Long-Running Agent Protocol

This skill provides a systematic approach for developing complex projects across multiple Claude sessions, preventing context loss and maintaining consistent progress.

When to Use This Skill

• Projects expected to take multiple sessions to complete
• Complex applications with many features (50+ features)
• When delegating tasks to SubAgents for isolated execution
• When previous sessions lost context or progress
• Full-stack applications, CLI tools, or any multi-component project

Core Concepts

Master Agent vs SubAgent Architecture

The protocol uses two agent roles:

Master Agent (You): Orchestrates the project, maintains progress files, delegates tasks, and consolidates results.

SubAgents: Execute isolated tasks with their own context window, preventing hallucination. Each SubAgent receives a specific task and returns completion status.

Progress Tracking Files

All progress is tracked in the .claude/ directory:

project/
├── .claude/
│   ├── progress.md          # Session history and status
│   ├── features.xml         # Feature list with status
│   ├── current-task.md      # Task for SubAgent execution
│   └── session-log.md       # Current session activity log

Protocol Workflow

Phase 1: Session Initialization (Always Execute First)

Before any development work, execute this orientation sequence:

1. Check for existing progress structure

   ls -la .claude/

2. If .claude/ exists: Read progress files
   • Read .claude/progress.md to understand session history
   • Read .claude/features.xml to see pending features
   • Check git log --oneline -10 for recent commits
3. If .claude/ does not exist: Initialize project
   • Run scripts/init_project.py or manually create structure
   • Generate comprehensive feature list (minimum 50 features)
   • Create initial progress.md with session #1
4. Validate environment
   • Run development server if applicable
   • Execute basic smoke test
   • If bugs found, fix BEFORE starting new work
5. Select next task
   • Choose ONE feature with status="pending" from features.xml
   • Prioritize by priority attribute (high → medium → low)

Phase 2: Task Preparation

Before delegating to SubAgent, prepare the task file:

1. Write .claude/current-task.md with:
   • Feature ID and description
   • Acceptance criteria (checkboxes)
   • Files to modify
   • Technical context
   • Completion signal phrase
2. Example task file format:

   # Current Task

   ## Feature: FEAT-XXX
   **Description**: [Clear description]

   ## Acceptance Criteria
   - [ ] Criterion 1
   - [ ] Criterion 2
   - [ ] Criterion 3

   ## Files to Modify
   - path/to/file1.ts
   - path/to/file2.ts

   ## Technical Context
   [Relevant technical details]

   ## Completion Signal
   When all criteria are met, respond: **TASK_COMPLETE**
   If blocked, respond: **TASK_BLOCKED: [reason]**

Phase 3: SubAgent Execution

Delegate the task to a SubAgent with this prompt pattern:

You are a Development SubAgent. Read .claude/current-task.md and execute the described task.

Rules:
- Work incrementally, testing each change
- Do not modify files outside the specified list
- Do not mark criteria complete until verified
- Respond TASK_COMPLETE when all criteria pass
- Respond TASK_BLOCKED: [reason] if you cannot proceed

The SubAgent works in isolation with its own context window, preventing hallucination from accumulated context.

Phase 4: Consolidation (After SubAgent Returns)

When SubAgent responds with completion status:

If TASK_COMPLETE:

1. Update .claude/features.xml - change status to "complete"
2. Update .claude/progress.md - log the completion
3. Commit changes: git add -A && git commit -m "Feature: FEAT-XXX - [description]"
4. Update .claude/session-log.md
5. Return to Phase 2 for next feature OR end session

If TASK_BLOCKED:

1. Log the blocker in .claude/session-log.md
2. Decide: break down task further, skip, or request user input
3. Update task and retry OR select different feature

Phase 5: Session End

Before ending any session:

1. Ensure code compiles and runs
2. Make final git commit if pending changes
3. Update .claude/progress.md with session summary
4. Document next steps clearly
5. Leave environment in clean state

File Formats

progress.md Format

Reference references/progress-template.md for the complete template. Key sections:

• Current session number and date
• Features completed count
• Session history summaries
• Known issues
• Next priorities

features.xml Format

Reference references/features-template.xml for the complete template. Key attributes:

• id: Unique feature identifier (FEAT-XXX)
• status: pending | in-progress | complete | blocked
• priority: high | medium | low
• session: Session number when completed

Critical Rules

NEVER DO:

• Implement multiple features simultaneously
• Mark features complete without testing
• Skip the orientation phase
• Ignore existing bugs to add new features
• Remove or edit feature descriptions
• End session with broken code

ALWAYS DO:

• Read progress files before any work
• Work on ONE feature at a time
• Test thoroughly before marking complete
• Commit after each completed feature
• Update progress files after each task
• Leave code in functional state

Integrating with CLAUDE.md

To make this protocol permanent for a project, append the contents of assets/claude-md-append.md to the project's CLAUDE.md file. This ensures the protocol is followed in every session automatically.

Initialization

For new projects, run the initialization script:

python scripts/init_project.py --project-name "My Project" --description "Project description"

This creates the .claude/ directory structure and generates an initial feature list based on the project description.