How do I install the Session Log skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add flonat/session-log in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Session Log safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Session Log?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Session Log free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Session Log?

flonat (@flonat) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Session Log by flonat — Agent Skill

Name: Session Log
Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Author: flonat

Session Log

Create a timestamped research-session progress log that records completed work, evidence, decisions, and next steps. Use when closing or checkpointing substantive project work that needs a durable chronology. Not for saving one reusable finding; use $store-insight.

flonat Updated Sep 10, 2026

File contents

Session Log Skill

Automatically create timestamped progress logs for research sessions.

Purpose

Based on Scott Cunningham's session workflow: “Progress logs are my autosave of the workflow.” When sessions end or crash, the next AI client can read logs and pick up exactly where you left off.

When to Use

At the end of any significant work session, or when asked to "log this session" or "update progress".

Workflow

Step 1: Identify Projects Touched

Before writing anything, inventory which projects were affected during this session. A "project" is any directory with its own CLAUDE.md or log/ directory. Common splits:

Scope	Where the log goes
Work inside a specific project	That project's `log/`
Global infrastructure (skills, hooks, rules, settings)	Task Management's `log/`
Course/module-level changes (reorganisation, new CLAUDE.md)	That module's `log/`

Signs of a multi-project session:

Files changed in AI client infrastructure (skills, hooks, settings) → global/infrastructure log
Files changed in the CWD project → project-specific log
Files changed in a parent or sibling directory → check if that's a separate project

Step 2: Create One Log Per Project

For each project identified in Step 1:

Read existing context — check that project's .context/current-focus.md and recent log/ entries
Create log/ directory if it doesn't exist
Write the log to log/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md within that project
Scope the content — each log only covers what happened in that project, not the whole session

If there's only one project, this reduces to a single log (the common case).

Step 3: Cross-Reference

When multiple logs are created, add a brief cross-reference at the top of each:

> Also logged: [other project name] — `[relative or absolute path to other log]`

This lets a future session in one project discover that related work happened elsewhere.

Step 4: Offer Follow-Up

Offer to run update-focus for a structured update (session rotation, open loops), rather than making ad-hoc edits to current-focus.md
If multiple projects were touched, offer to update focus for each

Log Template

# Session Log: [Date] [Time]

## Project: [Project Name]

## What We Did
- [Bullet points of accomplishments]

## Key Decisions
- [Any choices made and why]

## Problems/Blockers
- [Issues encountered]

## Next Steps
- [ ] [Actionable next items]

## Files Changed
- [List of modified files — only those in THIS project]

Examples

Single-project session

"Please log this session — we worked on the research paper, fixed the simulation code, and decided to target Journal B instead of Journal A."

→ One log in the MCDM project's log/

Multi-project session

"Please log this session — we did Workshop 17, reorganised the module folder, and created two new global skills."

→ Three logs:

Module project log/ — workshop completion, reorganisation, CLAUDE.md creation
Task Management log/ — new skills (init-project-course, audit-project-course), new hook (ensure-latexmkrc.sh), settings.json changes

---name: session-logdescription: Create a timestamped research-session progress log that records completed work, evidence, decisions, and next steps. Use when closing or checkpointing substantive project work that needs a durable chronology. Not for saving one reusable finding; use $store-insight.---# Session Log Skill> Automatically create timestamped progress logs for research sessions.## PurposeBased on Scott Cunningham's session workflow: “Progress logs are my autosave of the workflow.” When sessions end or crash, the next AI client can read logs and pick up exactly where you left off.## When to UseAt the end of any significant work session, or when asked to "log this session" or "update progress".## Workflow### Step 1: Identify Projects TouchedBefore writing anything, inventory which projects were affected during this session. A "project" is any directory with its own `CLAUDE.md` or `log/` directory. Common splits:| Scope | Where the log goes ||-------|--------------------|| Work inside a specific project | That project's `log/` || Global infrastructure (skills, hooks, rules, settings) | Task Management's `log/` || Course/module-level changes (reorganisation, new CLAUDE.md) | That module's `log/` |**Signs of a multi-project session:**- Files changed in AI client infrastructure (skills, hooks, settings) → global/infrastructure log- Files changed in the CWD project → project-specific log- Files changed in a parent or sibling directory → check if that's a separate project### Step 2: Create One Log Per ProjectFor each project identified in Step 1:1. **Read existing context** — check that project's `.context/current-focus.md` and recent `log/` entries2. **Create `log/` directory** if it doesn't exist3. **Write the log** to `log/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md` within that project4. **Scope the content** — each log only covers what happened in that project, not the whole sessionIf there's only one project, this reduces to a single log (the common case).### Step 3: Cross-ReferenceWhen multiple logs are created, add a brief cross-reference at the top of each:```markdown> Also logged: [other project name] — `[relative or absolute path to other log]````This lets a future session in one project discover that related work happened elsewhere.### Step 4: Offer Follow-Up- **Offer to run `update-focus`** for a structured update (session rotation, open loops), rather than making ad-hoc edits to `current-focus.md`- If multiple projects were touched, offer to update focus for each## Log Template```markdown# Session Log: [Date] [Time]## Project: [Project Name]## What We Did- [Bullet points of accomplishments]## Key Decisions- [Any choices made and why]## Problems/Blockers- [Issues encountered]## Next Steps- [ ] [Actionable next items]## Files Changed- [List of modified files — only those in THIS project]```## Examples### Single-project session"Please log this session — we worked on the research paper, fixed the simulation code, and decided to target Journal B instead of Journal A."→ One log in the MCDM project's `log/`### Multi-project session"Please log this session — we did Workshop 17, reorganised the module folder, and created two new global skills."→ Three logs:1. **Module project** `log/` — workshop completion, reorganisation, CLAUDE.md creation2. **Task Management** `log/` — new skills (`init-project-course`, `audit-project-course`), new hook (`ensure-latexmkrc.sh`), settings.json changes

Frequently asked questions