Select fingerprint guidance by applicability

[nahiyankhan]

Category: improvement
User Impact: Agents select brand guidance by whether it applies to the task instead of relying on vague relevance or arbitrary pull counts.
Problem: ghost gather looked task-filtered even though it emitted the complete catalog, and its weak instruction left selection, pull behavior, and fingerprint silence underspecified.
Solution: Make the complete, unfiltered, unranked contract explicit; select every applicable node and no inapplicable node; direct agents through ghost pull; expose concrete payload types.

Validation:

• pnpm test: 175 passed, 1 skipped
• pnpm exec vitest run packages/ghost/test/cli.test.ts packages/ghost/test/ghost-core/catalog-assemble.test.ts: 69 passed, 1 skipped after rebasing onto current main
• pnpm --filter @design-intelligence/ghost build: passed
• pnpm typecheck: passed
• pnpm exec biome check .: passed
• pnpm check:terminology: passed
• pnpm check:cli-manifest: passed
• pnpm check:release-workflows: passed
• pnpm check: blocked only at check:packed-package by repeated artifact-registry ECONNRESET; all remaining local checks passed individually
• Release (next) smoke publish: @design-intelligence/ghost@0.0.0-next-20260715121453

Changeset: added as a minor change.

Ghost Review:

• ghost check --base main: not run because this CLI has no check command
• ghost review --base main --include-memory: not run because --include-memory is not supported by the current review command
• Read-only Ghost-focused review: ready, 2/10 smell rating, no substantive findings

File changes

.changeset/gather-applicability-fences.md
Records the public gather-contract and fence-safety change.

CLAUDE.md
Aligns repository agent guidance with applicability-based gather selection.

apps/docs/.ghost/pattern.docs-index-card-grid.md
Updates the docs fingerprint example away from the retired gather phrasing.

apps/docs/src/app/tools/scan/page.tsx
Updates the scan tool description to explain applicable-node selection.

apps/docs/src/content/docs/cli-reference.mdx
Documents the complete menu, applicability contract, explicit pull step, and silence handling.

apps/docs/src/content/docs/fingerprint-authoring.mdx
Teaches descriptions as condition-bearing retrieval payloads.

apps/docs/src/content/docs/getting-started.mdx
Updates the gather-to-pull workflow and artifact-versus-menu terminology.

apps/docs/src/content/docs/troubleshooting.mdx
Explains how to diagnose applicability and description failures.

apps/docs/src/generated/cli-manifest.json
Regenerates the public CLI manifest for the updated gather help text.

docs/purposes.md
Aligns architectural purpose text with applicability-based selection.

packages/context-control/lib/model.mjs
Removes count-based selection doctrine from the context-control selector prompt.

packages/ghost/src/commands/command-discovery.ts
Updates gather command discovery copy.

packages/ghost/src/commands/gather-command.ts
Emits the markdown and JSON applicability contract, cover status, silence behavior, and payload breakdown.

packages/ghost/src/commands/pull-command.ts
Uses dynamically sized Markdown fences for inlined materials and Skeletons.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/catalog/assemble.ts
Derives substantial fenced-example metadata separately from Skeleton content.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/catalog/menu.ts
Adds fenced-example metadata to menu entries.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/catalog/types.ts
Carries the additive payload metadata in catalog node types.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/index.ts
Exports the substantial fenced-example helper.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/node/index.ts
Exports the node-level helper through the node module.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/node/steering.ts
Defines substantial fenced examples as fences outside Skeleton sections.

packages/ghost/src/ghost-core/node/types.ts
Aligns node frontmatter typing with preserved passthrough metadata.

packages/ghost/src/init-payloads/skeleton/brand.md
Distinguishes cover delivery status from universal applicability.

packages/ghost/src/scan/fingerprint-package-lint.ts
Aligns description diagnostics with applicability-based retrieval.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/SKILL.md
Updates the core skill contract for gather, pull, and silence.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/blocks.md
Clarifies how concrete payloads support applicable guidance.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/brief.md
Removes arbitrary pull-count guidance and briefs from applicable nodes instead.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/capture.md
Teaches authors to state what a node governs and when it applies.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/recall.md
Updates recall to select every applicable node and use ghost pull.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/schema.md
Documents the additive menu metadata and selection contract.

packages/ghost/src/skill-bundle/references/steering-audit.md
Aligns audit language with gather payload labels and existing pulse output.

packages/ghost/test/cli.test.ts
Covers gather contracts, payload labels, cover state, silence, and nested fence safety.

packages/ghost/test/ghost-core/catalog-assemble.test.ts
Verifies Skeleton-only nodes are not double-classified as fenced examples.

Screenshots/Demos: N/A; this changes CLI and machine-readable output rather than a visual surface.