phasespace-labs/palinode/palinode-session

Palinode Session Memory

This skill keeps your AI agent's memory fresh across coding sessions using Palinode MCP tools.

On Session Start

Search for prior context before beginning work:

palinode_search(query="[current project or task description]", limit=5)

Review results and reference relevant decisions or blockers from previous sessions.

During Work — Save Milestones

After each major milestone, save the outcome:

palinode_save(
  content="[what was accomplished and why]",
  type="Decision",          # or "Insight" for reusable lessons
  project="[project-slug]"
)

When to save:

• Tests pass after a significant change
• Feature is complete and working
• Architectural or design decision made (include rationale)
• Bug fixed that took >15 minutes (save the root cause)
• Something surprising discovered (save as Insight)

When NOT to save:

• Routine file edits, typo fixes
• Intermediate debug steps (save the resolution only)
• Things git already tracks (code changes, file history)

Every ~30 Minutes

If actively working and new durable progress has accumulated, consider a brief progress note after roughly 30 minutes. Do not turn this into a timer-based write for a recall-only/no-new-information session, and honor an explicit request not to save:

palinode_save(
  content="Progress: [what's been done so far, what's next]",
  type="ProjectSnapshot"
)

On Session End

At a user-requested wrap-up, or when the session produced new durable information, capture the session:

palinode_session_end(
  summary="[1-2 sentence summary of accomplishments]",
  decisions=["decision 1 with rationale", "decision 2"],
  blockers=["open question or next step"],
  project="[project-slug]"
)

Do not create a recap for a recall-only or no-new-information session, and honor an explicit request not to save. palinode_save and palinode_session_end are intentional, content-bearing MCP writes; they are separate from opt-in client hooks and background auto-summary enrichment. palinode init --no-hook leaves automatic hooks off, but this skill can still guide an agent to make an intentional explicit tool call. When the user invokes /wrap, preserve that explicit requested session-end write unless the user separately says not to save.

Tool Reference