| name | brief |
| description | Use when starting multi-session work, capturing approved project direction, updating goals or constraints, or when the user asks for durable strategic context that should persist across sessions |
Brief
Core Split
Goldfish brief = durable direction.
- Harness plan mode owns execution planning for the current session.
docs/plans/ owns implementation specs and task breakdowns.
- Goldfish brief owns the compact strategic context that future sessions need.
Do not copy a harness task list or docs/plans/ checklist into the brief. Link to execution artifacts instead.
What Belongs In A Brief
Keep the brief compact and stable:
- Goal
- Why now
- Constraints
- Success criteria
- References to
docs/plans/... or other design docs
- Status
What Does Not Belong
- Step by step task breakdowns
- File by file implementation notes
- A mirrored
ExitPlanMode plan blob
- Session noise that belongs in checkpoints
Save A Brief
brief({
action: "save",
title: "Brief API surface around strategic context",
content: "## Goal\n\nRename the forward-looking artifact to brief.\n\n## Why Now\n\nHarnesses now own execution planning.\n\n## Constraints\n\nKeep one-release compatibility for plan callers.\n\n## Success Criteria\n\nRecall, skills, hooks, and docs all present brief as canonical.\n\n## References\n\n- docs/plans/2026-04-16-brief-repositioning-design.md",
tags: ["memory", "migration"],
activate: true
})
Lifecycle
- Save a brief when a direction needs to survive session boundaries.
- Update it when goals, constraints, or success criteria change.
- Complete it when the direction has landed.
- Archive it when it has been superseded.
Only one brief should be active per workspace.
Retrieval
brief({ action: "get" }) gets the active brief.
brief({ action: "list" }) shows saved briefs.
recall({ limit: 0 }) shows the active brief without loading checkpoints.
Rules
- Treat the brief as a compact strategic document.
- Use checkpoints for evidence of work done.
- Use
docs/plans/ for execution detail.
- If an older workflow says
plan, translate it to brief semantics unless the user is asking about a legacy artifact on purpose.