| name | maintaining-session-continuity |
| description | Keep an ordinary (non-looped) Claude Code session resumable across a context reset — write and refresh the .reload/session.md digest, understand the snapshot -> arm -> rehydrate cycle, and the /clear, /compact, auto-compaction paths. Use whenever a session is getting long, before a /clear or /compact, when context-rot shows (the agent forgetting earlier decisions), or when the user mentions cc-reload, session reload/rehydrate, a ".reload/" directory, a session digest, or losing context on compaction — even if they don't name the plugin. NOT for autonomous loops: if a cc-repete loop is active, that tool owns continuity and cc-reload stands down. |
Maintaining session continuity
cc-reload preserves an ordinary session's working thread across a context reset. It does not
drive work (that's a loop — use cc-repete). It only snapshots the thread to .reload/session.md
before a reset and hands it back after. This skill is the judgment for using it well.
The cycle: budget → snapshot → arm → rehydrate
The point is to reset before rot, and long before auto-compaction — keep a manual session well
under the window (≈45% by default, lower per task), never let auto-compact fire.
- Budget (primary driver) — the Stop hook watches context occupancy; when it crosses
context_budget_pct it prompts a checkpoint + /clear. Tune per task with /reload-budget <pct> — drop it to ~30 (or lower) for reasoning-heavy or context-sensitive work.
- Snapshot — a fresh
.reload/session.md digest is written (the budget prompts it;
/checkpoint forces one; you also keep it current as you work).
- Arm —
.reload/pending is dropped, meaning "rehydrate on the next reset." Only armed
resets rehydrate, so a deliberate /clear you want to drop context isn't undone.
- Rehydrate — on the next
/clear / /compact, the SessionStart hook injects the digest and
consumes the marker. Automatic; no command needed. /reload does it manually on demand.
A note on % of a large window
Occupancy is measured as a % of the main session model's window (1M for current large-context
models; SessionStart stamps it, or set context_window in .reload/config). Remember that
effective context — where reasoning stays sharp — degrades well before the raw window fills, so
on a 1M model even 45% is generous: for reasoning-heavy work, prefer a lower /reload-budget. Most
200K-window models are subagents returning findings; the budget targets the main session, not them.
Keep the digest fresh continuously — don't babysit the boundary
Auto-compaction can fire without warning, and a hook can't make you summarize after the fact. So
the snapshot must already be good before the reset. Refresh .reload/session.md at natural
milestones — finished a sub-task, before a risky step, whenever the next action just became clear.
The fresher it is, the less any reset loses, and the less a surprise auto-compaction hurts.
The digest captures the delta that isn't on disk yet — what's in flight and the next step.
Durable facts belong in their normal homes (commits, files); don't re-summarize those here.
What goes in the digest
Four sections, tight (~30 lines): Done this stretch / In flight / Next concrete step / Open
questions & risks, plus a one-line intent. Lead the next session toward the next concrete
step — that single line is the most valuable thing across a reset.
Snapshot is lossy — re-read beats trust
A digest is a summary, and summaries lose subtle detail. On rehydrate, treat the digest as a
pointer back into the work, not the source of truth: re-read the relevant files and recent git
history, then continue. (This is why cc-reload carries a thin digest rather than trying to compress
the whole conversation — lossless re-read from disk beats summarize-and-continue.)
Coexistence with cc-repete
If .repete/loop.local.md has active: true, a cc-repete loop owns this session: cc-reload's
hooks stand down and the commands defer. Use /repete-continue for the loop's own rehydrate. The
two never run continuity at the same time — cc-reload fills the non-looped gap only.
Reset paths at a glance
- Budgeted
/clear (optional Stop budget on) → you're prompted to write the digest, it arms,
you /clear, it rehydrates. Fully automatic once configured.
- Manual
/checkpoint then /clear → deliberate snapshot before a planned reset.
/compact / auto-compaction → PreCompact arms + ensures a digest (fresh if you kept it so,
else a thin fallback); SessionStart rehydrates after.- Deliberate
/clear, nothing armed → no rehydration. Respected.
