Upgrading Navigator 8.1.0: /nav judgment history and labeling

8.1.0 makes judgments reviewable and retains earlier fixes

Navigator is a third-party Claude Code plugin for project context and task management. Its current official repository is qf-studio/navigator, maintained by Aleks Petrov. The plugin can include skills and a Mod. Do not treat its version as the Claude Code version or as an Anthropic guarantee of its functionality or results.

In UTC, 8.0.0 was released on October 3, 2026 at 12:51, adding a Mod that runs inside Claude Code and the /nav panel. Version 8.0.1 at 18:29 that day fixed read-only turns being asked to continue. Version 8.1.0, released at 20:14, added Judge history and labeling and standardized current installation and update entry points on qf-studio. Check the full version before upgrading, not just “8.”

Existing users should upgrade; new users should add the source

For an existing installation, run claude plugin update navigator@navigator-marketplace in the terminal, then restart Claude Code. The author's new runtime logic notifies users of available updates but does not update itself automatically from a hook. An update notice does not mean the local installation changed. Record the current version and back up project task documents and configuration first.

For a new installation, follow the 8.1.0 README: run /plugin marketplace add qf-studio/navigator in a Claude Code session, then /plugin install navigator. The marketplace name remains navigator-marketplace. The author says the old alekspetrov/navigator path redirects and existing installations can still update, so the rename alone does not require uninstalling. After restarting, enter Initialize Navigator in this project in the target project, then Start my Navigator session. Inspect the files created by initialization before continuing.

Confirm three layers: host, plugin, and /nav

Run claude --version first; the Mod path requires 2.1.287 or later. In an interactive terminal, open /plugin and confirm Navigator is enabled at the correct version, then inspect the active Mod list. Enter /nav and check for project tasks and context information. Successful installation, Mod loading, and correct panel data are separate checkpoints.

Prefer the terminal for initial troubleshooting. Official Claude guidance says the VS Code extension's chat panel can run Mod hooks but does not render their panels. Headless sessions also cannot use a visible window as acceptance evidence. For general client and loading rules, consult “Using Claude Code Mods: enabled defaults, installation, and troubleshooting” in the sources, then return to Navigator-specific behavior.

Next submits a task; Park creates a file record

The Context card shows context usage and compaction timing notices. Next shows the goal and current step. Pressing n or Enter in that panel submits the next step as a prompt and may start further work. Read the task title and step before clicking and confirm that they match the current goal. The shortcut is not merely a details expansion.

When an off-track notice appears, Park saves the side topic as a task record, Back returns to the original path, and Switch changes the goal. Decide before submitting whether to defer the issue or formally change tasks. Some task and reading statistics expand after d; not every card is always visible. You can use Claude Code's own usage information without local Prometheus, so monitoring infrastructure is not a prerequisite for opening the panel.

Use j to review judgments, and distinguish y from x first

In 8.1.0, j expands Judge history in /nav, showing the latest eight judged prompts with timestamps, type, complexity, and ambiguity results. Read the original prompt and judgment before deciding to label it. This is not a complete chat history across all sessions.

The panel offers y and x only for the latest judgment when it is still unlabeled. y confirms the current judgment as a label; x records disagreement. These controls do not score any arbitrary historical entry, and x does not close the window. Labels are deduplicated by prompt text and default to ~/.config/navigator/judge-labels.json in the personal configuration directory. Check the actual path if a custom configuration directory is used.

After disagreement, the entry's tier is null and still requires a human to supply the true classification. It does not mean the model corrected itself or reran the task. A successful write should show a notice, a label marker, and the corresponding file entry. If could not write and a path appear, inspect write permissions for that path before assuming it was saved.

To inspect label counts, run python3 scripts/judge_label.py status --fixture ~/.config/navigator/judge-labels.json from an ordinary terminal at the plugin root. To complete disputed entries, replace status with label and make manual selections as prompted. If NAVIGATOR_CONFIG_HOME or XDG_CONFIG_HOME is configured, use the actual file path. The label file contains prompt text; review business material before sharing and do not assume secret-pattern replacement handled every sensitive item. This guide has not executed the third-party plugin locally.

If read-only turns will not stop, check the patch and trigger conditions first

The specific 8.0.1 fix concerns two sessions sharing a repository: events from another session affected the workspace summary saved for stop checks, potentially causing read-only turns to be asked to continue. The patch stores relevant summaries per session and adjusts read-only command recognition. The Mod path also uses Claude Code's read-only classification of Bash calls. It does not disable all stop checks.

After upgrading, recheck a previously affected project with a clearly read-only small task, such as explaining a configuration without editing files. Record whether it is still forced to continue and whether another session is using the same repository. If reproducible, retain the version, action sequence, and error wording for the author. Do not first delete runtime state, tasks, or memories under .agent and obscure the trigger conditions.

A Mod not loading does not mean Python can be removed

The author retains classic Python hooks as another runtime path. The published manifest still calls python3, and panel-related source uses Python graph tools. “Logic moved into a Mod” therefore does not mean “Python removed entirely.” For interpreter or script-path errors, identify the component named by the error before uninstalling old dependencies just because you upgraded to 8.

Whether classic hooks can still run with an older host or an inactive Mod also depends on host settings. In particular, disableAllHooks also stops personal settings hooks, so automatic Python fallback is not guaranteed in that state. Check organizational restrictions separately rather than attempting to bypass them with one switch. Inspect /plugin state and loading logs before deciding whether the issue is version, dependency, or policy.

Judge is optional: understand where prompts will be sent

Judge is an existing optional TypeSafe classification feature. It requires the relevant key and enablement configuration and sends prompts to an external API. It is not required to install Navigator or use /nav. Adding history and labeling in 8.1.0 does not enable Judge for the user. Related cards appear only after a judgment occurs. If history is absent, distinguish disabled Judge, no judgments yet, and an unloaded plugin.

Keep the first verification simple: check tasks, context, and read-only behavior before deciding whether another judging service is needed. Before handling client code or organizational material, confirm what may be sent and how the account is billed. Official release notes also mention different request paths under the nonessential-traffic switch. That switch alone does not establish that an enabled Judge makes no outbound requests.

Validate with small tasks before resuming the original work

Split acceptance into one read and one next-step task explicitly confirmed by the user. Check that /nav refers to the correct project, then confirm the content Next submits. If deferring a side topic, inspect the task record Park creates. Refreshing panel data does not establish correct code completion; inspect actual files and the project's own verification results.

To disable temporarily, disable Navigator in /plugin, understanding that other components in the same plugin are affected. Preserve task files and original configuration and send a minimal reproduction to the author, removing keys and unnecessary business content from logs. After restoring use, recheck the current task instead of treating an old panel's next step as fresh execution authorization.