH: Search "router", "express" patterns
EVALUATE: Found router-setup.ts (0.8)
REFINE: Sufficient context
Result: throttle.ts, middleware/index.ts, router-setup.ts
Integration with Agents
Use in agent prompts:
When retrieving context for this task:
1. Start with broad keyword search
2. Evaluate each file's relevance (0-1 scale)
3. Identify what context is still missing
4. Refine search criteria and repeat (max 3 cycles)
5. Return files with relevance >= 0.7
Best Practices
- Start broad, narrow progressively - Don't over-specify initial queries
- Learn codebase terminology - First cycle often reveals naming conventions
- Track what's missing - Explicit gap identification drives refinement
- Stop at "good enough" - 3 high-relevance files beats 10 mediocre ones
- Exclude confidently - Low-relevance files won't become relevant
Related
- The Longform Guide - Subagent orchestration section
continuous-learningskill - For patterns that improve over time- Agent definitions in
~/.claude/agents/
FAQ
What does the iterative-retrieval skill do?
Pattern for progressively refining context retrieval to solve the subagent context problem
How do I install iterative-retrieval?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/joneqian/claude-skills-suite --skill iterative-retrieval in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/iterative-retrieval/ (personal) or .claude/skills/iterative-retrieval/ (project).
Which AI agents can use iterative-retrieval?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is iterative-retrieval safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains iterative-retrieval?
It is published by joneqian in joneqian/claude-skills-suite. It has 48 recorded installs.
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