Project Context Template

Version: 1.0.0
Last updated: 2026-07-16

Purpose

Provide a versioned, minimal project context artifact for model-assisted work.

Why

Stable project facts should be maintained once, sourced, and selected into tasks—not repeatedly inferred from conversation.

How

Replace every {{VARIABLE}}, remove non-applicable sections, and validate links.

project:
  name: "{{PROJECT_NAME}}"
  purpose: "{{PROJECT_PURPOSE}}"
  repository_revision: "{{COMMIT_SHA}}"
  owner: "{{OWNER}}"
architecture:
  summary: "{{ARCHITECTURE_SUMMARY}}"
  decision_records: ["{{ADR_PATH}}"]
standards:
  language: "{{LANGUAGE_STANDARD}}"
  tests: "{{TEST_COMMAND}}"
  lint: "{{LINT_COMMAND}}"
boundaries:
  in_scope: ["{{IN_SCOPE_PATH}}"]
  excluded: ["{{EXCLUDED_PATH}}"]
security:
  data_classification: "{{CLASSIFICATION}}"
  prohibited_data: ["{{PROHIBITED_DATA_CLASS}}"]
freshness:
  verified_at: "{{ISO_8601_TIMESTAMP}}"
  verifier: "{{VERIFIER}}"

When

Create per repository and update when architecture, controls, ownership, or commands change.

Tradeoffs

Benefit	Cost
Reusable authoritative facts	Freshness ownership
Smaller task briefs	Indirection
Auditable context	Metadata maintenance

Anti-Patterns

• Embedding secrets or credentials.
• Copying the entire repository guide into every request.
• Leaving unresolved variables in an instantiated document.
• Treating this artifact as authorization.

Enterprise Considerations

Classify the artifact, restrict sensitive architecture details, require owner review, and preserve revision history.

Checklist

• All variables are resolved
• Scope and exclusions are explicit
• Commands and references are valid
• No secrets are present
• Owner and freshness are recorded

Changelog

• 1.0.0 (2026-07-16): Initial project context template.