When Should You Set `stripAnchors: false` in ADHD? 4 Key Scenarios

Set stripAnchors to false when you need incidental anchors—such as stack names, tool identifiers, or contextual tags—to remain in the problem statement sent to the LLM.

In the UditAkhourii/adhd repository, the stripAnchors flag determines whether the engine removes contextual metadata from a prompt before reframing it. By default, this value is true in src/engine.ts, which means the engine automatically strips incidental anchors and marks the output as changed: true. Knowing when to set stripAnchors: false ensures the LLM receives the exact context required for accurate reasoning.

What stripAnchors Controls

ADHD’s engine uses stripAnchors to sanitize problem statements by removing extraneous labels that could distract the LLM. When the flag is true, the processing logic in src/engine.ts detects and removes tags like stack or tool names, then logs that anchors were stripped. The flag definition lives in src/types.ts, where it is typed as a configurable boolean option.

When to Set stripAnchors: false

Disable anchor stripping in the following four scenarios.

Debugging and Inspecting Raw Prompts

Keep stripAnchors: false when you need to inspect the exact text passed to the LLM. Preserving raw anchors—such as "React" or "Docker"—makes it easier to trace unexpected output back to the original prompt.

Domain‑Specific Prompts Relying on Stack or Tool Names

Some workflows require explicit mention of a technology to guide the LLM’s reasoning. If your problem statement depends on keywords like "React" or "Kubernetes" to establish context, stripping them would remove critical information. Set stripAnchors: false so these identifiers remain intact.

Preserving Legal or Compliance Language

If a problem statement contains mandatory identifiers, citations, or regulated terms that must not be altered, disable stripping. This prevents the engine from accidentally removing language required for audit or compliance purposes.

Custom Pre‑Processing and Re‑Framing Logic

When you implement your own pre‑ or post‑processing pipelines that depend on specific anchors, turn off the built‑in stripping. This avoids double‑removal and ensures your custom logic operates on the original, unmodified text.

How to Configure stripAnchors

You can toggle this flag through the TypeScript API or the CLI. According to documentation/api.md, the stripAnchors option accepts a boolean that overrides the default behavior defined in src/engine.ts.

Use the run function from the adhd package and pass stripAnchors: false in the options object:

import { run } from "adhd";

await run({
  problem: "React: How do I handle state updates?",
  // Keep the stack name ("React") in the prompt
  stripAnchors: false,
});

On the command line, use the --no-anchor-strip flag handled in src/cli.ts. Omitting this flag leaves the default true behavior active:

# Disable stripping via CLI

adhd --problem "Docker: Explain layer caching" --no-anchor-strip

When stripAnchors is false, the engine skips anchor removal and does not emit the "↺ anchors stripped from problem" notice. The JSON output will not report changed: true for this modification.

Summary

• Default behavior: stripAnchors is true in src/engine.ts, so the engine removes incidental anchors automatically.
• Disable for debugging: Set stripAnchors: false to inspect raw prompts with stack or tool names intact.
• Disable for domain context: Keep anchors when explicit technology names guide LLM reasoning.
• Disable for compliance: Preserve mandatory identifiers that must not be altered.
• Disable for custom logic: Avoid double‑processing when your own pipeline handles anchors.
• Configuration: Use the stripAnchors option in the API or --no-anchor-strip in src/cli.ts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the default value of stripAnchors in ADHD?

The default value is true. According to src/engine.ts, the engine initializes the flag to strip incidental anchors unless you explicitly set stripAnchors: false or pass the --no-anchor-strip CLI option.

Does disabling anchor stripping affect JSON output?

Yes. When stripAnchors is true, the engine reports that anchors were stripped and sets changed: true in the JSON output. When set to false, the engine leaves the problem text unchanged and does not emit the stripping notice.

Where is the stripAnchors flag defined in the source code?

The flag is defined in src/types.ts as a boolean configuration option. The default value and processing logic are implemented in src/engine.ts, while src/cli.ts maps the --no-anchor-strip argument to the flag.

Can I use stripAnchors: false with the ADHD CLI?

Absolutely. The CLI supports disabling anchor stripping via the --no-anchor-strip flag, as implemented in src/cli.ts. This sets the internal stripAnchors value to false before the engine processes your problem statement.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}