/headline

Overview

AI replies often bury the result under a recap of what was done and why. Headline asks for the answer first, in plain sentences. It isn't a terse "caveman" style: grammar stays, filler goes. Code, commands, and paths are never shortened.

The Rules

This exact block is written to your instructions file, markers included:

<!-- headline:start -->
## Response Style (headline)

- Lead with the result or answer.
- Don't narrate reasoning or recap what you did.
- Plain sentences; tables only when comparing.
- Ask with options, not open-ended questions.
- Say plainly when something failed or was skipped.
- Code, commands, and paths stay complete — only prose gets shorter.
<!-- headline:end -->

How It Stays On

A skill only runs when it's invoked, so the rules live in a file every session loads. ck install writes the block into:

• AGENTS.md, the canonical home
• The files that mirror AGENTS.md for tools that may not read it: .github/copilot-instructions.md, .windsurfrules, CONVENTIONS.md
• CLAUDE.md only if it doesn't import @AGENTS.md, so Claude never reads it twice

Everything between <!-- headline:start --> and <!-- headline:end --> is managed. The rest of the file is left alone.

On, Off, Pause

In Codex, use $headline.

Opting Out

Skip it at install time:

Or toggle it for the project in .contextkit/config.yml:

headline: false

Apply the change with ck update --force or ck <platform> (for example ck claude). Both regenerate files and add or remove the block. Plain ck update exits early when there's no new version.

Teams Without ContextKit

Headline doesn't need ContextKit. Two ways to share it:

<!-- headline:start -->
## Response Style (headline)

- Lead with the result or answer.
- Don't narrate reasoning or recap what you did.
- Plain sentences; tables only when comparing.
- Ask with options, not open-ended questions.
- Say plainly when something failed or was skipped.
- Code, commands, and paths stay complete — only prose gets shorter.
<!-- headline:end -->