Session Wrap-up
Goal: Ensure nothing important is lost when this session is cleared. Commits preserve *what* changed. Sessionlogs preserve *why* and *how* — but only when that context isn't already captured in committed artifacts.
CRITICAL: Restore Full Session History First
Nothing proceeds until full history is reconstructed. Context compaction hides earlier work — you must recover it or the sessionlog will be incomplete.
- Use a subagent to analyze the session file (see subagent-tasks.md)
- Follow the tool-specific restoration guide:
- Claude Code: claude-code-session-restoration.md - Cursor: cursor-session-restoration.md
- Combine restored history with current context before continuing
If restoration finds no prior work beyond current context, proceed — but log that restoration was attempted.
Parallel session safety: The user may have multiple sessions running. Filter by $CLAUDE_SESSION_ID and timestamp correlation. Never combine work from other sessions. If uncertain, ASK.Session Type Detection
After restoring history, classify the session:
| Signal | Type | Action |
|---|---|---|
"isSidechain": true or in subagents/ dir | Subagent | STOP — do not run /bye |
messageCount <= 2, first msg contains "Context: This summary" | Metadata session | SKIP — not a real work session |
First messages reference executing a plan; recent file in ~/.claude/plans/ | Plan execution | Read plan file; sessionlog documents execution vs plan |
System message contains "Plan mode is active" | Plan creation | Plan file is the deliverable — usually skip sessionlog (see step 3) |
| None of above | Normal | Continue with checklist |
Session Wrap-up Checklist
- Determine scope — everything between last /bye (or session start) and now. Verify each item was discussed in THIS conversation.
- Assess work — files created, files modified, decisions made, research done, tasks completed, tasks remaining.
- Sessionlog needed? Would anything important be lost if we clear this session now? Commits already capture *what* changed and *when*. A sessionlog is only worth creating for context not in the committed artifacts. Session produced... Sessionlog? Why Plan file only Skip Plan file captures everything Q&A only, no file changes Skip Nothing to preserve Code/doc changes with clear commits Skip Git history tells the story Feature with decisions, alternatives tried, non-obvious rationale Create Context not in the code Single file, but research/intent/sources behind it Create Log captures the *why* Plan execution with deviations or partial completion Create Plan-vs-reality delta is valuable If skipping, note
**Sessionlog:** Skipped — [reason]in the final summary. - Sessionlog — check if a sessionlog directory exists (see sessionlog-template.md). If no directory found, skip this step entirely — do NOT create directories. If found, create or update the sessionlog per the template.
- Update project status — if work relates to
projects/*/, update itsstatus.md. - Handle git — see git decision table below.
- Print final summary — see template below.
Git Decision Table
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Files I created/edited THIS session | Auto-commit |
| Untracked files from before | ASK |
| Modified files I didn't touch | ASK — likely parallel session |
| .env, credentials, secrets | NEVER, warn user |
Commit message: [Brief description]\n\nSession wrap-up: YYYY-MM-DD
Push if remote tracking exists.
Final Summary Template
## Session Complete
**Accomplished:**
- [item 1]
- [item 2]
**Committed:** [hash]
- [file list]
**Pending:**
- [ ] [task 1]
**Session:** Reconstructed from N compaction(s) · ~Xk input / ~Yk output tokens
↑ only include if compactions > 0; round tokens to nearest k
**Sessionlog:** `sessionlogs/[file].md`
Ready to clear context.