Klondike Agent Workflow
Klondike bridges context windows for long-running agent sessions. Critical: Always use CLI commands—never directly read/edit .klondike/*.json files or agent-progress.md.
CRITICAL: Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ NEVER do these:
- •
klondike --help(wrong syntax - useklondikealone orklondike <command>without --help) - •
klondike feature --help(wrong - just run the command, it will show usage) - •Read
.klondike/features.jsondirectly (useklondike feature list) - •Edit
agent-progress.mdmanually (auto-generated, changes are lost) - •
klondike feature startwithout feature ID (must beklondike feature start F001) - •Feature IDs like
f001or1(must be uppercase:F001)
✓ DO these:
- •
klondikealone shows all commands - •
klondike feature listto see features - •
klondike feature show F001for details - •
klondike statusto see project overview
Quick Decision Tree
code
Starting work? → klondike status → klondike session start --focus "F001 - desc" Working on feature → klondike feature start F001 Feature complete? → Test E2E → klondike feature verify F001 --evidence "..." Blocked? → klondike feature block F001 --reason "..." Ending session? → klondike session end --summary "..." --next "..."
Session Lifecycle
1. Session Start (Always Do First!)
bash
klondike status # See project state klondike validate # Check artifact integrity klondike session start --focus "F001 - Login UI" # Begin session klondike feature start F001 # Mark feature in-progress
2. During Work
- •One feature at a time (tracked by
feature start) - •Commit after each meaningful change
- •Test incrementally, not at end
- •If blocked:
klondike feature block F001 --reason "..."
3. Session End (Before Leaving!)
bash
klondike feature verify F001 --evidence "test-results/F001.png" klondike session end --summary "Done" --next "Implement logout"
Core Commands
| Action | Command | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Status | klondike status | Always start here |
| Add feature | klondike feature add "desc" --notes "hints" | --notes is critical |
| Start feature | klondike feature start F001 | One at a time |
| List features | klondike feature list | Never read JSON directly |
| Show details | klondike feature show F001 | View single feature |
| Verify | klondike feature verify F001 --evidence "proof" | E2E test first |
| Block | klondike feature block F001 --reason "why" | When stuck |
| Start session | klondike session start --focus "F001 - desc" | Begin work |
| End session | klondike session end --summary "..." --next "..." | Before leaving |
Essential Rules
Always:
- •Start every session with
klondike statusto see project state - •Use
--noteswhen adding features (gives future agents critical context) - •Capture evidence (screenshots, logs) before
feature verify - •Run pre-commit checks before every commit
- •End sessions with
session end --summary ... --next ...
Never:
- •Use
klondike --helporklondike feature --help(wrong syntax - see Common Mistakes) - •Read or edit
.klondike/*.jsonfiles directly (use CLI commands) - •Edit
agent-progress.mdmanually (auto-generated, edits are lost) - •Verify features without E2E testing (unit tests aren't enough)
- •Commit code with failing tests, lint errors, or build failures
Pre-Commit Checks
Detect project type and run checks. Never commit if any fail.
Python (uv): uv run ruff check src tests && uv run pytest
Node.js: npm run lint && npm run build && CI=true npm test
Rust: cargo clippy && cargo test
Go: golangci-lint run && go test ./...
Reference Files (Load As Needed)
Load these only when you need specific details:
- •commands.md: Full CLI reference with all options/flags
- •workflows.md: Multi-session patterns, worktrees, complex scenarios
- •troubleshooting.md: Error recovery and corrupted state fixes