cleanroom

Cleanroom

Launch an isolated background agent with no conversation context. You craft a detailed, self-contained prompt using your full context, then dispatch a read-only agent that sees only that prompt.

Process

digraph cleanroom {
    "Has argument?" [shape=diamond];
    "Infer task from conversation" [shape=box];
    "Gather context" [shape=box];
    "Craft decontextualized prompt" [shape=box];
    "Launch background agent" [shape=box];
    "Confirm to user" [shape=doublecircle];

    "Has argument?" -> "Gather context" [label="yes"];
    "Has argument?" -> "Infer task from conversation" [label="no"];
    "Infer task from conversation" -> "Gather context";
    "Gather context" -> "Craft decontextualized prompt";
    "Craft decontextualized prompt" -> "Launch background agent";
    "Launch background agent" -> "Confirm to user";
}

1. Parse intent: Use $ARGUMENTS if provided. If empty, infer the analysis task from conversation context — or ask the user if unclear.
2. Gather context: Read relevant files, search the codebase, run read-only commands — collect everything the background agent will need to understand the task without any conversation history.
3. Craft the prompt: Write a fully self-contained prompt following the decontextualization rules below.
4. Dispatch: Launch via Agent tool with run_in_background: true and subagent_type: "general-purpose".
5. Confirm: Tell the user what you dispatched in 1-2 sentences, then continue the conversation.

Decontextualization Rules

The prompt you craft is the ONLY thing the background agent sees. It has zero conversation history.

Rule	Violation Example	Correct Example
Self-contained	"the file we discussed"	Full path: /Users/foo/.local/share/chezmoi/dot_zshrc.tmpl
Specific	"check the config"	"Analyze private_dot_ssh/private_config.tmpl for..."
Inline critical code	"look at the function"	Include the actual code snippet in the prompt
Explicit goal	"review this"	"Evaluate whether X handles Y. Return findings as..."
Scoped	(no boundaries)	"In scope: X, Y. Out of scope: Z."
Read-only	(no constraints)	"You may only read and search. Do not write or modify anything."

Prompt Template

Structure every crafted prompt like this:

You are a clean room analyst. You have NO prior context about this project or conversation.

## Constraints
- You are READ-ONLY. Use Read, Grep, Glob, and read-only Bash commands only.
- Do NOT use Write, Edit, MultiEdit, or any destructive Bash commands.
- Do NOT create files, modify files, or take any actions — only analyze and report.

## Background
[What the project/codebase is, relevant architecture, key files — everything
the agent needs to orient itself without conversation history]

## Task
[Exactly what to analyze, what questions to answer]

## Scope
- In scope: [specific files, directories, concerns]
- Out of scope: [what to ignore]

## Expected Output
[Format: structured report, severity ratings, numbered findings, etc.]

Common Mistakes

• Leaking context: Using pronouns or references that only make sense with conversation history. Read your prompt as if you know nothing.
• Under-specifying: Saying "check for issues" instead of naming specific concerns. The agent can't read your mind.
• Over-inlining: Pasting entire large files instead of the relevant sections. Include what's needed, not everything.
• Forgetting read-only: Always include the constraints section. The agent has full tool access by default — the prompt is the only enforcement mechanism.