# Pause Current Work

> Create a named checkpoint of current work to enable easy resumption later.

- Skill: `tools-only/pause-current-work` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tools-only/pause-current-work`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tools-only/pause-current-work/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-29
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/pause-current-work

---

# Pause Current Work

Create a named checkpoint of current work to enable easy resumption later.

## Command Argument Handling

This command supports an optional pause reason/name:

**Usage:**
- `/pause` - Pause with auto-generated name
- `/pause "switching to urgent bug"` - Pause with custom reason
- `/pause working on feature X, need to context switch` - Pause with description

## What This Does

This command creates explicit pause checkpoints for all in-progress tasks, making it easy to resume exactly where you left off even after working on other initiatives.

**Key differences from regular checkpoints:**
- **Explicit intent**: User-initiated pause vs automatic checkpoints
- **Extended expiry**: Manual checkpoints last longer than auto-checkpoints
- **Named/contextualized**: Optional reason helps recall context when resuming
- **Resume priority**: `/continue` checks pause checkpoints first

## Step 1: Get Current Initiative Context

```typescript
// Get current initiative to find active tasks
const initiative = await initiative_get({ mode: "lean" });

if (!initiative) {
  return "No active initiative found. Start work with /protocol first.";
}
```

## Step 2: Find In-Progress Tasks

```bash
# Get all in-progress tasks across all PRDs in the initiative
tc task list --status in_progress --json
# If no tasks returned, respond: "No in-progress tasks to pause."
```

## Step 3: Create Pause State for Each Task

For each in-progress task, update its status to capture pause state:

```bash
# For each in-progress task, update with pause notes
tc task update <id> --status paused --notes "Paused: <reason>. Resume with /continue." --json
```

This preserves the pause reason and context directly on the task for later resumption.

## Step 4: Update Initiative Context

```typescript
// Store pause context in Memory Copilot
await initiative_update({
  currentFocus: `Paused: ${pauseReason}`,
  nextAction: `Resume with /continue to restore paused tasks`,
  decisions: [{
    decision: `Paused work on ${allTasks.length} task(s)`,
    rationale: pauseReason
  }]
});
```

## Step 5: Return Confirmation

```typescript
return `
## Work Paused

**Reason:** ${pauseReason}

**Checkpoints Created:** ${allTasks.length} task(s)
${allTasks.map(t => `  - ${t.title} (${t.id})`).join('\n')}

**Expiry:** Extended (manual checkpoint)
**Resume:** Use \`/continue\` to resume from these checkpoints

All task states have been preserved. You can safely work on other initiatives.
`;
```

## Implementation Notes

### Pause State Identification

Paused tasks are identified by:
- Task status set to `paused`
- Notes field containing pause reason and resume instructions

This allows `/continue` to detect and prioritize paused tasks.

### Multi-Task Pause Support

The command updates ALL in-progress tasks, not just one. This ensures:
- Complete state preservation across parallel streams
- No lost work when context switching
- Easy resume of entire work context

### Edge Cases

**No in-progress tasks:**
- Return friendly message: "No in-progress tasks to pause."
- Do NOT error - this is a valid state

**Initiative switching:**
- Paused task state persists across initiative changes
- `/continue` can find paused tasks from previous initiative
- User must explicitly link back to old initiative to access old paused tasks

## Example Output

**Successful pause:**
```
## Work Paused

**Reason:** Switching to urgent production bug

**Checkpoints Created:** 2 task(s)
  - Implement user authentication endpoint (TASK-abc123)
  - Add password reset flow (TASK-def456)

**Expiry:** Extended (manual checkpoint)
**Resume:** Use `/continue` to resume from these checkpoints

All task states have been preserved. You can safely work on other initiatives.
```

**No tasks to pause:**
```
No in-progress tasks to pause.

Tip: Use /protocol to start new work, or /continue to resume existing tasks.
```

## Integration with /continue

The `/continue` command checks for paused tasks BEFORE loading standard initiative context:

```bash
# /continue enhancement (implemented separately)
tc task list --status paused --json
# If paused tasks found, show resume options
# User can choose to resume paused task or continue with standard flow
```

See `continue.md` for pause detection logic.