/continuous — session continuity across rate limits

Complete the user's task while gracefully riding through rate-limit windows.

Hard rules

Run only inside /loop dynamic mode. First-activation gate is probe.py (transcript inspection); wake turns rely on state-file presence (state implies a prior /loop activation in this conversation).
ALL skill-internal Bash commands MUST start with CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 — without it the PreToolUse hook blocks YOU.
Args are positional: /continuous [threshold] <task> — no key=value.
Wake prompt format is fixed: /loop /continuous {threshold} {task}. The leading /loop is required.
Wake-turn output discipline: emit at most one short user-facing line per branch. No "reading state…" / "checking usage…" narration. Every line written here gets re-tokenized on every subsequent wake.

Args parse

Tokens: [threshold] <task...>
First token is integer in 1..99 → use as threshold; rest is task.
Else → threshold = 95; entire ARGUMENTS is task.
Empty task → refuse: Task description required. Usage: /loop /continuous [N] "<task>". End.
The task string is never interpolated directly into a Bash command line below. It is always passed via the heredoc form shown in §First activation (delimiter CONTINUOUS_TASK_BOUNDARY_7F3A1E_EOF, single-quoted to disable $/`/command substitution). The delimiter is a long random-looking string so a user-supplied task containing it as a standalone line is effectively impossible. The wake prompt (a ScheduleWakeup tool argument, not a shell string) carries the task verbatim; that path is safe by construction.

The threshold applies to the 5-hour axis only. The 7-day axis uses SEVEN_DAY_THRESHOLD = 99 (terminal).

Step 1 — single probe (FIRST action)

Run exactly one Bash:

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/probe.py

Parse the JSON. Fields: sid, turn_type (first|wake|unknown), in_loop, loop_reason, state (dict|null), usage (5-field brief|null), ttl_health ({status, write_ratio, wake_hits, recommended_action, should_notify, ...}|null, throttled to once per 30 days), errors[].

TTL regression handling (ttl_health.status == "regression")

should_notify == true (fresh measurement just happened): cache caching is silently broken. Notify out-of-band so the user sees it even if away from terminal. Run BOTH:
1. PushNotification(message="/continuous: cache TTL regression — {notes joined with '; '}. Action: {recommended_action}.") — best-effort, skip silently if tool unavailable.
2. Prepend one line to whichever branch you take below: Cache TTL regression: {notes}. Action: {recommended_action}. (push sent, see scripts/measure_cache_ttl.py for full report.)
should_notify == false (cached read; user was already notified within the last 30 days): silent. Do not push, do not prepend. The user is presumed to be aware and either has not fixed it yet or is in the middle of fixing.
status != "regression" or ttl_health == null: ignore the field entirely.

Step 2 — branch by turn_type

turn_type == "first"

Required: in_loop == true. If false, output exactly:

/continuous works only inside /loop dynamic mode.
Re-invoke as:
  /loop /continuous {threshold} "{task}"

End.

If usage == null: report errors[0] and end (cannot decide without usage).

Initialize state, then evaluate usage. Use the heredoc form so the task string passes safely regardless of shell metacharacters:

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --init {SID} {THRESHOLD} --task-stdin <<'CONTINUOUS_TASK_BOUNDARY_7F3A1E_EOF'
{TASK}
CONTINUOUS_TASK_BOUNDARY_7F3A1E_EOF

(The single-quoted 'CONTINUOUS_TASK_BOUNDARY_7F3A1E_EOF' delimiter suppresses $/`/\ expansion in the body.)

seven_day_util >= 99 → §Seven-day block.
five_hour_util >= threshold → §Initial sleep.
Else → one line: Starting: {task}. Proceed with the task.

turn_type == "wake"

Loop-context check is skipped: state existence implies the prior activation was in /loop, and the wake prompt carries the /loop prefix anyway. (Edge case: if the user manually re-typed /continuous outside /loop while a state file exists, this is treated as authorial intent to resume — not a misuse.)

Decide from usage:

seven_day_util >= 99 → §Seven-day block.
five_hour_util >= threshold:
- state.retry_60s >= 3 → §Block sleep (treat as fresh; reset_retry).
- five_hour_reset_remaining_sec <= 60 → §Retry buffer.
- Else → §Block sleep.
Else → §Resume.

turn_type == "unknown"

Multiple state files exist or sid lookup failed. Run:

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --reap

Then re-run the probe. If the second probe still returns turn_type == "unknown", output one line Cannot disambiguate session; ending. and end without calling ScheduleWakeup.

Branches (transitions via state.py — no inline python -c)

All sleep branches share this pattern: update state, schedule wake, emit one line.

§Block sleep (over threshold, normal)

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --transition {SID} block_sleep --inc block_count --reset-retry

delay = max(60, min(reset_remaining_sec + 60, 3600))
ScheduleWakeup(delaySeconds=delay, prompt="/loop /continuous {threshold} {task}", reason="rate limit hit, sleeping {minutes}m")
Output: Rate limit ({util}%). Sleeping {minutes}m.

§Retry buffer (reset within 60s)

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --transition {SID} retry_60s --inc retry_60s

ScheduleWakeup(delaySeconds=60, prompt=…, reason="near reset, 60s buffer (try {n}/3)")
Output: Near reset; 60s buffer.

§Initial sleep (already over at first activation)

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --transition {SID} initial_sleep --inc block_count --reset-retry

Same delay formula and wake call.
Output: Already over at start ({util}%). Sleeping {minutes}m.

§Seven-day block (terminal)

One-line announce + reset clock: Weekly limit ({util}%). Reset at {seven_day_resets_at} (~{H}h {M}m). Re-invoke /loop /continuous after reset.
H = seven_day_reset_remaining_sec // 3600, M = (seven_day_reset_remaining_sec % 3600) // 60.
PushNotification(message="/continuous terminated: 7d limit at {util}%. Reset in {H}h {M}m.") (skip if tool unavailable).
state.py --delete {SID}.
Do not call ScheduleWakeup.

§Resume (under threshold on wake)

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --transition {SID} resume --reset-retry

No user-facing output. Continue the task immediately, referencing prior progress visible in transcript.

Block-marker handling during work

If a tool call fails with stderr matching BLOCK_MARKER_REGEX (see constants.py):

Parse axis, util, reset_remaining_sec.
axis == "seven_day" → §Seven-day block.
Else → §Block sleep with the parsed values (skip the usage probe — marker is authoritative).

If parse fails:

CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --transition {SID} parse_fail_sleep --inc parse_fail_count

ScheduleWakeup(delaySeconds=3600, prompt=…, reason="marker parse failed, fallback 1h sleep"). End.

Completion

When the task is genuinely done:

Output [CONTINUOUS_DONE] on its own line — exactly, no surrounding text.
CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1 python ~/.claude/skills/continuous/scripts/state.py --delete {SID}
Do not call ScheduleWakeup. End.

Reminders

Never call ScheduleWakeup outside the sleep paths.
Never call ScheduleWakeup with a prompt missing /loop prefix.
Never write state without the CONTINUOUS_SELF_PROBE=1

continuous