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kata-pause-work

kata-pause-workSafety 95Repository

Create a context handoff file, pausing work mid-phase, stopping work temporarily, or creating a checkpoint for session resumption. Triggers include "pause work", "stop work", "create handoff", "save progress", and "pause session".

93 stars
1.9k downloads
Updated 2/22/2026

Package Files

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SKILL.md

Enables seamless resumption in fresh session with full context restoration.

# Get current phase from STATE.md
CURRENT_PHASE=$(grep -oP 'Phase: \K[0-9]+' .planning/STATE.md 2>/dev/null | head -1)
PADDED=$(printf "%02d" "$CURRENT_PHASE" 2>/dev/null || echo "$CURRENT_PHASE")
PHASE_DIR=""
for state in active pending completed; do
  PHASE_DIR=$(find .planning/phases/${state} -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "${PADDED}-*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
  [ -z "$PHASE_DIR" ] && PHASE_DIR=$(find .planning/phases/${state} -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "${CURRENT_PHASE}-*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
  [ -n "$PHASE_DIR" ] && break
done
# Fallback: flat directory (backward compatibility)
if [ -z "$PHASE_DIR" ]; then
  PHASE_DIR=$(find .planning/phases -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "${PADDED}-*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
  [ -z "$PHASE_DIR" ] && PHASE_DIR=$(find .planning/phases -maxdepth 1 -type d -name "${CURRENT_PHASE}-*" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
fi

If universal discovery fails, fall back to most recently modified files.

  1. Current position: Which phase, which plan, which task
  2. Work completed: What got done this session
  3. Work remaining: What's left in current plan/phase
  4. Decisions made: Key decisions and rationale
  5. Blockers/issues: Anything stuck
  6. Mental context: The approach, next steps, "vibe"
  7. Files modified: What's changed but not committed

Ask user for clarifications if needed.

---
phase: XX-name
task: 3
total_tasks: 7
status: in_progress
last_updated: [timestamp]
---

<current_state>
[Where exactly are we? Immediate context]
</current_state>

<completed_work>

- Task 1: [name] - Done
- Task 2: [name] - Done
- Task 3: [name] - In progress, [what's done]
  </completed_work>

<remaining_work>

- Task 3: [what's left]
- Task 4: Not started
- Task 5: Not started
  </remaining_work>

<decisions_made>

- Decided to use [X] because [reason]
- Chose [approach] over [alternative] because [reason]
  </decisions_made>

<blockers>
- [Blocker 1]: [status/workaround]
</blockers>

<context>
[Mental state, what were you thinking, the plan]
</context>

<next_action>
Start with: [specific first action when resuming]
</next_action>

Be specific enough for a fresh Claude to understand immediately.

COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=$(node scripts/kata-lib.cjs read-config "commit_docs" "true")
git check-ignore -q .planning 2>/dev/null && COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=false

If COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=false: Skip git operations

If COMMIT_PLANNING_DOCS=true (default):

git add ${PHASE_DIR}/.continue-here.md
git commit -m "wip: [phase-name] paused at task [X]/[Y]"

Current state:

  • Phase: [XX-name]
  • Task: [X] of [Y]
  • Status: [in_progress/blocked]
  • Committed as WIP

To resume: /kata-resume-work

</step>

</process>

<success_criteria>
- [ ] .continue-here.md created in correct phase directory
- [ ] All sections filled with specific content
- [ ] Committed as WIP
- [ ] User knows location and how to resume
</success_criteria>

Install

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Requires askill CLI v1.0+

AI Quality Score

80/100Analyzed 2/22/2026

Well-structured skill with clear executable steps, bash commands, and handoff template. Properly uses skills folder location. Tied to specific kata-orchestrator conventions which limits portability but increases utility within that context. Has good triggers, tags, and success criteria. Minor gap is lack of explicit 'when to use' section in body."

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Metadata

Licenseunknown
Version-
Updated2/22/2026
Publishergannonh

Tags

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