Save working state to STATE.md

VerifiedSafe

Update .claude/STATE.md — the working memory that survives compaction and restarts. Use when the goal/next steps/open questions change, before a long task, or when context is getting full.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
ProductivityBeginner
7/24/2026
Claude Code
#state-management#working-memory#context-preservation#claude-code#session-persistence

Recommended for

Automated summary

Updates a working memory file (.claude/STATE.md) to preserve context across sessions and after compaction.

Strengths

  • Enables resuming exactly where you left off after /compact
  • Clear structure with Now, Done, Next, Questions, Gotchas sections
  • Reduces cognitive load by externalizing current state

Limitations

  • Requires manual updates to stay relevant
  • Limited to ~40 lines, may be too short for complex projects
  • Does not replace more detailed documentation
When to use it

Before a long task, at the end of a session, or when context is getting full.

When not to use it

For trivial changes or when the context is already perfectly clear in the conversation.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score85/100

The skill only uses Read, Edit, Write, and restricted Bash commands (git status, git log). It updates a local markdown file and does not perform any destructive, exfiltrating, or obfuscated actions. No external network calls or arbitrary code execution.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Save current progress
Update STATE.md with what we just accomplished: we refactored the auth module and wrote tests. Next step is to add rate limiting. Also note the gotcha about token expiry.
Start a new task
Before I start implementing the payment feature, save the current state so I can come back to it later.
Compact-friendly save
I'm about to run /compact. Please update STATE.md with our current goal, recent completions, and next steps.

description: Update .claude/STATE.md — the working memory that survives compaction and restarts. Use when the goal/next-step/open-questions change, before a long task, or when context is getting full. allowed-tools: Read, Edit, Write, Bash(git status:), Bash(git log:)

/save-state — write down where we are

Update .claude/STATE.md (create it if missing) so the thread survives /compact and a fresh session. Keep it SHORT — it loads every session and after every compaction.

Current context: !git -C "$PWD" log --oneline -5 2>/dev/null; echo '---'; git -C "$PWD" status --short 2>/dev/null

Rewrite STATE.md with these sections, a few bullets each:

  • Now — the one thing we're doing right now.
  • Done — finished this session (trim stale items).
  • Next — the next concrete step(s).
  • Open questions / decisions — anything unresolved, and any decision made + why.
  • Gotchas — non-obvious durable facts discovered.

Keep the whole file under ~40 lines. Then confirm in one line what you saved.

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/download' --output '.skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): Read, Edit, Write, Bash(git status:*), Bash(git log:*)

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

This file does not provide a usable name/description header for this native procedure. It remains available to download and inspect; use the manual method below.

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/save-working-state-to-state-md-mryiqglh/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

Related skills