checkpoint

Checkpoint

Save all session state and prepare for a clean handoff to the next session. Delegates heavy work to a subagent to keep parent context lean.

Steps

0. Persist unsaved findings (parent does this — NOT the subagent)

Before delegating, review the conversation for any research findings, evidence, analysis, or detailed information that was discussed but not yet written to a memory topic file. This is the #1 cause of data loss at checkpoint — the subagent cannot see conversation context, so anything not already in a file will be lost.

For each unsaved finding:

• Write it to an appropriate topic file in the project's memory directory (e.g. project_<topic>.md, feedback_<topic>.md)
• Include the full detail — do NOT summarize or abbreviate
• Add a pointer in MEMORY.md if the topic file is new

If all findings are already persisted in topic files, skip this step.

1. Delegate save work to a subagent

Spawn a subagent (model: "sonnet") using the Task tool to perform all the heavy I/O. Pass it the following context:

• The project's memory file path (e.g. ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/MEMORY.md)
• What was accomplished this session (bullet list of concrete outcomes, not a vague summary)
• $ARGUMENTS if provided (use as next-steps summary)
• The current working directory

The subagent prompt should instruct it to:

1. Update memory: Read the project's MEMORY.md. Update the "Current Work" section with what was done, current state, and next steps. Replace the previous entry (do not accumulate). Add date stamp. Do NOT attempt to summarize research findings here — detailed findings belong in topic files (written in Step 0), not in MEMORY.md. Current Work should only contain status, outcomes, and next steps. Keep MEMORY.md under 80 lines (hard stop: 120) — it is an index of one-line pointers, not a knowledge base. Clear the ## Recovered from previous session section entirely if it exists — its content has been incorporated into Current Work.