Manage the Context Window
Clear between tasks, compact with a note on what to keep, and send big searches to subagents.
Where you'll practice this
One Promptles scenario teaches this principle directly.
Keep the Context Clean
`/context` shows the context window 78% full, three hours into a session changing how Billbird rounds invoice money; most of it is file reads and test output from earlier. Before changing the rule, you need every place across the monorepo's 400 files that rounds or formats…
Other principles in Multi-Step
Ask for a Plan First
For multi-file work, ask for a plan first: files, risks, and open questions. Approve it, then let Claude edit.
Break the Workflow into Steps
Describe each stage and what it hands on, and have Claude test each one before connecting the next.
Check Before You Build
Search the marketplaces you trust before building, then recommend adopt, adapt, or build with reasons.
Coordinate Across Files
For a change across many parts, say what differs between them, not just 'add it everywhere'.
Course-Correct Early
Interrupt as soon as Claude drifts and say exactly what to change. Waiting for a wrong approach to finish costs more.
Delegate to a Subagent
Send big searches to a subagent with a clear brief: what to find, no edits, and the shape of the report.