Session Summary

Session Summary Generator

Generate a structured .session_summary.md file at the end of every significant session or when the user reaches a milestone. This file enables any future agent session to resume instantly without re-explaining the project.

When to Use

Run this skill when:

• The user says "summarize", "save state", "save progress", or "session summary"
• A complex session is ending with work still in progress
• The user hits a milestone they want to checkpoint
• Context quality is degrading and a fresh session is needed

When NOT to Use

Skip this skill when:

• Session 10min detached sessions (Pitfall 18) — not addressed in this round

## Pitfalls

- **Writing to a subdirectory** — always `.session_summary.md` at the project root. If the working directory is a subdir (e.g. `packages/foo/`), detect the repo root first:
  ```bash
  git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd
  ```
  Write to that path, not the local cwd. If there is no git repo (command fails), fall back to cwd and add a `Root: [absolute-path]` line below the timestamp in the file header so the next session can locate it.
- **Including credentials** — even `[REDACTED]` for placeholders is fine; never the actual value. If the session needed `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`, write that the env var is required and where to set it.
- **Vague next actions** — "continue work" or "finish the rest" defeats the purpose. Include specific file paths, line numbers, and what the next concrete action is. The first item under "Current Objective" should tell the next agent exactly what to type or do.
- **Discarding old issues** — if `.session_summary.md` already exists, read it before overwriting. Carry forward unresolved Known Issues and unfinished pending work. Losing cross-session context defeats the purpose of the handoff.
- **Listing every file touched** — Completed This Session should highlight outcomes, not a git log. Group related changes under one bullet. If the session touched 20 files, pick the 3-5 that matter most for understanding what changed.
- **Writing summary mid-task** — don't trigger this skill in the middle of active work. Wait until a natural pause, milestone, or the user explicitly asks.

## Verification

Before reporting done:
- [ ] File path is exactly `.session_summary.md` at the project root
- [ ] All 5 sections present: Project Overview / Current Objective / Completed This Session / Pending / Known Issues
- [ ] File paths are relative to project root (e.g. `skills/agentic/blocks/SKILL.md`)
- [ ] No actual API keys or tokens in the file
- [ ] Current Objective ends with a single concrete next action (not a list of options)
- [ ] If an old summary existed, its unresolved Known Issues are carried forward

## Rules

1. **Prioritise the next action.** The last sentence of "Current Objective" should be a single concrete step — what to do immediately upon resuming.
2. **Read before overwrite.** If `.session_summary.md` already exists, read it first. Carry forward unresolved issues and pending work. Then overwrite with the merged version — don't append.
3. **Keep it current.** The file always represents the latest state — overwrite (with carry-forward), never append.

## Source & license

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

- **Author:** [hooooolea](https://github.com/hooooolea)
- **Source:** [hooooolea/agent-skills](https://github.com/hooooolea/agent-skills)
- **License:** MIT

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