# Checkpoint > [Utilities] Use when you need to save analysis context to a checkpoint file for recovery (user-facing alias for memory-management Part 1 CHECKPOINT_CREATE). - Skill: `duc01226/checkpoint-3` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add duc01226/checkpoint-3` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/duc01226/checkpoint-3/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: duc01226 (https://skillmd.com/u/duc01226) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/duc01226/checkpoint-3 --- ## Quick Summary **Goal:** Save current analysis context and progress to an external file for recovery after context loss. **Workflow:** 1. **Gather Context** — task state, key findings (with `file:line`), files analyzed/modified, progress, decisions, next steps, open questions 2. **Write Checkpoint** — save to `plans/reports/checkpoint-{timestamp}-{slug}.md` following the CHECKPOINT_CREATE structure in `memory-management` Part 1 3. **Update Todos** — reflect checkpoint creation in task tracking **Key Rules:** - Canonical protocol + file template live in `memory-management` Part 1 (CHECKPOINT_CREATE) — do not duplicate the structure here; this skill is the command surface only - Save checkpoints every 30-60 minutes during complex tasks and before expected context compaction - Always include Recovery Instructions (which file to read, which line to resume from) **Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).** # Save Memory Checkpoint Save current analysis, findings, and progress to an external memory file to prevent context loss during long-running tasks. This is the user-invocable alias for `memory-management`'s checkpoint-create path. ## Usage Use this command when: - Working on complex multi-step tasks (investigation, planning, implementation) - Before expected context compaction - At key milestones during feature development - After completing significant analysis phases ## Checkpoint File Location Files are saved to: `plans/reports/checkpoint-{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md` (unified checkpoint grammar — the resume/recover readers glob `checkpoint-*` and parse this timestamp). ## Instructions 1. **Determine location** — stamp the filename via `date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S`; path `plans/reports/checkpoint-{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md`. 2. **Gather + write** — follow the **CHECKPOINT_CREATE Protocol** template in `.claude/skills/memory-management/SKILL.md` (Part 1 — the single canonical owner of the checkpoint structure). Required sections: Task Context, Key Findings (with `file:line`), Files Analyzed, Progress, Important Context, Next Steps, Recovery Instructions. 3. **Update todo list** — add `- [x] Create memory checkpoint at {timestamp}`. To **recover** from a checkpoint, use `/recover` (CHECKPOINT_RECOVER protocol). ## Best Practices 1. **Save checkpoints frequently** - Every 30-60 minutes during complex tasks 2. **Be specific** - Include file paths, line numbers, exact findings 3. **Document decisions** - Record why choices were made 4. **Link related files** - Reference other analysis documents 5. **Include recovery steps** - Make resumption easy ## Related Commands - `/recover` - Restore workflow context from the latest checkpoint (CHECKPOINT_RECOVER) - `/context` - Load project context - `/compact` - Manually trigger context compaction - `/watzup` - Generate progress summary --- > **[IMPORTANT]** Use `TaskCreate` to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip. > **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task: > > **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. > **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. > **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. > **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. > **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. > **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard. > **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. > **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure. > **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols. > **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. > **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. **MUST ATTENTION** apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (`file:line` for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence. **MUST ATTENTION** apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting. > **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `/.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`. > > Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently. **MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `/.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user. ## Closing Reminders **Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):** - **Critical Thinking:** MUST ATTENTION critical + sequential thinking; every claim traced, confidence >80% to act. - **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity. - **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** break work into small todo tasks using `TaskCreate` BEFORE starting - **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** search codebase for 3+ similar patterns before creating new code - **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** cite `file:line` evidence for every claim (confidence >80% to act) - **MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** add a final review todo task to verify work quality **[TASK-PLANNING]** Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using TaskCreate.