Note First

Note-First Protocol

Saves the last Claude message as a note attached to the current task.

Input

The user's request to save the agent's most recent chat message; the current task context.

Output

note-{NN}.md with two-way links (task.md ↔ note file), auto-numbered.

Hands off to

— (terminal).

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Step 0 — Task context

Ensure {log_dir} and {slug} are known. Otherwise resolve from the latest task log folder.

Cannot skip — without {log_dir} the note has nowhere to go.

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Step 1 — Capture the last message

Take the assistant message that comes immediately before the /note-first command.

Rules:

• Copy verbatim — no abbreviations, no rephrasing
• If no previous assistant message exists → tell the user, finish

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Step 2 — Determine note number

ls {log_dir}/note-*.md 2>/dev/null | sort | tail -1

• No files → note-01.md
• note-02.md exists → write note-03.md

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Step 3 — Write file + update task.md

Write the note

> 🔗 Task: tasks/log/{slug}/task.md

# Note NN

**Date:** {date}

{verbatim last assistant message}

Update task.md

Add a header line after the last > 📋 or > 📝 line:

> 📝 Note N: tasks/log/{slug}/note-NN.md

If none exist — add as the first line of the file.

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Step 4 — Confirm

Report in one line:

📝 Saved: {log_dir}/note-NN.md

Nothing more — the note is already visible in the chat.

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Anti-patterns

❌ Rephrasing before saving

Copy the message verbatim. The user is saving what was actually said.

❌ Writing the file but not updating task.md

Both actions in Step 3 are mandatory. Otherwise the note is orphaned.

❌ Saving the user's own message

The /note-first command is not the content. Save the previous assistant reply.

❌ Imitating the skill inline

Always via Skill('note-first'). Never copy the protocol from memory — outdated versions drift silently.

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Related skills

• decision-first — saves an architectural decision (structured, not free-form)
• plan-first — plans execution steps (before code, not after)

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: bearded-illirian
• Source: bearded-illirian/trailmark
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.