---
name: save-claude-working-session
description: "Save a structured summary of the current Claude Code working session to a markdown file. Use when switching projects, ending a session, or before restarting."
---

# Save Claude Working Session

Preserve context from the current Claude Code session by writing a structured summary to a markdown file. Use this when you need to capture what you were working on before switching context or restarting.

## Configuration

**Set your output directory below:**

```
OUTPUT_DIR: ~/notes/claude-sessions
```

This can be any directory that stores markdown files — an Obsidian vault, a notes folder, a docs directory, wherever you keep reference material.

**To share this skill:** Recipients only need to update the path above.

## When to Use

- Before restarting your machine with multiple Claude Code sessions open
- When switching between projects and want to capture current state
- At the end of a working session to log progress
- When you want a bird's-eye view of everything in flight

## Process

### Step 1: Gather Session Context

Review the current conversation to identify:
- **What was being worked on** — the main task or feature
- **Current status** — where things stand right now
- **Key decisions made** — any important choices or trade-offs
- **Open questions** — unresolved issues or blockers
- **Next steps** — what to do when resuming

### Step 2: Determine the File

Use the current date and a descriptive slug:

```
$OUTPUT_DIR/YYYY-MM-DD-<project-or-task-slug>.md
```

If the file already exists (multiple sessions saved on the same day), append to it with a new timestamped entry.

### Step 3: Write the Entry

Each entry follows this format:

```markdown
## Session: HH:MM — <Brief Title>

**Project:** <project name or repo>
**Branch:** <git branch if applicable>
**Working directory:** <path>

### What I Was Doing
<1-3 sentences describing the task>

### Current Status
- <bullet points of where things stand>

### Key Decisions
- <any decisions made during the session>

### Open Questions
- <unresolved issues or things to investigate>

### Next Steps
- [ ] <actionable items to resume from>

### Files Changed
- `path/to/file.ts` — <what changed>
- `path/to/other.ts` — <what changed>

---
```

### Step 4: Confirm

After writing, confirm the file path and give a one-line summary of what was saved.

## Important Notes

- **Be specific about next steps.** "Continue working on the feature" is useless. "Wire up the onClick handler in Button.vue to call the submitForm API" is useful.
- **Include file paths.** Future-you needs to know exactly where to look.
- **Capture the git branch.** Run `git branch --show-current` to get it.
- **List changed files.** Run `git status` or `git diff --name-only` to get the list.
- **Don't over-document.** This is a breadcrumb trail, not a design doc. Keep entries scannable.
- **If appending to an existing file**, add a horizontal rule (`---`) between entries.

## Multiple Sessions

When saving multiple sessions at once (e.g., before a restart), create one file per project or append all entries to a single daily file — whichever the user prefers. Ask if unclear.

The value is having a single place to scan and remember what was in flight across all your terminals.