# Memory Management > [Utilities] Use when saving or recovering task progress across sessions via file checkpoints, especially before compaction. - Skill: `duc01226/memory-management-2` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add duc01226/memory-management-2` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/duc01226/memory-management-2/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: duc01226 (https://skillmd.com/u/duc01226) - Updated: 2026-09-21 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/duc01226/memory-management-2 --- ## Quick Summary **Goal:** Persist task progress across sessions using file-based checkpoints so work survives context loss and compaction. **Workflow:** 1. **File Checkpoints** — Save task-specific context to `plans/reports/checkpoint-*.md` every 30-60 min 2. **Recovery** — On context loss, find latest checkpoint via Glob, read it, resume from documented next steps **Key Rules:** - Create checkpoints before expected context compaction and at key milestones - Always include Recovery Instructions in checkpoint files - Checkpoints are file-based and permanent; create them with `/checkpoint`, restore with `/recover` **Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).** # Memory Management & Task Continuity Provide external file-based checkpoints for long-running tasks so progress, findings, and next steps survive context loss and compaction. --- ## File-Based External Memory (Checkpoints) ### When to Create File Checkpoints - Starting complex multi-step tasks (investigation, planning, implementation) - Every 30-60 minutes during long tasks - At key milestones - Before expected context compaction - After completing significant analysis phases ### Checkpoint File Location Files saved to: `plans/reports/checkpoint-{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md` ### CHECKPOINT_CREATE Protocol Create a checkpoint file with this structure: ```markdown # Memory Checkpoint: {Task Description} > Created: {ISO timestamp} > Task Type: {investigation|planning|bugfix|feature|docs} > Phase: {current phase number/name} ## Task Context {What you're working on and why} ## Key Findings {Critical discoveries and insights - be specific with file paths and line numbers} ## Files Analyzed | File | Purpose | Status | | ----------------- | ----------- | -------- | | path/file.cs:line | description | ✅/🔄/⏳ | ## Progress - [x] Completed items - [ ] In-progress items - [ ] Remaining items ## Important Context {Information that must be preserved - decisions, assumptions, rationale} ## Next Steps 1. {Immediate next action} 2. {Following action} ## Recovery Instructions {Exact steps to resume: which file to read, which line to continue from} ``` ### CHECKPOINT_RECOVER Protocol When recovering from a checkpoint: 1. Search for latest checkpoint: `Glob("plans/reports/checkpoint-*.md")` 2. Read the checkpoint file 3. Load any referenced analysis files 4. Review Progress section 5. Continue from documented Next Steps 6. Create new checkpoint after resuming ### Checkpoint Before Compaction (manual — no auto hook) There is **no** automatic PreCompact checkpoint hook. Before a long task that risks compaction, create a checkpoint manually with `/checkpoint`. On resume, static `CLAUDE.md` / `SKILL.md` re-read plus `/recover` over the on-disk checkpoint restores context. --- ## Integration with Workflows ### Long-Running Task Memory Pattern All long-running workflows should follow this pattern: ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ TASK START │ │ └── Create initial checkpoint with task context │ │ └── Initialize todo list │ │ │ │ EVERY 20-30 OPERATIONS │ │ └── Update checkpoint with progress │ │ └── Update todo list status │ │ │ │ MILESTONE REACHED │ │ └── Create detailed checkpoint │ │ │ │ BEFORE COMPACTION (no auto hook - /checkpoint) │ │ └── Create a checkpoint manually │ │ │ │ AFTER COMPACTION / SESSION RESUME │ │ └── Read latest checkpoint │ │ └── Continue from documented Next Steps │ │ │ │ TASK COMPLETE │ │ └── Final checkpoint with summary │ │ └── Clean up temporary checkpoints │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` ### Checkpoint Naming Convention | Type | Format | Example | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Manual checkpoint | `checkpoint-{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md` | `checkpoint-20250106-143000-user-auth.md` | | Auto checkpoint | `checkpoint-{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md` | `checkpoint-20250106-143000-autosave.md` | | Analysis notes | `{type}-{date}-{slug}.md` | `analysis-250106-payment-flow.md` | | Task notes | `.ai/workspace/analysis/{slug}.analysis.md` | Used by feature | > **Legacy back-read:** checkpoints written before grammar unification — `memory-checkpoint-*.md`, or `checkpoint-{YYMMDD}-{HHMM}-{slug}.md` without seconds — are still discovered by `/recover`. No on-disk checkpoint is orphaned by the rename. (`/recover` is the sole discoverer — recovery is skill-driven.) ### Related Commands & Skills | Command/Skill | Purpose | | ------------------- | ----------------------------------- | | `/checkpoint` | Create manual memory checkpoint | | `/context` | Load project context | | `/compact` | Manually trigger context compaction | | `/watzup` | Generate progress summary | | `workflow-feature` | Uses task analysis notes pattern | | `debug-investigate` | Uses investigation logs | | `investigate` | Uses analysis report pattern | ## Related - `learn` - `context-optimization` --- > **[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 **IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):** - **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity. - **Critical Thinking:** sequential reasoning, traced `file:line` proof, confidence >80% to act, NEVER guess. - **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.