| name | session-start |
| description | Resumes work from a previous session using handoff notes, checkpoints, or compact state. Use at the beginning of a new session to restore context and continuity. |
| allowed-tools | Read, Glob |
Session Start
Restore context from previous session. Prevents "starting from scratch" problem.
When to Use
- Beginning new session after handoff
- Resuming after break
- Recovering from crash/timeout
- User says "continue where we left off"
Recovery Priority
- Handoff →
.context/handoff.md(complete session summary) - Checkpoint →
.context/checkpoints/checkpoint-*.md(point-in-time) - Compact State →
.context/compact-state.md(post-compaction) - Agent Registry →
.context/agents/active.yaml(coordination)
Process
- Locate Sources: Check .context/ for handoff, checkpoints, compact-state
- Load Primary: Read handoff or specified checkpoint
- Verify State: Confirm files match expected state
- Load Docs: Based on task, run
/doc-discoveryor spawn @doc-agent - Refresh Instructions: Safety rules, orchestration mode, tools
- Report Ready: Show context restored, ready to continue
Output
## Session Started
### Recovered From
**Source**: [handoff/checkpoint/compact-state]
### Context Restored
- **Objective**: [goal]
- **Task**: [current]
- **Position**: [where in workflow]
### Verification
- [x] State matches expected
- [x] Environment ready
- [x] Instructions refreshed
### Next Action
[specific next step]
Quick Start (No Handoff)
## Fresh Session
No previous state found.
### Available
- CLAUDE.md loaded
- Core instructions active
- Tools available
### To Begin
Describe what you'd like to work on.
Related
- Checkpoint recovery: See reference/checkpoint-recovery.md
- State mismatch handling: See reference/state-mismatch.md
- Consumes output from:
/handoff,/checkpoint,/compact