| name | memtrace-session-continuity |
| description | Catch up on everything that changed in an indexed source-code repo since the last session, using stored session anchors and Memtrace change memory. Use when the user asks to continue, catch up, resume, see what changed while away, recover prior context, or orient at session start without guessing timestamps. Do not use git log, Grep, or manual file search for catch-up; Memtrace provides session anchors and change memory. |
Overview
Session continuity for agents. Store a timestamp from your last session and call get_changes_since to see exactly what happened since then — then drill into details with get_evolution if needed.
Core principle: Persist a since timestamp (or the until from your last catch-up call). Never invent a days parameter.
Steps
1. Find or bootstrap the session anchor
Look for a stored anchor from your last session:
{
"repo_id": "memdb",
"since": "2026-04-13T10:43:00Z"
}
If you have no anchor yet (first run), call list_indexed_repositories. Use last_episode_time from the repo entry as a bootstrap since value, or ask the user how far back to look.
2. Call get_changes_since
{
"repo_id": "memdb",
"since": "2026-04-13T10:43:00Z"
}
Optional: pass until to cap the upper bound (defaults to now).
Required param is since — not last_episode_id, not days. Same time formats as get_evolution.from ("7d ago", ISO-8601, etc.).
Full parameter spec for every Memtrace tool: references/mcp-parameters.md (bundled at the memtrace-skills plugin root).
3. Interpret the response
Response shape: see Output below. Act on totals.episode_count:
totals.episode_count | Action |
|---|
0 | Nothing changed — safe to proceed |
1–20 | Review each episode's touched_files and change counts |
| Many episodes | Scan touched_files for overlap with your task; drill down with get_evolution |
4. Decide whether changes are relevant
episodes returned
├── Any touched_files overlap your current task area?
│ ├── YES → call get_evolution(from: since, mode: compound) for hotspots
│ └── NO → safe to continue
└── Need per-commit detail?
└── get_evolution(from: since, mode: recent, limit: 100)
5. Always persist the new anchor
Store the until value from the response (or the latest episode's reference_time) for next session:
{
"repo_id": "memdb",
"since": "2026-04-13T14:22:00Z"
}
Output
get_changes_since returns:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|
episodes[] | Each episode since since, with touched_files, nodes_added/removed, reference_time |
totals.episode_count | How many episodes in the window — 0 means nothing changed |
since / until | The resolved window boundaries |
{
"since": "2026-04-13T10:43:00Z",
"until": "2026-04-13T14:22:00Z",
"episodes": [
{ "reference_time": "2026-04-13T12:05:00Z", "touched_files": ["src/engine/page_cache.rs"], "nodes_added": 4, "nodes_removed": 1 }
],
"totals": { "episode_count": 1 }
}
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Reality |
|---|
Passing last_episode_id or days | get_changes_since requires since — a timestamp string |
Using get_evolution without from | Always pass from (e.g. "7d ago") — never omit it or use days |
Expecting status, by_module, or session_anchor in the response | Not in the current shape — use episodes[] and totals |
Discarding the stored since timestamp | Without it, next session reverts to guessing |
| Calling this repeatedly within one session | Call once at session start; reuse the result for the rest of the session |
