Progressive disclosure
Providing only the information needed now while keeping deeper detail available on demand.
Illustrative conversation
- How can one repository guide cover five services without overwhelming every task?
- Use progressive disclosure: keep shared rules at the top level and link to service-specific guidance the agent loads on demand.
Definition
Progressive disclosure is a context-management pattern that starts an agent with a compact map and lets it retrieve deeper instructions or evidence as the task requires them. This reduces irrelevant tokens and context pollution without hiding necessary detail permanently. The layers still need clear names, reliable links, and good trigger guidance; otherwise the agent may never discover the information that would have changed its decision.
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