Documents current work context to facilitate a smooth handover when pausing tasks.

Install

mkdir -p .claude/skills/gsd-pause-work && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/12881" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/gsd-pause-work && rm skill.zip

Installs to .claude/skills/gsd-pause-work

Activation

This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.

Create context handoff when pausing work mid-phase
50 chars✓ has a “when” trigger
Beginner

Key capabilities

  • Detect current phase from recent files
  • Gather complete work state (position, completed, remaining)
  • Create a `.continue-here.md` handoff file
  • Perform a Git commit as WIP
  • Provide resume instructions

How it works

This skill detects the current work phase, gathers the complete state, and creates a handoff file with resume instructions, committing the work as WIP.

Inputs & outputs

You give it
Current work session state
You get back
A `.continue-here.md` handoff file and a WIP Git commit

When to use gsd-pause-work

  • Pausing development tasks
  • Handing off work to another session
  • Documenting mid-phase progress

About this skill

<codex_skill_adapter>

A. Skill Invocation

  • This skill is invoked by mentioning $gsd-pause-work.
  • Treat all user text after $gsd-pause-work as {{GSD_ARGS}}.
  • If no arguments are present, treat {{GSD_ARGS}} as empty.

B. AskUserQuestion → request_user_input Mapping

GSD workflows use AskUserQuestion (Claude Code syntax). Translate to Codex request_user_input:

Parameter mapping:

  • headerheader
  • questionquestion
  • Options formatted as "Label" — description{label: "Label", description: "description"}
  • Generate id from header: lowercase, replace spaces with underscores

Batched calls:

  • AskUserQuestion([q1, q2]) → single request_user_input with multiple entries in questions[]

Multi-select workaround:

  • Codex has no multiSelect. Use sequential single-selects, or present a numbered freeform list asking the user to enter comma-separated numbers.

Execute mode fallback:

  • When request_user_input is rejected or unavailable, activate TEXT_MODE: append --text to {{GSD_ARGS}} so the workflow's built-in text-mode branching takes over. Present every AskUserQuestion call as a plain-text numbered list, then stop and wait for the user's reply. Do NOT pick a default and continue (#3018 / #3808).
  • You may only proceed without a user answer when one of these is true: (a) the invocation included an explicit non-interactive flag (--auto or --all), (b) the user has explicitly approved a specific default for this question, or (c) the workflow's documented contract says defaults are safe (e.g. autonomous lifecycle paths).
  • Do NOT write workflow artifacts (CONTEXT.md, DISCUSSION-LOG.md, PLAN.md, checkpoint files) until the user has answered the plain-text questions or one of (a)-(c) above applies. Surfacing the questions and waiting is the correct response — silently defaulting and writing artifacts is the #3018 failure mode.

C. Task() → spawn_agent Mapping

GSD workflows use Task(...) (Claude Code syntax). Translate to Codex collaboration tools:

Direct mapping:

  • Task(subagent_type="X", prompt="Y")spawn_agent(agent_type="X", message="Y")
  • Task(model="...") → omit. spawn_agent has no inline model parameter; GSD embeds the resolved per-agent model directly into each agent's .toml at install time so model_overrides from .planning/config.json and ~/.gsd/defaults.json are honored automatically by Codex's agent router.
  • Resolved reasoning_effort="low|medium|high|xhigh" (xhigh is a GSD/Codex tier, not a generic runtime enum) → pass reasoning_effort to spawn_agent when the runtime/tool supports it. Omit missing, empty, inherited, or unsupported values; do not invent one-off effort literals in workflow prose.
  • fork_context: false by default — GSD agents load their own context via <files_to_read> blocks
  • Task(isolation="worktree") / Agent(isolation="worktree") → no direct Codex mapping. Codex spawn_agent does not create or bind a git worktree automatically. Workflows that require this isolation must fail closed or use an explicit manual worktree protocol before spawning (#3360).

Spawn restriction:

  • Codex restricts spawn_agent to cases where the user has explicitly requested sub-agents. When automatic spawning is not permitted, do the work inline in the current agent rather than attempting to force a spawn.

Parallel fan-out:

  • Spawn multiple agents → collect agent IDs → wait(ids) for all to complete

Result parsing:

  • Look for structured markers in agent output: CHECKPOINT, PLAN COMPLETE, SUMMARY, etc.
  • close_agent(id) after collecting results from each agent </codex_skill_adapter>
<objective> Create `.continue-here.md` handoff file to preserve complete work state across sessions.

Routes to the pause-work workflow which handles:

  • Current phase detection from recent files
  • Complete state gathering (position, completed work, remaining work, decisions, blockers)
  • Handoff file creation with all context sections
  • Git commit as WIP
  • Resume instructions </objective>

<execution_context> @C:/Users/allex/Documents/Manoel/Dev/projeto/.codex/get-shit-done/workflows/pause-work.md </execution_context>

<context> State and phase progress are gathered in-workflow with targeted reads. </context> <process> If `--report` is in {{GSD_ARGS}}: Read and execute `C:/Users/allex/Documents/Manoel/Dev/projeto/.codex/get-shit-done/workflows/session-report.md` end-to-end.

Follow the pause-work workflow.

The workflow handles all logic including:

  1. Phase directory detection
  2. State gathering with user clarifications
  3. Handoff file writing with timestamp
  4. Git commit
  5. Confirmation with resume instructions
</process>

When not to use it

  • When an explicit non-interactive flag is not provided for questions
  • When the user has not approved a specific default for a question
  • When the workflow's contract does not state defaults are safe

Limitations

  • Codex `spawn_agent` does not automatically create or bind a git worktree
  • Codex restricts `spawn_agent` to cases where the user has explicitly requested sub-agents
  • Does not proceed without user answer unless specific conditions are met

How it compares

This workflow automates the creation of a detailed context handoff file and a WIP commit, ensuring a complete and traceable pause in work, unlike simply closing a session.

Compared to similar skills

gsd-pause-work side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.

SkillInstallsUpdatedSafetyDifficulty
gsd-pause-work (this skill)02moNo flagsBeginner
notion-meeting-intelligence66moNo flagsIntermediate
resume-handoff36moNo flagsIntermediate
meeting-briefing26moNo flagsIntermediate

Try saying

Example prompts that trigger this skill in your AI assistant.

You might also like

notion-meeting-intelligence

openai

Prepare meeting materials with Notion context and Codex research; use when gathering context, drafting agendas/pre-reads, and tailoring materials to attendees.

656

resume-handoff

parcadei

Resume work from handoff document with context analysis and validation

333

meeting-briefing

anthropics

Prepare structured briefings for meetings with legal relevance and track resulting action items. Use when preparing for contract negotiations, board meetings, compliance reviews, or any meeting where legal context, background research, or action tracking is needed.

213

personal-assistant

ailabs-393

This skill should be used whenever users request personal assistance tasks such as schedule management, task tracking, reminder setting, habit monitoring, productivity advice, time management, or any query requiring personalized responses based on user preferences and context. On first use, collects comprehensive user information including schedule, working habits, preferences, goals, and routines. Maintains an intelligent database that automatically organizes and prioritizes information, keeping relevant data and discarding outdated context.

36

digital-brain

muratcankoylan

This skill should be used when the user asks to "write a post", "check my voice", "look up contact", "prepare for meeting", "weekly review", "track goals", or mentions personal brand, content creation, network management, or voice consistency.

15

meeting-sync

amanaiproduct

Sync new Granola meetings to local Knowledge folder. Use during morning planning, when user asks "what should I do today", or asks to review/sync meetings.

13

Search skills

Search the agent skills registry