Context Pattern — Failures

Pattern: Context
Component: failures.md
Version: 1.1 | Updated: 2026-07-16

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Failure 1: Whole-repo dump

Symptom: Package is huge; agent ignores the three relevant files.
Cause: No ranking or hard budget.
Recovery: Re-run seed→expand→trim with MAX_BYTES; delete the dump.

Failure 2: Missing call sites

Symptom: Planner designs a duplicate helper that already exists.
Cause: Included implementation but not importers/routes.
Recovery: Expand call sites; add route registration and existing helper to package.

Failure 3: Secrets in context

Symptom: Hook or DLP flags keys; or worse, package already shared.
Cause: No scrubber / exclusion rules.
Recovery: Destroy package; rotate credentials if exposed; fix rules; re-assemble.

Failure 4: Stale excerpts

Symptom: Agent codes against deleted APIs.
Cause: Cached package from an old branch.
Recovery: Regenerate from current HEAD; pin package to commit SHA.

Failure 5: Budget theater

Symptom: Tiny package missing critical schema; agent invents columns.
Cause: Over-trimmed to look “efficient.”
Recovery: Raise budget for schema+contracts; never omit the contract surface for data changes.