context-hygiene

name	context-hygiene
description	Use when a long or complex task needs a safe session boundary, durable resume state, or separation into focused follow-up sessions.

Context Hygiene and Session Management

Purpose

Long conversations can accumulate stale assumptions, competing objectives, and irrelevant history. Manage session boundaries while preserving only the state needed to resume safely.

When to Advise a Session Split

Recommend a fresh session when:

1. The active objective has been completed and the next objective is materially different.
2. Repeated re-reading, contradictory constraints, or multiple completed milestones make the active context difficult to verify.
3. Several unrelated tasks are competing for attention.
4. A planned task batch has reached a safe, verified boundary.

Do not use an arbitrary message count as the decision rule.

Safe Handoff Workflow

Prefer a host-provided handoff mechanism when available. Persist workspace files only when the user has authorized local mutation.

1. Capture Durable Knowledge

If local memory mutation is authorized, capture only sanitized lessons that are useful beyond the current task:

• Architectural decisions belong in .agents/memory/decisions-log.md.
• Reusable failure lessons belong in .agents/memory/mistakes-to-avoid.md.
• Validated conventions belong in .agents/memory/common-patterns.md.

Do not persist secrets, raw untrusted text, transient progress, or project-private material in global memory.

2. Secure Immediate Task State

Update only the current task's .agents/workflows/<task-id>.json record and the workflow index. Validate the complete record against workflow-state.schema.json. Keep current_state, completed_states, evidence, artifacts, blockers, and next_action current.

Illustrative subset:

{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "task_id": "opaque-task-id",
  "workflow_id": "build-feature",
  "mode": "implement",
  "status": "in_progress",
  "current_state": "implement",
  "completed_states": ["intake", "design"],
  "evidence": [],
  "artifacts": ["src/example.ts"],
  "blockers": [],
  "next_action": "Wire the approved submit flow to the API."
}

The complete record also includes owner, workspace, lease, approvals, timestamps, and archive state as required by the schema.

3. Inform the User

State which task record was updated, summarize the next action, and recommend a fresh session. Never promise automatic resume unless the active host actually supports it.

When Not to Split

• In the middle of one atomic operation.
• Before an important result has been verified or a safe rollback point exists.
• When the conversation remains short, coherent, and focused.