KevinZai $ccc-save-session — Save Session State
Capture everything that happened in this session — what was built, what worked, what failed, what is left — and write it to a dated file so the next session can pick up exactly where this one left off.
When to Use
- End of a work session before closing Claude Code
- Before hitting context limits (run this first, then start a fresh session)
- After solving a complex problem you want to remember
- Any time you need to hand off context to a future session
Process
Step 1: Gather context
Before writing the file, collect:
- Read all files modified during this session (use git diff or recall from conversation)
- Review what was discussed, attempted, and decided
- Note any errors encountered and how they were resolved (or not)
- Check current test/build status if relevant
Step 2: Create the sessions folder if it does not exist
mkdir -p ~/.claude/sessions
Step 3: Write the session file
Create ~/.claude/sessions/YYYY-MM-DD-<short-id>-session.tmp, using today's actual date and a short-id that satisfies these rules:
- Allowed characters: lowercase
a-z, digits0-9, hyphens- - Minimum length: 8 characters
- No uppercase letters, no underscores, no spaces
Valid examples: abc123de, frontend-worktree-1
Invalid examples: ABC123de (uppercase), short (under 8 chars), test_id1 (underscore)
Full valid filename example: 2024-01-15-abc123de-session.tmp
Step 4: Populate all sections
Write every section honestly. Do not omit any section — write "Nothing yet" or "N/A" if a section genuinely has no content. An incomplete file is worse than an honest empty section.
Step 5: Show the file to the user
After writing, display the full contents and ask:
Session saved to [actual resolved path to the session file]
Does this look accurate? Anything to correct or add before we close?
Wait for confirmation. Make edits if requested.
Session File Format
# Session: YYYY-MM-DD
**Started:** [approximate time if known]
**Last Updated:** [current time]
**Project:** [project name or path]
**Topic:** [one-line summary of what this session was about]
---
## What We Are Building
[1-3 paragraphs describing the feature, bug fix, or task. Include enough
context that someone with zero memory of this session can understand the goal.
Include: what it does, why it is needed, how it fits into the larger system.]
---
## What WORKED (with evidence)
[List only things that are confirmed working. For each item include WHY you
know it works — test passed, ran in browser, Postman returned 200, etc.
Without evidence, move it to "Not Tried Yet" instead.]
- **[thing that works]** — confirmed by: [specific evidence]
If nothing is confirmed working yet: "Nothing confirmed working yet — all approaches still in progress or untested."
---
## What Did NOT Work (and why)
[This is the most important section. List every approach tried that failed.
For each failure write the EXACT reason so the next session does not retry it.
Be specific: "threw X error because Y" is useful. "did not work" is not.]
- **[approach tried]** — failed because: [exact reason / error message]
If nothing failed: "No failed approaches yet."
---
## What Has NOT Been Tried Yet
[Approaches that seem promising but have not been attempted. Ideas from the
conversation. Alternative solutions worth exploring.]
- [approach / idea]
If nothing is queued: "No specific untried approaches identified."
---
## Current State of Files
[Every file touched this session. Be precise about what state each file is in.]
| File | Status | Notes |
| ----------------- | -------------- | -------------------------- |
| `path/to/file.ts` | Done | [what it does] |
| `path/to/file.ts` | In Progress | [what is done, what is left] |
| `path/to/file.ts` | Broken | [what is wrong] |
| `path/to/file.ts` | Not Started | [planned but not touched] |
If no files were touched: "No files modified this session."
---
## Decisions Made
[Architecture choices, tradeoffs accepted, approaches chosen and why.
These prevent the next session from relitigating settled decisions.]
- **[decision]** — reason: [why this was chosen over alternatives]
If no significant decisions: "No major decisions made this session."
---
## Blockers and Open Questions
[Anything unresolved that the next session needs to address or investigate.
Questions that came up but were not answered. External dependencies waiting on.]
- [blocker / open question]
If none: "No active blockers."
---
## Exact Next Step
[If known: The single most important thing to do when resuming. Be precise
enough that resuming requires zero thinking about where to start.]
[If not known: "Next step not determined — review 'What Has NOT Been Tried Yet'
and 'Blockers' sections to decide on direction before starting."]
---
## Environment and Setup Notes
[Only fill this if relevant — commands needed to run the project, env vars
required, services that need to be running, etc. Skip if standard setup.]
[If none: omit this section entirely.]
Notes
- Each session gets its own file — never append to a previous session's file
- The "What Did NOT Work" section is the most critical — future sessions will blindly retry failed approaches without it
- If the user asks to save mid-session, save what is known so far and mark in-progress items clearly
- The file is meant to be read by Claude at the start of the next session via
$ccc-resume-session - Use the canonical global session store:
~/.claude/sessions/ - Prefer the short-id filename form for any new session file to avoid same-day collisions
⚙️ Fable contract: plan before build · verifier ≠ worker · prove before alarm · loops need gates · leave durable state —
rules/fable-method.md