| name | skill-resume |
| description | Pick up where you left off from a previous session — use after context resets, compaction, or new conversations |
Host: Codex CLI — This skill was designed for Claude Code and adapted for Codex.
Cross-reference commands use installed skill names in Codex rather than /octo:* slash commands.
Use the active Codex shell and subagent tools. Do not claim a provider, model, or host subagent is available until the current session exposes it.
For host tool equivalents, see skills/blocks/codex-host-adapter.md.
Session Restoration
Overview
Restore context from a previous session and seamlessly continue the workflow where you left off.
Core principle: Check state → Load adaptive context → Display restoration summary → Route to appropriate action.
When to Use
Use this skill when user says:
- "Resume" or "continue working"
- "Pick up where I left off"
- "What was I doing?"
- "Restore session"
- "Continue from last time"
Do NOT use for:
- Starting new projects (use /octo:embrace)
- Checking current status only (use /octo:status)
- Modifying state directly (use octo-state.sh)
The Process
Phase 0: Check Session Handoff File (v9.6.0)
Step 0: Check for .octo-continue.md
Before checking .octo/, look for a session handoff file. This is written automatically
by PreCompact and SessionEnd hooks and contains a human-readable summary of the last session.
if [[ -f ".octo-continue.md" ]]; then
cat ".octo-continue.md"
fi
If .octo-continue.md exists, read it and display its contents to the user as
context. Then continue to Phase 1 to load the full state. The handoff file provides a
quick overview; .octo/STATE.md provides the authoritative state.
Phase 1: Check Project Initialization
Step 1: Verify .octo/ Directory Exists
if [[ ! -d ".octo" ]]; then
echo "No project state found"
exit 1
fi
If .octo/ does not exist but .octo-continue.md exists, display the handoff file
contents and offer to start a new session based on that context.
If neither exists, display:
## Session Restoration Failed
**No project state found.**
There is no `.octo/` directory in this project, which means no previous session state exists.
### Get Started
Run `/octo:embrace [your project description]` to start a new project.
**Example:**
/octo:embrace build a REST API with user authentication
This will:
1. Initialize .octo/ directory with STATE.md, PROJECT.md, ROADMAP.md
2. Begin the Double Diamond workflow
3. Create session state you can resume later
Stop here - do not proceed to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Read Current State
Step 1: Execute octo-state.sh read_state
./scripts/octo-state.sh read_state
Expected output format:
schema=2.0
last_updated=2026-02-02T10:30:00Z
current_phase=2
current_position=define-requirements
status=in_progress
Step 2: Parse State Variables
Extract these key values:
current_phase - Phase number (1-4)current_position - Description of current position within phasestatus - Workflow status (in_progress, blocked, complete, paused, etc.)last_updated - Timestamp of last state modification
Phase 3: Load Adaptive Context
Step 1: Get Context Tier (Auto Mode)
./scripts/octo-state.sh get_context_tier auto
This automatically selects the appropriate context tier based on current status:
| Status | Tier Selected | Context Loaded |
|---|
| ready, planned, planning, complete, shipped | planning | STATE.md + PROJECT.md + ROADMAP.md |
| building, in_progress | execution | + phase plans + recent summaries |
| blocked, paused | execution | + phase plans + recent summaries |
Step 2: Store Context for Reference
The context returned includes:
- Current state details
- Project vision and requirements
- Phase-specific plans and summaries
- Codebase analysis (if brownfield project)
Phase 4: Extract History and Blockers
Step 1: Read Last 3 History Entries from STATE.md
grep -A 4 "^## History" .octo/STATE.md | tail -n 3
Expected format:
- [2026-02-02T10:30:00Z] Phase 2: Completed requirements review (complete)
- [2026-02-02T09:15:00Z] Phase 2: Started define phase (in_progress)
- [2026-02-01T16:45:00Z] Phase 1: Completed discovery (complete)
Step 2: Extract Blockers from STATE.md
sed -n '/^## Blockers/,/^## /p' .octo/STATE.md | head -n -1 | tail -n +2
Expected format:
- If blockers exist: List of blocker items
- If no blockers:
(none)
Step 3: Read Project Title from PROJECT.md
head -n 5 .octo/PROJECT.md | grep "^# " | head -1 | sed 's/^# //'
Phase 5: Display Restoration Summary
Step 1: Build and Display Summary
## Session Restored
**Project:** {project_title from PROJECT.md}
**Last Active:** {last_updated from STATE.md}
**Phase:** {current_phase} - {phase_name}
**Position:** {current_position}
**Status:** {status}
### Where You Left Off
{Last 3 entries from STATE.md history}
### Current Blockers
{Blockers from STATE.md or "None"}
### Ready to Continue
{Intelligent suggestion based on status - see routing table below}
Step 2: Map Phase Number to Name
| Phase | Name |
|---|
| 1 | Discover |
| 2 | Define |
| 3 | Develop |
| 4 | Deliver |
Phase 6: Intelligent Routing
Step 1: Route Based on Status
| Status | Action | Message |
|---|
in_progress | Continue current phase | "Continue with current phase. Context loaded." |
blocked | Review blockers | "Review blockers first: /octo:issues" |
complete | Ready for next phase | "Phase complete. Ready for /octo:ship" |
paused | Resume project | "Project paused. Resume with /octo:embrace" |
ready | Begin workflow | "Ready to begin. Run /octo:embrace to start." |
planning | Continue planning | "Continue planning. Use /octo:define to refine." |
building | Continue building | "Continue implementation. Use /octo:develop." |
shipped | Project delivered | "Project delivered! Review lessons in LESSONS.md." |
complete_with_gaps | Review gaps | "Phase complete with gaps. Review ISSUES.md before proceeding." |
Step 2: Phase-Specific Guidance (for in_progress status)
Phase 1 (Discover):
Continue research and exploration.
- Use `/octo:research [topic]` for multi-AI research
- Use `/octo:debate [question]` for decision support
- Check `.octo/phases/phase1/` for research notes
Phase 2 (Define):
Continue requirements clarification.
- Use `/octo:prd` to write product requirements
- Use `/octo:define` to refine scope
- Check `.octo/phases/phase2/` for requirements docs
Phase 3 (Develop):
Continue implementation.
- Use `/octo:develop` to build features
- Use `/octo:tdd` for test-driven development
- Check `.octo/phases/phase3/` for implementation plan
Phase 4 (Deliver):
Continue validation and delivery.
- Use `/octo:deliver` for final review
- Use `/octo:security` for security audit
- Use `/octo:ship` to finalize delivery
Example Outputs
Example 1: No Project State Found
## Session Restoration Failed
**No project state found.**
There is no `.octo/` directory in this project, which means no previous session state exists.
### Get Started
Run `/octo:embrace [your project description]` to start a new project.
Example 2: Successful Restoration (In Progress)
## Session Restored
**Project:** User Authentication System
**Last Active:** 2026-02-02T10:30:00Z
**Phase:** 2 - Define
**Position:** define-requirements
**Status:** in_progress
### Where You Left Off
- [2026-02-02T10:30:00Z] Phase 2: Started requirements review (in_progress)
- [2026-02-01T16:45:00Z] Phase 1: Completed discovery (complete)
- [2026-02-01T14:20:00Z] Phase 1: Research synthesis complete (in_progress)
### Current Blockers
None
### Ready to Continue
Continue with current phase. Context loaded.
Continue requirements clarification.
- Use `/octo:prd` to write product requirements
- Use `/octo:define` to refine scope
- Check `.octo/phases/phase2/` for requirements docs
Example 3: Blocked Project Restoration
## Session Restored
**Project:** E-commerce Platform
**Last Active:** 2026-02-01T18:00:00Z
**Phase:** 3 - Develop
**Position:** implement-payment-gateway
**Status:** blocked
### Where You Left Off
- [2026-02-01T18:00:00Z] Phase 3: Payment integration blocked (blocked)
- [2026-02-01T15:30:00Z] Phase 3: Started payment gateway integration (in_progress)
- [2026-02-01T12:00:00Z] Phase 3: Completed user auth implementation (complete)
### Current Blockers
- Missing Stripe API credentials
- Payment webhook endpoint not configured
- SSL certificate pending for payment domain
### Ready to Continue
Review blockers first: `/octo:issues`
**To unblock:**
1. Configure Stripe API credentials in environment
2. Set up webhook endpoint at /api/webhooks/stripe
3. Complete SSL certificate setup for payments subdomain
Example 4: Paused Project Restoration
## Session Restored
**Project:** Data Analytics Dashboard
**Last Active:** 2026-01-28T09:00:00Z
**Phase:** 2 - Define
**Position:** requirements-gathering
**Status:** paused
### Where You Left Off
- [2026-01-28T09:00:00Z] Phase 2: Project paused by user (paused)
- [2026-01-27T16:00:00Z] Phase 2: Stakeholder feedback pending (in_progress)
- [2026-01-27T10:00:00Z] Phase 1: Discovery complete (complete)
### Current Blockers
- Waiting for stakeholder availability
### Ready to Continue
Project paused. Resume with `/octo:embrace`
When ready to continue:
1. Review `.octo/PROJECT.md` for project context
2. Check `.octo/STATE.md` for pause reason
3. Run `/octo:embrace` to resume workflow
Best Practices
1. Always Use octo-state.sh for State Reading
Good:
./scripts/octo-state.sh read_state
./scripts/octo-state.sh get_context_tier auto
Poor:
grep "Current Phase" .octo/STATE.md
2. Provide Full Context Restoration
Good:
- Load adaptive context tier
- Show last 3 history entries
- Display any blockers
- Give phase-specific guidance
Poor:
- Only show current phase
- Ignore history
- No next steps
3. Route Intelligently Based on Status
Good:
Status: blocked → "Review blockers first: /octo:issues"
Poor:
Status: blocked → "Continue working"
Red Flags - Don't Do This
| Action | Why It's Wrong |
|---|
| Skip .octo/ existence check | Will fail with confusing errors |
| Ignore blockers on resume | User won't know why they stopped |
| Restart from beginning | Loses all previous context and progress |
| Skip history display | User loses continuity of what was done |
| Use hardcoded context tier | Should adapt based on current status |
Integration with Other Skills
With /octo:status
/octo:resume → Full restoration with context
/octo:status → Quick dashboard without restoration
With /octo:embrace
No .octo/ exists → /octo:resume suggests /octo:embrace
.octo/ exists but paused → /octo:resume suggests resuming with /octo:embrace
With flow-* skills
User runs /octo:resume
→ Context restored
→ User continues with /octo:develop (or appropriate phase skill)
Quick Reference
| User Input | Action Required |
|---|
| "resume" | Check .octo/ → Read state → Load context → Display summary → Route |
| "continue" | Same as resume |
| "pick up where I left off" | Same as resume |
| "what was I doing" | Same as resume, emphasize history |
| "restore session" | Same as resume |
The Bottom Line
Check .octo/ → Read state → Load adaptive context → Show history + blockers → Route intelligently
Otherwise → User loses previous context and wastes time re-discovering where they were
Never restart from beginning if state exists. Restore context, show history, route intelligently.
Context Recovery After Compaction
When context is cleared (compaction, plan mode exit, new session), detect and reload automatically:
if [[ -f .claude-octopus/state.json ]] && [[ -z "${WORKFLOW_CONTEXT_LOADED}" ]]; then
echo "⚠️ Context was cleared — reloading from persistent state..."
NEEDS_RESUME=true
fi
What survives context clearing:
.claude-octopus/state.json (decisions, context, metrics).claude-octopus/context/*.md (phase outputs)- Native tasks (TaskList still works)
- Git commits and WIP checkpoints
- Multi-AI synthesis files in
~/.claude-octopus/results/
After resume completes, set export WORKFLOW_CONTEXT_LOADED=true to prevent duplicate reloads.
State persists in files. Context clearing is not a problem. Files outlive memory.
