save-context

name	save-context
description	Save important session context to MCP memory before compaction. This skill should be used when: (1) Claude detects the conversation is getting long, (2) Before starting a risky operation, (3) After completing significant work, (4) User requests context preservation. Triggers: "save context", "preserve session", "remember this", "before we lose context", "context getting long".

Save Context

Overview

This skill saves important session context to MCP memory, ensuring critical information survives context compaction. Use proactively when conversations get long or before significant work is lost.

When to Use

• Approaching compaction - Conversation has been long with many tool calls
• Completed milestone - Just finished implementing a feature or fix
• Complex decisions - Made architectural choices that should persist
• User request - User explicitly asks to save/preserve context
• Before risky operations - About to make breaking changes

Workflow

To save context to MCP memory:

Step 1: Gather Context

Collect key information to preserve:

1. Current task status - What was being worked on
2. Decisions made - Key choices and their rationale
3. Files modified - Recent changes and their purpose
4. Blockers/issues - Unresolved problems
5. Next steps - What should happen next

Step 2: Create Entities

Use mcp__memory__create_entities() to save structured data:

// Example entities to create
entities = [
  {
    name: "Session_2026-01-28_TaskName",
    entityType: "session_context",
    observations: [
      "Working on: [task description]",
      "Completed: [what was done]",
      "Decision: [key choice made]",
      "Files: [files modified]",
      "Next: [pending work]",
    ],
  },
  {
    name: "Decision_FeatureName",
    entityType: "architectural_decision",
    observations: [
      "Context: [why this came up]",
      "Options considered: [list]",
      "Chosen: [option]",
      "Rationale: [why]",
    ],
  },
];

Step 3: Create Relations

Link related entities:

// Example relations
relations = [
  {
    from: "Session_2026-01-28_TaskName",
    relationType: "decided",
    to: "Decision_FeatureName",
  },
];

Step 4: Confirm Save

After saving, confirm what was preserved:

Saved to MCP memory:
- Session context: [summary]
- Decisions: [count]
- Relations: [count]

To retrieve later: mcp__memory__read_graph()

Entity Types

Type	Use For
session_context	Current work status, progress, next steps
architectural_decision	Design choices with rationale
bug_investigation	Debugging context, findings, hypotheses
feature_implementation	Feature details, approach, progress
user_preference	User's stated preferences and requirements

Naming Conventions

• Sessions: Session_YYYY-MM-DD_BriefTaskName
• Decisions: Decision_FeatureName_Choice
• Bugs: Bug_ComponentName_Issue
• Features: Feature_FeatureName

Best Practices

1. Save early, save often - Don't wait until context is about to compact
2. Be concise - MCP memory has limits; focus on key information
3. Use clear names - Entity names should be searchable and meaningful
4. Link entities - Relations help reconstruct context later
5. Include next steps - Future sessions need to know what's pending

Context Size Indicators

Watch for these signs that context is getting large:

• Many tool calls - 50+ tool uses in the session
• Large file reads - Multiple large files read
• Long conversation - Many back-and-forth exchanges
• Complex task - Multi-step implementation with decisions

When you see these, proactively suggest using /save-context.