# Brief Pause

> Use when the user wants to checkpoint the current session for a fresh continuation — they've worked to a natural stop, or context is filling up, and want a markdown file the next session can read to pick up cleanly. Triggered by phrases like "checkpoint this", "pause and write a brief", "brief for next session", "I'm at a stop point", "save state for resumption".

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-useaitechdad-agent-skills-brief-pause`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [useaitechdad](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/useaitechdad)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Content & Media](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/content-and-media)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** Apache-2.0
- **Upstream author:** [useaitechdad](https://github.com/useaitechdad)
- **Source:** https://github.com/useaitechdad/agent-skills/tree/main/brief_skills_agent_skill/brief-pause

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-useaitechdad-agent-skills-brief-pause
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# brief-pause — checkpoint this session for a clean continuation

You are writing a markdown file that captures the current state of this session so a **fresh** Claude Code session can pick up without losing context.

## Where to save

```
~/.claude/projects//briefs/brief-.md
```

Compute the paths yourself — no shell needed for the slug:

- `` = current working directory with every `/` replaced by `-` (e.g. cwd `/Users/you/code/myapp` → slug `-Users-you-code-myapp`). You already know the cwd from your environment.
- briefs dir = `/.claude/projects//briefs` (absolute, your real home path).

You **do** need one shell call — the timestamp, since Claude has no clock:

```bash
date +%Y-%m-%d-%H%M%S   # local time — keeps the filename stamp consistent with the log stamp
```

The filename is `brief-.md`. Write it with the **Write** tool (it creates the briefs dir if missing) — don't shell out to create the file.

## Before writing — capture git state (if this is a git repo)

Run `git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null` first. If it's a git repo:

- If there are uncommitted changes, **offer to commit them at a logical checkpoint** before pausing — git history is the exact record the next session reads; the brief only points at it. Don't force it, but a clean working tree + a referenced SHA range beats a brief describing uncommitted WIP.
- Capture the SHA range since the last brief so the next session can `git log`/`git diff` it: `git log --oneline -10`. Put the relevant range in **Done** (e.g. "since `6e9d902`").
- Note anything not committed (intentional WIP) explicitly under **Open**.

## What to write

Keep it tight — aim for ~25-40 lines. Distill, don't dump.

```markdown
# Brief — 

**Flavor**: pause
**Created**: 
**Project**: 
**Read first**: `CLAUDE.md`, then [the SPECIFIC docs this work touches — scan the repo and name them; e.g. `docs/sync-design.md`, a spec, a feature README. Don't leave this as a bare `CLAUDE.md` placeholder.]

## Situation

## Done
- 
- 

## Do next
- 
- 

## Open
- 

## Verify before continuing
- 
```

## After writing

1. Append the log entry via the shared helper (owns the format + trim + file pruning — don't hand-format the line). Pass the absolute briefs dir and the file you just wrote:
   ```bash
   ~/.claude/skills/_brief-shared/append-log.sh "" pause "" ""
   ```
2. Print the file path to the user.
3. One-line hint: "Open a fresh Claude Code session here and say `/brief-resume` to continue."

## What NOT to include

- Don't dump the entire chat history — **distill**.
- Don't include reasoning chains, deliberation, or alternatives that were rejected.
- Don't include secrets / tokens / API keys — leave placeholders.
- Don't restate things the next session will discover from `CLAUDE.md` or other read-first docs.
- Don't recommend things you haven't actually verified.

## Source & license

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

- **Author:** [useaitechdad](https://github.com/useaitechdad)
- **Source:** [useaitechdad/agent-skills](https://github.com/useaitechdad/agent-skills)
- **License:** Apache-2.0

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

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-useaitechdad-agent-skills-brief-pause
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/useaitechdad
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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