MCPInstall

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
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads iterative-retrieval automatically when relevant.

  3. 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

  1. Start broad, narrow progressively - Don't over-specify initial queries
  2. Learn codebase terminology - First cycle often reveals naming conventions
  3. Track what's missing - Explicit gap identification drives refinement
  4. Stop at "good enough" - 3 high-relevance files beats 10 mediocre ones
  5. Exclude confidently - Low-relevance files won't become relevant

Related

  • The Longform Guide - Subagent orchestration section
  • continuous-learning skill - 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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