EXECUTE NOW
Run ALL steps mechanically. Do not skip steps. Do not summarize early. Every claim must come from a command output, not from memory.
CRITICAL: Generate the continuity file from git and file state, not from what you think happened. The whole point of this skill is to prevent hallucinated session summaries.
Configuration
Adjust these paths to match your project. Everything else is automatic.
CONTINUITY_FILE=".claude/last-session.md" # Where to write session summary
GOALS_FILE="" # Set to your goals file path (e.g., "goals.md") or leave empty to skip
PUSH_AFTER_COMMIT=true # Set to false to commit without pushing
Step 0: Idempotency Check
git log --oneline -1
If the last commit message starts with "Session close:", this session already shipped. ABORT — say "Already shipped" and stop. Do not double-ship.
Step 1: Collect Session State
Run these and save the raw output — you will use it in Step 3:
echo "=== TIMESTAMP ==="
date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M %Z"
echo "=== GIT LOG (this session) ==="
git log --oneline -30
echo "=== GIT STATUS ==="
git status --short
echo "=== BRANCH ==="
git branch --show-current
CHECKPOINT: You must have git log and status output before proceeding. If any command failed, report the error and continue with what you have.
Customization point: Add your own state collectors here — test suite status, build output, dependency counts, whatever matters for your project. The rule is: collect it from a command, not from conversation memory.
Step 2: Update Goals (optional)
Skip this step if GOALS_FILE is empty or the file doesn't exist.
If you have a goals file, read it and update based on the git log from Step 1:
- Completed threads: mark as done with a one-line summary and the date
- Active threads: update status with what was done this session
- Keep at most the last 2 sessions' completions to prevent unbounded growth
Do NOT leave completed work in active threads. This is the #1 source of stale session data — the next session sees "in progress" and either re-does the work or wastes time investigating.
Step 3: Write Continuity File
CHECKPOINT: Verify you have outputs from Steps 1-2 before proceeding.
Write the continuity file using this template. Fill values ONLY from command outputs — paste the numbers, do not calculate or estimate:
# Last Session — [TIMESTAMP from Step 1]
## What happened
- [one line per commit theme from GIT LOG — group related commits]
## Decisions
- [decisions visible in commit messages or goals updates]
- [if none: "None."]
## Unresolved
- [from GIT STATUS: uncommitted/untracked work]
- [from goals: active threads not closed]
- [if none: "None."]
Constraints:
- Max 15 lines in the body
- Every number and fact must come from a Step 1 output
- If you don't have data for a field, write "unknown" — never guess
After writing, verify length:
wc -l [CONTINUITY_FILE]
If over 25 lines total (including headers), trim the "What happened" section.
Step 4: Commit and Push
Stage the files modified this session by name — never use git add -A or git add .:
git add [CONTINUITY_FILE]
# Add goals file if it was updated:
# git add [GOALS_FILE]
# Add any other files modified this session by name
git status --short
Review staged changes. Then commit:
git commit -m "Session close: [one-line summary from git log themes]"
If PUSH_AFTER_COMMIT is true:
git push
FAILURE HANDLING:
- If
git commitfails (nothing to commit): skip commit, proceed to Step 5 - If
git pushfails: report error to user, do NOT mark as shipped
Step 5: Final Verification
git status --short
git log --oneline -1
Both must succeed. Git status should show a clean working tree. If changes remain, report them — something was missed.
Output Format
=== SESSION CLOSE ===
Commits: [N] this session
[Goals updated:]
[- thread: closed/updated/unchanged]
[or "No goals file configured."]
Unresolved:
- [items carried forward]
[or "None."]
Continuity: written ([N] lines)
Git: [committed and pushed (hash) | committed (hash) | nothing to commit | push failed]
=== Ship complete. ===