agent summarized the MSA but never saw the DPA - the appendix dump ate the context window first

TL;DR: Stop feeding the document front-to-back. Extract the table of contents or section map first, then load the high-value sections (exhibits, DPA, order forms, defined terms) before the boilerplate appendices, and budget context per section. The agent was reading linearly, so the appendix dump consumed the window and the DPA never got loaded.

agent summarized the MSA but never saw the DPA  -  the appendix dump ate the context window first

1. Prove the DPA never entered context. Check the agent's transcript or context log for the DPA's heading text or any DPA-specific term like "sub-processor". Expected: zero hits, confirming the section was never loaded rather than loaded and ignored.

1. Build a section map before loading content. Parse headings (or the table of contents page) into a list of sections with page ranges, then tag each section by priority: operative clauses and schedules high, appendices and boilerplate exhibits low. Expected: a ranked section list with the DPA and order forms near the top.

1. Load sections in priority order with a per-section budget. Give the DPA, exhibits, and order forms their own reserved slice of context, and cap low-priority appendices at a small fraction. Expected: the agent's context contains the DPA text even when the full appendix set does not fit.

1. Re-run the summary and check coverage. Ask the agent explicitly which sections it read, and verify the DPA, exhibits, and main body are all represented. Expected: the summary now cites DPA terms (data processing, sub-processors, breach notification) alongside the MSA terms.

1. Make coverage auditable going forward. Have the agent emit the section list it actually loaded with every summary, and flag any priority section that got skipped. Expected: a skipped DPA shows up as a loud warning, never as a silent gap again.

Use this when

• the agent summarizes the main agreement but never mentions exhibits, schedules, or the DPA
• long documents with big appendix sections produce summaries that stop at the body
• you suspect tail content is being dropped but there is no error or warning
• the agent answers DPA questions with "not found in the document" when the DPA is clearly attached

Not for this skill when

• the DPA is a separate file the pipeline never ingested (that is a document-collection problem, not a context-ordering problem)
• the document fits comfortably in context and the agent still misses the DPA (check the extraction or retrieval step instead)
• the agent read the DPA but misinterpreted it (check the answering logic, not the loading order)

Variant phrasings

• agent never loaded the data processing addendum because appendices filled the context window
• summary covered the MSA body but skipped every exhibit and schedule
• context window filled with boilerplate before reaching the order form
• agent said the contract had no DPA but it was in the appendix

Why it happens

Most pipelines feed documents front-to-back, and contract bodies are front-loaded with the sections drafters read first. But the sections that change the deal terms (DPA, order forms, pricing schedules) live at the back. When the window fills linearly, the tail is what gets cut, and nothing warns you because the agent happily summarizes whatever it did see.

Edge cases

• Some DPAs are separate PDFs bundled in a zip. The section map must cover the whole bundle, not just the first file.
• A "priority" section can itself be huge (a 40-page pricing schedule). Budget per section and summarize oversized sections separately rather than loading them raw.
• If the counterparty reorders sections between versions, rebuild the section map per version. A stale map will misroute the budget to the wrong pages.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_CtLsvaGyeUWb-aJvFiqO6Q