Session Management for Claude Code for Openclaw

1. Create the project directories and state files

Create the following structure in the project root or another location used by your workflow:

mkdir -p state sessions
touch state/current.md state/decisions.md state/weekly-priorities.md state/blockers.md

The workflow can create state/current-log.md, state/heartbeat-log.md, and daily session logs automatically when they are first needed.

2. Initialize state/current.md

# Current State

Last updated: [date]

## Active Priorities
1. [Your top priority]
2. [Second priority]

## Active Context
- [Open thread or current work] *(created M/D)*

## Recently Completed
- [Completed item] *(M/D)*

3. Initialize state/decisions.md

# Decision Log

Key decisions with date, context, rationale, and rejected alternatives.

| Date | Decision | Context / Rationale | Rejected Alternatives |
|------|----------|---------------------|-----------------------|

Use the rejected-alternatives column for meaningful branches, failed hypotheses, and pivots so future sessions can audit the reasoning.

4. Register the commands in CLAUDE.md

Add a session-management section that documents these user-only commands:

## Session Management
| Command | What it does |
|---------|--------------|
| `/start` | Load state, check changes, and give a briefing |
| `/end` | Log the session, update state, propose memory updates, and check Git status |
| `/update` | Save a quick mid-session checkpoint |
| `/today` | Run the morning heartbeat for freshness, deadlines, and memory curation |

5. Use the lifecycle explicitly

Because the skill sets disable-model-invocation: true, Claude does not invoke it ambiently. Run /start when beginning work, /update at meaningful checkpoints, /end before closing, and /today for the daily review. Ensure the project is a Git repository if you want change detection, parallel-session checks, and uncommitted-work reporting.

git status
git log --oneline --since="3 days ago"

Project files

Session log structure

Daily logs contain either quick checkpoint entries or full closing summaries:

## Update: {TIME}
- {brief work summary}

## Session: {TIME}
### Topics
- {topic}
### Decisions
- {decision}
### Open Threads
- {unfinished item}
### Next Actions
- {next step}

Metadata and freshness taxonomy

• Last Updated: exactly one current timestamp line in current.md; previous lines are moved individually to current-log.md.
• Freshness thresholds: current.md is stale after 3 days, weekly priorities after 5 days, and blockers after 7 days.
• Open-thread age: items older than 7 days are flagged for review; items older than 14 days are escalated as likely stale.
• Deadline window: /today surfaces dated or urgent tasks due within 7 days.
• Decision metadata: meaningful choices include context, rationale, and rejected alternatives; trivial decisions are omitted.
• Memory metadata: only durable, verified project knowledge is proposed, while daily work remains in session logs and state files.