| name | para-archive |
| description | Archive the current context to create a clean slate for the next task. Removes worktrees, resets context/context.md, preserves summaries. |
| model | haiku |
| effort | low |
Archive the current context to create a clean slate for the next task.
Usage
para-archive
para-archive --fresh # Completely empty context
para-archive --seed # Carry forward relevant context
Default: create fresh context with references to completed summaries.
What It Does
- Read
context/context.md and extract worktree metadata, including top-level worktree_path and per-phase worktree paths.
- Verify work is complete:
- Summary exists in
context/summaries/
- Tests have passed
- Branch has been pushed and PR created or merged
- Clean up worktrees:
- For each worktree path found in metadata, run
git worktree remove {worktree_path}
- If the worktree has uncommitted changes, warn the user and require them to commit or stash first, then use the
para-archive skill again; do NOT force-remove because that can permanently destroy uncommitted work
- After removal, run
git worktree prune to clean up stale references
- Remove
.para-worktrees/ if empty
- Move
context/context.md to context/archives/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM-context.md
- Create a fresh
context/context.md seeded from ../para-init/assets/context-template.md
- Carry forward completed summary references unless
--fresh was specified
- Display archive location, worktrees removed, fresh context confirmation, and readiness for the next task
See ../para-init/references/context-schema.md for the full context metadata field reference.
If ../para-init/assets/context-template.md is not available in this install, create a minimal fresh context/context.md with empty active_context, completed_summaries, and research_docs arrays plus a current last_updated timestamp.
If ../para-init/references/context-schema.md is not available in this install, the minimal fields needed are: active_context (string[]), completed_summaries (string[]), research_docs (string[]), worktree_path (string or null), and last_updated (ISO 8601 string).
Fresh vs Seeded Context
--fresh
Create a clean context with no carryover references. Use this when all current work is complete and no summaries need to stay active.
--seed
Create a clean context from ../para-init/assets/context-template.md, then seed it with references to completed summaries and any still-relevant research docs.
When to Archive
- Work is complete and summarized
- All tests pass and changes are committed
- Branch has been pushed and PR created or merged
- Ready to start a new, unrelated task
Do NOT archive if work is still in progress or you need the current context for continued work.
Recovery
ls -lt context/archives/
cp context/archives/2025-11-24-1430-context.md context/context.md
To restore a worktree after archive if the branch still exists:
git worktree add .para-worktrees/{task-name} para/{task-name}
Notes
- Never delete archives; they are project memory
- Archives are searchable:
grep -r "keyword" context/archives/
- Worktree cleanup is automatic during archive; branches are preserved for PR and merge workflows
