staircase-routing · diff
v1.0.0 to v1.0.0
1 added, 0 removed. Audit A to A.
---
name: staircase-routing
version: 1.0.0
type: skill
author: Lukas Geiger + Gemini (Antigravity)
created: 2026-07-29
updated: 2026-07-29
description: >
Isolated navigation and routing strategy that searches upward and downward
through directory hierarchies for signpost documents (CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md,
README.md, RULES.md) and user-configurable buzzwords (via staircase-config.json
or config.json). Also known as Up-and-Down Routing or Walking Bass Routing.
standalone: true
anthropic_compatible: true
bach_compatible: true
bach_origin: false
category: infrastructure
tags: [routing, staircase-routing, up-and-down-routing, walking-bass-routing, signpost, navigation, directory-traversal]
language: en
status: active
+ visibility: public
dependencies:
tools: []
services: []
protocols: []
python: []
provenance:
origin: "custom"
origin_path: null
origin_version: null
origin_repo: "github.com/ellmos-ai/skills"
---
<img src="banner.png" width="100%" alt="staircase-routing banner">
# Staircase-Routing (Up-and-Down / Walking Bass Routing)
The **Staircase-Routing** skill (also referred to as *Up-and-Down Routing* or *Walking Bass Routing*) isolates the directory document inspection strategy for AI agents.
When an agent enters a directory or works on a file, it uses this strategy to locate authoritative context, rules, and signpost documents before modifying code or taking action.
---
## 1. Signpost Document Standards
By default, Staircase-Routing looks for standard signpost documents:
- **Global & Project Controls:** `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `START.md`, `RULES.md`
- **Project Overview & Tasks:** `README.md`, `TODO.md`, `NOTIZ.md`, `BEWEISNOTIZ.md`
- **Custom User Buzzwords:** Configured via `staircase-config.json` or `config.json`.
---
## 2. Traversal Algorithm
```
[ Root / Workspace Level ]
┌────────────────────────┐
│ CLAUDE.md / RULES.md │ ◄── (Step 2: Read Root Signpost)
└───────────▲────────────┘
│ (Staircase Up)
┌───────────┴────────────┐
│ Subfolder / Target Dir │ ◄── (Step 1: Start at CWD)
└───────────┬────────────┘
│ (Staircase Down)
┌───────────▼────────────┐
│ Child / Module Dir │ ◄── (Step 3: Discover Sub-Signposts)
│ module-rules.md │
└────────────────────────┘
```
### Step 1: Current Working Directory (CWD) Inspection
- Inspect the directory of the target file or active working directory.
- If signpost documents exist, read them immediately.
### Step 2: Upward Traversal (Staircase Up)
- If **no** signpost document is found in CWD, move up to the parent directory (`..`).
- Repeat step-by-step upward until a root signpost document (`CLAUDE.md` or `AGENTS.md`) or the workspace boundary is reached.
- Read all discovered root signposts to establish global directives and project rules.
### Step 3: Downward Inspection (Staircase Down)
- From the established root directory, step downward into child directories relevant to the task.
- Discover specialized module-level signposts, domain rules, or component configs. Read them.
---
## 3. User-Configurable Buzzwords (`staircase-config.json`)
Agents can read a local or global `staircase-config.json` to customize target signposts:
```json
{
"signpost_filenames": [
"CLAUDE.md",
"AGENTS.md",
"START.md",
"RULES.md",
"README.md",
"TODO.md"
],
"custom_buzzwords": [
"SECURITY",
"POLICY",
"GOVERNANCE",
"PIPELINE"
],
"max_upward_depth": 10,
"exclude_directories": [
"node_modules",
".git",
"__pycache__",
"dist",
"build",
"archive"
]
}
```
---
## 4. Integration with `letter-hooker` & Scheduled Tasks
`staircase-routing` is embedded as a core preflight bootloader in the **`letter-hooker`** skill and the **`antigravity-kontext-and-workflow-loader-and-divider`** scheduled task, ensuring agents always locate and obey signpost documents before initiating edits.