/continue - Resume Work After Context Loss

Resume work after context summarization, interruption, or break. Restores working memory and identifies where to pick up.

Usage

# Quick restore (default)
/continue

# With expanded context (more messages)
/continue --deep

# Show only summary, don't restore files
/continue --summary

# Focus on specific task
/continue A.9.2

System Prompt

EXECUTION DIRECTIVE: When the user invokes /continue, immediately execute the context restoration workflow. Do not ask questions first.

---

You are restoring context after a mid-session interruption (context summarization, error, or break).

Goal: Get Claude back to the exact mental state before the interruption so work can continue seamlessly.

Step 0: Capture Latest Context (REQUIRED - ALWAYS FIRST)

Run /cx BEFORE anything else to ensure any recent exports or session data are captured:

python3 "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.coditect/scripts/unified-message-extractor.py"

This ensures:

• Recent exports are processed and archived
• Session JSONL files are scanned for new messages
• Context database is fully up-to-date before querying

CRITICAL: Without this step, queries may miss recent work that hasn't been indexed yet.

Step 1: Query Recent Context (REQUIRED)

Execute these searches to understand recent activity:

# Recent messages (last 50)
python3 "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.coditect/scripts/context-db.py" query --recent 50 --format brief

# Recent decisions
python3 "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.coditect/scripts/context-db.py" query --decisions --limit 5

Step 2: Check Working State (REQUIRED)

# Current todo list
cat /dev/stdin <<< "Check TodoWrite state from conversation"

# Recent file modifications (last 2 hours)
find . -type f -name "*.py" -o -name "*.md" -o -name "*.ts" | xargs ls -lt 2>/dev/null | head -20

# Git status for uncommitted work
git status --short
git diff --stat HEAD~3..HEAD 2>/dev/null || git log --oneline -5

Step 3: Identify Interruption Point

From the context gathered, determine:

1. Last Completed Task - What was the last thing marked done?
2. Current In-Progress Task - What task ID was being worked on?
3. Last Tool Actions - What files were being edited/read?
4. Pending Decisions - Any questions awaiting answers?

Step 4: Generate Restoration Summary

Output this format:

## Context Restored

**Last Working On:** [Task ID]: [Description]
**Status:** [in_progress/blocked/waiting]
**Last Actions:**
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]

**Key Files:**
- `path/to/file1.py` - [what was being done]
- `path/to/file2.md` - [what was being done]

**Recent Decisions:**
- [Decision 1]
- [Decision 2]

**Next Step:** [Specific action to continue]

---
Ready to continue. What would you like me to do?

Step 5: Restore Critical Files (if --deep)

If --deep flag or complex work detected, read the key files:

# Read last 3 modified files relevant to the task
Read(file_path="path/to/relevant/file.py")

Options

Option	Description
--deep	Extended context (100 messages) + read key files
--summary	Quick summary only, no file reads
--task TASK_ID	Focus restoration on specific task
--since TIME	Optional: limit file search to time window (e.g., "1h", "30m"). Context queries are NOT time-limited.

Note: By default, /continue finds your last active work regardless of when it was. The --since flag only affects which modified files are shown, not the context query.

Examples

After Context Summarization

/continue

Result: Queries recent context, shows what was being worked on, suggests next step.

After Long Break

/continue --deep

Result: Extended context search, reads relevant files, full restoration.

Resume Specific Task

/continue A.9.2

Result: Focuses on Task A.9.2, shows its state and next actions.

When to Use

Situation	Command
Context just summarized	/continue
Error/crash recovery	/continue --deep
After 30+ min break	/continue
Switching back to task	/continue TASK_ID
New session, known task	/orient then /continue TASK_ID

Comparison with /orient

Aspect	/orient	/continue
Use case	Session start	Mid-session recovery
Context source	PILOT plan, checkpoints	Recent cxq, git, todos
Scope	Full project	Last active work (any timeframe)
Agent discovery	Yes	No (assumes known)
Time	~30 sec	~10 sec
Output	Task recommendations	Working state restoration

Note: /continue is NOT time-bounded. It finds your last active work whether that was 10 minutes ago or 10 days ago.

Integration

Works with:

• /cxq - Context database queries
• /orient - Full session orientation
• TodoWrite - Task state tracking
• Session logs - Activity history

Success Output

## Context Restored

**Last Working On:** A.9.2.6: Fix django-multitenant integration tests
**Status:** in_progress
**Last Actions:**
- Fixed TenantMeta configuration in models.py
- Added get_next_sync_cursor() to views.py
- Ran tests: 15/15 passing

**Key Files:**
- `backend/context/models.py` - TenantMeta class added
- `backend/context/views.py` - sync_cursor sequence fix

**Recent Decisions:**
- Use TenantMeta inner class pattern (not tenant_id attribute)
- Explicitly call PostgreSQL sequence for sync_cursor

**Next Step:** Update session log with test results, then commit changes.

---
Ready to continue. What would you like me to do?

Failure Indicators

This command has FAILED if:

• No recent context found in cxq
• Cannot determine last working task
• Git status unavailable
• No actionable next step identified

Completion Checklist

Before marking /continue complete, verify:

• /cx executed first (captured unprocessed exports)
• Recent context queried (last 50+ messages)
• Git status checked (modified files, last commit time)
• Session log reviewed (most recent, any date)
• Last task identified (task ID or description)
• Clear next step provided
• Key files listed

When NOT to Use

Do NOT use /continue when:

Situation	Use Instead
Fresh session, unknown project state	/orient
Need to discover which agent to use	/which <task>
Starting completely new task	/orient or direct work
Just need to search context	/cxq "search"
Project has no prior work	N/A - nothing to continue

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Solution
Using at session start	Overkill, use /orient	Check if fresh session
Skipping /cx first	Miss recent exports	Always run /cx before queries
Skipping context query	Miss critical state	Always query cxq
Not checking todos	Miss task progress	Always check todo state
Assuming time window	Miss old work	Query by count, not time
Not reading key files	Lose implementation context	Use --deep for complex work

Principles

This command embodies:

• #1 Recycle, Extend, Re-Use - Recovers prior work instead of restarting
• #3 Complete Execution - Full restoration pipeline with no manual steps
• #5 Search Before Create - Queries existing context before asking user
• #9 Based on Facts - Uses actual context data, not assumptions

Full Standard: CODITECT-STANDARD-AUTOMATION.md

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Command: /continue Skill: session-continuation Script: scripts/context-restore.py Version: 1.0.0 Created: 2026-01-05