The credo work-item model, where the FOLDER an item file lives in is the single source of truth for its status, gated by a hard Definition of Done. Use whenever you create, update, or track a work item; whenever you decide whether something is "done" and may move to 2_done/; whenever you move an item between status folders (clarify, go, done, archived, parked); whenever new code might be unwired; or when someone asks where a task stands. This is the credo task system: .credo/items/ replaces ad-hoc task lists. Applies inside subagents too - if you build or complete work, record and gate it as an item.
The credo behavior for a session running in ACTIVE mode - intensive live collaboration with the user present at the keyboard. Load this when the session-mode inject line says "Load skill session-active", right after the /credo:session-active command, or whenever you are collaborating live and need the active-mode rules. Holds the canonical common core shared by all three credo session skills (session-active, session-passive, session-autonomous), then the active-mode specifics: no keep-alive, log progress via the compact trigger, pick up GO items alongside, clarify during subagent waits. One mode is active at a time.
The credo behavior for a session running in AUTONOMOUS mode - work approved GO items unattended while the user is away, hook-enforced self-scheduled keep-alive, budget caps always on. Load this the MOMENT the user hands off full-autonomy, unattended, or AFK work - EVEN BEFORE the mode is set - so this skill can bootstrap autonomous mode itself. Trigger on a semantic full-autonomy / AFK-handoff grant (match the intent, not a rigid phrase list); the skill itself then only ENTERS autonomous mode on an unambiguous, explicit grant and confirms first when unsure. Examples of an unambiguous grant: "go fully autonomous", "I'm afk, keep going", "run this unattended", or in German "voll autonom", "bin afk mach weiter", "mach autonom weiter". A vague or casual "keep going / carry on" is NOT such a grant. Also load it when the session-mode inject line says "Load skill session-autonomous", right after the /credo:session-autonomous command, or whenever you are working autonomously and unattended. Shares the canonical commo
The credo behavior for a session running in PASSIVE mode - you carry most of the work alongside and the user is available only for clarifications, with no keep-alive. Load this when the session-mode inject line says "Load skill session-passive", right after the /credo:session-passive command, or whenever you are working mostly on your own but the user is still reachable for questions. Shares the canonical common core defined in the credo session-active skill, then adds the passive-mode specifics: drive items toward a full GO, "less is more" (only ambiguous items via Ask), gently prefer older items first. One mode is active at a time.
The credo procedure for migrating an existing repo into the .credo/ structure, without any loss risk. Use when migrating a repo into .credo/, onboarding a legacy project into credo, or turning scattered process docs (requirements logs, handoffs, progress notes, audits, plans, specs) and open work into credo items. It is copy-only and additive: originals are never touched until a final, user-gated tidy step. This is a long, multi-phase, subagent-heavy operation. Applies inside subagents too - any agent doing migration work follows these rules and the credo safety skill.
Turn a recurring in-session workflow into a reusable Claude Code skill. Load this the moment you notice you have run the SAME multi-step sequence (same ordered steps or commands, small variation allowed) about three times in the current session, or when open candidates are waiting in .credo/skill-candidates.md at session start or resume. It is heuristic and in-session only - no persistent counter, no tracking backend. Mode-gated like the audit nit-disposition policy: autonomous mode NEVER builds a skill (it only appends a candidate note and keeps working), active / passive / default propose the capture via the Ask tool and build only on an explicit GO. Applies inside subagents too, where the safest branch (autonomous: candidate note only, never ask, never build) is the default whenever the mode cannot be determined.
Secure everything the user approved before a context compaction so a later /compact can never lose or alter it. Writes verbatim intent and handoff state to disk and commits plus pushes the tracked work product in the correct repository, then reports whether it is safe to compact. It does NOT run /compact itself - it makes a later compact safe. Run this only when the limit plugin's injected ACTION line names it (session-context fill crossed a configured threshold) or when the user invokes it manually. Never self-trigger it proactively - that only wastes tokens. Accepts extra trailing instructions to perform in addition to the securing checklist.
Read-only quality gate that audits already-built work against its stated requirement and Definition of Done before it is allowed to move to 2_done/. Produces a severity-ranked decision proposal (BLOCKER/MAJOR/MINOR/NIT) with evidence, never a fix. Use when an item is claimed complete, before moving anything to 2_done/, when asked to audit or review finished work for completeness against requirements, or when acting as the dedicated post-completion review subagent. This gate is mandatory in every session mode. Not for diagnosing why something is broken (use diag) and not for verifying rendered UI behavior (use verify).