Checkpoint Protocol

Checkpoint Protocol v2

Designed by Winnie 🦁 | Approved by Chris | 2026-02-27

Replaces the 4-line checkpoint block in SOUL.md with a verifiable, receipt-based protocol.

Full Checkpoint (session end, /new, sprint end)

Before any session close, /new, handover request, or end-of-sprint — ALL steps are required:

1. Write HANDOVER.md — Overwrite using the exact template. Must contain all 5 sections:

   • ## Last Action
   • ## System State
   • ## Scope Rules
   • ## Dev Model
   • ## Next Actions

2. Append daily log — Add session summary to memory/daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md (today’s date, append-only).

3. Update HEARTBEAT.md — Refresh Now:, Next:, Blockers: if anything changed this session.

4. Update MC tasks — Mark completed tasks as done, add new blockers as notes:

   curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:3001/api/tasks/<ID>" \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"status":"done","agent":"<YourName>"}'

5. Self-verify — Read back HANDOVER.md. Confirm:

   • All 5 template sections present
   • ## Last Action matches this session’s actual work (not stale from a previous session)
   • Dates and system state are current
   • If any check fails: fix and re-verify (max 2 retries, then flag in receipt)

6. Emit receipt — Output the checkpoint receipt as your final message:

   ✅ CHECKPOINT @ <ISO-timestamp>
   - HANDOVER: written (Last Action: "<one-line summary>")
   - Daily: appended (memory/daily/<YYYY-MM-DD>.md)
   - HEARTBEAT: updated (Now: "<current>", Next: "<next>")
   - MC: <task updates or "no changes">
   - Verify: PASS|FAIL (<details if fail>)

Quick Checkpoint (mid-session, ~30-min mark on long runs)

1. Overwrite HANDOVER.md only (current state)
2. Append progress note to daily log
3. No receipt required

Rules

• A checkpoint is NOT complete until the receipt is emitted.
• If self-verify fails after 2 retries, emit the receipt with Verify: FAIL and describe the issue.
• Cron sprints MUST run a full checkpoint before session ends, regardless of whether tasks were completed.

Validation Script

Path: /home/winnie/.openclaw/bin/verify-checkpoint.sh

# Usage
verify-checkpoint.sh [max_age_minutes]
# Default: max age = 10 minutes
# Exit: 0 = all pass, 1 = any fail

# Output (JSON):
# {"handover":"pass","daily":"pass","heartbeat":"pass","overall":"pass","errors":[]}

Checks:

• HANDOVER.md exists, has all 5 sections, was modified within max_age_minutes
• memory/daily/YYYY-MM-DD.md exists and is non-empty
• HEARTBEAT.md exists and contains Now:, Next:, Blockers:

Cron Prompt Suffix

Append to all sprint and brief cron prompts:

## Checkpoint (mandatory)
Before session ends, run the full checkpoint protocol (SOUL.md § Session End / Checkpoint).
Output the checkpoint receipt as your final message.
A sprint without a receipt is incomplete.

Fleet Deployment Checklist

Agent	Workspace	SOUL.md
main (Winnie)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/workspace/	SOUL.md
pm-frankel (Frankel)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/pm-frankel/workspace/	SOUL.md
pm-s1defence (Shield)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/pm-s1defence/workspace/	SOUL.md
pm-r6records (Vinyl)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/pm-r6records/workspace/	SOUL.md
dev-frontend (Pixel)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/dev-frontend/workspace/	SOUL.md
dev-backend (Stack)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/dev-backend/workspace/	SOUL.md
dev-ops (Pipe)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/dev-ops/workspace/	SOUL.md
research (Scout)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/research/workspace/	SOUL.md
monitor (Sentry)	/home/winnie/.openclaw/agents/monitor/workspace/	SOUL.md

All 9 agents follow the identical checkpoint protocol. The checkpoint section text is the same across all agents.

See Also

• Claude Code SOP — Build workflow guide
• Changelog — Protocol deployment history