end

Session closeout. Do everything needed so the user can walk away without taking notes or remembering anything. The next /start must pick up seamlessly. Runs inline on Sonnet. No subagents.

Steps

1. Review what was done this session. Look at all changes made, files edited, commits created, and conversations had. Don't miss anything.

2. Update WORK_LOG.md. This is the critical handoff document.

   • Update "Last updated" date
   • Update "Overall State" headline if it changed
   • Add numbered entries under "Recent Changes (this session)" for everything done — be specific (file names, node counts, what changed and why)
   • Update "Workflow Status" or equivalent current-state section to reflect reality
   • Update "Known Issues / Next Steps" — remove anything completed, add anything new discovered, reprioritize if needed. Be explicit about what's next and what's blocked
   • If any task is partially done, document exactly where it was left off and what remains

3. Compress WORK_LOG.md if needed. Count the number of entries — dated session headers (## YYYY-MM-DD or ### YYYY-MM-DD) plus any existing ## Compressed: blocks. If the total exceeds 100:

   • Read the 10 oldest entries (whether raw sessions or prior compressed blocks)
   • Summarize each to 2-3 bullets: what was done, what changed, what was decided
   • Replace those 10 entries with a single block at the bottom: ## Compressed: [earliest date] – [latest date] followed by the bullet summaries
   • Keep the Overall State / header section intact
   • Result: you drop from 101+ entries to ~92, with history preserved in compressed form
   • This fires roughly once every 9-10 sessions — not every session after the limit

4. Update PM tool (if MCP is connected). Mark completed tasks as done. Update in-progress tasks with status notes. Create new tasks for anything discovered during the session that needs tracking.

5. Cleanup — remove temporary artifacts:

   • Delete HANDOFF_RESULT.md if it exists in the project root
   • Remove any other temp files created during the session (scratch scripts, debug output, etc.)
   • Do NOT delete docs/decisions/ files — those are permanent
   • Inbox cleanup: If inbox/ exists and has files:
     • Review each file — extract any information that should persist (save to memory, docs, code, etc.)
     • If a file needs to live permanently in the project, move it to the right location (e.g., docs/, templates/)
     • Delete everything remaining in inbox/ — the goal is zero files after every session
     • Report what was cleaned up: "Cleaned inbox: deleted X files, moved Y to Z"

6. Pre-commit checklist — before committing, verify:

   • All changes tested/verified (not just "should work" — show evidence)
   • No hardcoded secrets, tokens, or credentials in code
   • No uncommitted changes left behind accidentally
   • No temp files being committed
   • Branch pushed to origin

7. Commit and push. Stage all changed files, commit with a clear message summarizing the session's work, and push to remote. Do NOT commit .env or credentials.

8. Present the closeout summary:

   • Done this session — bullet list of completed work
   • Left in progress — anything partially done and where it stands
   • Next session priorities — what /start will surface as the top items
   • Action items — anything that requires action outside of Claude Code

Keep it concise. The goal is zero information loss between sessions.

9. Sign off. After everything above is complete, end your response with a clear, unmissable closing line so the user knows the session is fully wrapped — even if they scroll back later:

   Session complete. You can close this window.