Save session

Save the current session state to the project's memory folder so a future session — or /catch-up / /resume — can pick the work back up with zero context loss. Follow these steps exactly.

Step 1 — Locate the memory folder

Claude Code stores per-project memory under:

~/.claude/projects/[encoded-path]/memory/

Derive [encoded-path] from the current working directory by replacing every \, :, and _ character with -.

Example: C:\Users\you\projects\my_app → C--Users-you-projects-my-app

If memory files were already loaded this session, their paths in the system-reminders reveal the folder directly — use that instead of recomputing.

Step 2 — Run cleanup (archive stale session states)

Scan all session_state_*.md files currently in the memory folder (not in archive/).

For each file found:

1. Read the created: field from its frontmatter.
2. Calculate calendar days since created.
3. If the adjusted age is greater than 7 days → move the file to memory/archive/ (create the folder if needed with mkdir -p), then remove its line from MEMORY.md.

Step 3 — Determine the session state filename

Check if a session_state_[topic].md already exists in the memory folder for the same project or topic as this session.

• If yes → overwrite it (do not create a new file alongside it).
• If no → create session_state_[topic].md where [topic] is either the project name or a short slug that distinguishes this session's focus (e.g., api_refactor, auth_bugfix, db_migration).

Step 4 — Write the session state file

Use this exact template:

---
name: Session State — [Topic] ([today's date])
description: [One sentence: what was worked on and current status]
type: project
created: [today's date as YYYY-MM-DD]
---

# Session State — [Topic] — [today's date]

## What We Were Working On
[2-4 sentences: the specific task, why it was being done, where things stood when the session ended]

## What's Done
[Bullet list of completed items. Include filenames and specifics. If nothing was coded, say "Design only" or "Planning only".]

## What Still Needs to Be Done

### Immediate (start here next session)
- [ ] [Max 5 items — specific enough to act on without rereading anything]

### Short-term
- [ ] [Items for this week]

### Longer-term / Backlog
- [ ] [Real but not urgent]

## Current Status
[2-3 sentences. Assume the reader has zero context. End with the single most important next action.]

## Key File Locations (if relevant)
| What | Path |
|---|---|
| [component] | [path] |

Step 5 — Keep MEMORY.md clean (do NOT index session states)

Do not add a pointer line for this session state. MEMORY.md is auto-loaded into every session in this folder; indexing parked task-state there bleeds unrelated work into new sessions and invites hallucination. Session states are pull-on-demand — /catch-up Globs the folders directly and /resume uses the session-resume system; neither needs MEMORY.md.

• Remove any existing session_state_* lines from MEMORY.md (this supersedes any old "add a pointer" behavior).
• Also remove lines for any files you archived in Step 2.
• Leave durable memories (user / feedback / reference / active-checkpoint entries) untouched.

Step 6 — Confirm

Say: "Session state saved: session_state_[topic].md — [one-line summary of what was captured]. [N] file(s) archived."