# Reasoning Trace Recorder

> Auto-invokes for every Claude turn during active T4 task execution. Emits append-only trace events (file_read, output_claim, tool_call, decision) to .claude/plans/traces/{TASK_ID}.jsonl. Source of grounding-discipline checks. Disable: AF_TRACE_DISABLED=true.

- Skill: `nguyenthienthanh/reasoning-trace-recorder` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add nguyenthienthanh/reasoning-trace-recorder`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/nguyenthienthanh/reasoning-trace-recorder/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: nguyenthienthanh (https://skillmd.com/u/nguyenthienthanh)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/nguyenthienthanh/reasoning-trace-recorder

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# Reasoning Trace Recorder

Forensic reproducibility. Append-only; never calls an LLM, never edits plan files or prunes traces.

## Behavior

1. **Detect:** no `.claude/plans/active.json`, or `active.task` null, or `AF_TRACE_DISABLED=true` → exit silently
2. **Append** one JSON line per emitted event to `.claude/plans/traces/{TASK_ID}.jsonl` (one file per T4 task)

## Event types

`file_read` · `output_claim` (with `grounded: bool` + `grounded_by`) · `tool_call` · `tool_result` · `decision` · `phase_transition`.

**Grounding rule (spec §11.1):** an `output_claim` is grounded when ≥1 prior `file_read` in the same trace covers the named file/function/symbol. Ungrounded claims are flagged and surfaced via `/aura-frog:trace --hallucinations`.

## Budget

≤500 events per task target; >1000 events → `trace_overflow` flag via post-execute-update-node hook.

**Detail (JSON schema, per-type payload fields, tie-ins):** `skills/reasoning-trace-recorder/reference.md` — load on demand only.