| name | context-transfer |
| description | Generate a state document (context transfer) that allows any fresh AI instance to resume work without conversation history. Use this skill whenever the user asks to checkpoint, create a state transfer, save state, generate a handoff document, create compaction insurance, or says anything like 'snapshot this', 'create a context transfer', 'checkpoint', 'save state for handoff', 'write a recovery doc', or 'transfer context'. Also trigger when the user mentions compaction concerns, session handoff, multi-session continuity, or wants to preserve the current conversation's state. Works for any conversation type: projects, research, debugging, investigations, design sessions, or long-running chats. This skill produces a structured markdown document optimized for AI cold-start recovery, not human notes. |
Context Transfer
Generate structured state documents for AI cold-start recovery across any conversation type.
When To Use
- User asks to checkpoint, snapshot, or save state
- Session is getting long and compaction insurance is needed
- Work will continue in a new session (handoff)
- Multi-session work needs persistent state
- User mentions compaction, context loss, or continuity concerns
- Any conversation where accumulated decisions, findings, or state would be costly to lose
Before Starting
Read the full protocol:
Read references/protocol_v2.4s.md
This contains the complete section definitions, templates, rules, and quality checklist.
Quick Reference
The context transfer has 11 sections. Scale to complexity — not every conversation needs all sections.
| Section | Purpose | Required? |
|---|
| I. What This Is | Identity + "It is NOT" correction | Always |
| II. Domain Context | Problem-space briefing | Multi-session+ |
| III. Architecture | System structure | Build/engineering work |
| IV. Decisions | Numbered with narrative WHY | When decisions exist |
| V. Current State | Step sequence or phase summary | Always |
| VI. Artifacts | File inventory with status | When files exist |
| VII. Anti-Drift Warnings | Observed/predicted failure modes | Multi-session+ |
| VIII. What NOT To Do | Catastrophic prohibitions | When applicable |
| IX. Glossary | Context-specific terms | Domain-specific |
| X. Open Questions | Unresolved issues | When they exist |
| XI. Recovery Pointer | Exact restart location + path | Always |
Minimum viable: Sections I, V, XI.
Workflow
- Read the protocol (
references/protocol_v2.4s.md) — understand all section rules
- Assess scope — use Scaling Guide to determine which sections are needed
- Gather state from conversation — extract decisions, current step, artifacts, open questions
- Write each section following the protocol templates exactly
- Apply critical rules:
- §I must include "It is NOT..." correction sentence
- §IV decisions must have narrative WHY (mark
[inferred] if rationale not explicitly stated)
- §VII every warning tagged
[observed] or [predicted]
- §XI must include
Work lives in: (write UNKNOWN — ask user if path not known)
- Run Quality Checklist from protocol
- Save to
/mnt/user-data/outputs/ and present to user
Output
Save as: [topic_or_project]_context_transfer.md in /mnt/user-data/outputs/
The document header should include:
# Context Transfer — [Topic or Project Name]
**Version:** [N]
**Updated:** [date]
**Purpose:** Compaction insurance. If you just got compacted, read this first.
Key Rules (from protocol)
These are the rules most likely to be missed. Full rules are in the protocol reference.
- Single source of truth: One context transfer per conversation/project. Never maintain parallel state docs.
- Correction sentence: §I must state what it IS then what it is NOT.
- Narrative WHY: §IV uses prose, not tables. Tables compress reasoning too much for cold start.
- Inferred rationale: If WHY isn't explicitly stated, mark as
[inferred] — never present inference as ground truth.
- Tag all warnings: §VII requires
[observed] or [predicted] on every warning. No untagged.
- Never fabricate paths: §XI
Work lives in: must be real or UNKNOWN — ask user.
- Update immediately: Write to file after each decision/state change. Don't batch.
Notes
- This skill is validated across Claude, GPT, and Gemini cold instances (n=5 tests, zero operational failures)
- The protocol is model-agnostic — works without cognitive scaffolding
- Optimized for AI pattern recognition, not human readability
- The context transfer IS the conversation's memory — treat it as critical infrastructure
