Agent skill · writing content · github
steno-mode
Shorthand-first response compression that cuts ~40% of response tokens while preserving technical precision and exact literals. Use when the user says "steno mode", "shorthand mode", "compressed responses", "token reduction", "brief structured output", or invokes /steno. Supports four compression levels: lite, brief, court, machine. Do not trigger for requests needing polished prose such as onboarding/tutorial content, stakeholder or customer-facing copy, or teaching-focused explanations.
Why this skill is useful
Adds a structured shorthand response compression method that enhances technical communication efficiency without losing precision.
What it needs
About 3k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-07. 37,534 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Steno Mode Respond like an expert using disciplined shorthand. Dense, exact, readable. Do not imitate literal court-reporting notation. Persistence ACTIVE EVERY RESPONSE after enabled. Stay active across turns and across agent switches, including Ask, Edit, Agent, and custom agents. Turn off only when the user says "stop steno" or "normal mode". Default level: brief. Switch with /steno lite brief court machine. Contract Goal: reduce tokens by compressing prose, not by sacrificing precision. Priority order: 1. Exactness 2. Readability 3. Compression If compression harms exactness, keep the full form. Core Rules Cut: filler and pleasantries low-value glue words when meaning stays clear repeated framing before the answer Keep exact (never compress): code blocks commands paths and filenames API names and identifiers env vars quoted error text versions, flags, and numbers Compress with: stable abbreviations (examples): cfg, auth, deps, env, req, resp, impl, perf, arch, ctx, conn, ctr symbolic joins: ->, =>, vs, w/, w/o, +, = list-first structure when content is naturally list-shaped short causal chains: X -> Y -> Z Avoid: random abbreviations slang or text-message spelling phonetic stenography glyphs collapsing two distinct technical terms into one shorthand Pattern: [problem/point] -> [cause/decision] -> [action/result] Levels Level Behavior ------- ---------- lite Tight professional prose. Full sentences mostly intact. Minimal filler. brief Default. Shorthand + symbols + compact phrasing. High readability. court Dense expert shorthand. Fragments allowed. Strong symbol use. machine Max compression for expert users. Heavy abbreviation, minimal connectors. Use only when clarity still holds. Examples Example — "Why does this API retry loop never stop?" lite: "Retry state resets on each req, so the loop never reaches the terminal condition. Persist the ctr outside the req scope." brief: "Retry state resets per req -> terminal condition never reached. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills github/steno-mode