Ai Chats Protocol

1. List folders in .ai-chats/ matching today: YYYY-MM-DD-*
2. If a folder matches the current session topic, use it
3. Otherwise create: .ai-chats/YYYY-MM-DD-NN-description/
   • NN = next two-digit sequence for today (01, 02, 03...)
   • description = 2-3 word kebab-case topic

Step 4: Create Session Files

Create at minimum:

Additional exchanges get --02.md, --03.md, etc. (up to --99).

Step 5: During Session

• New significant exchange = new --NN.md file
• NEVER summarize in exchange files — verbatim only
• Update --00.md with running summary, decisions, and file changes

Step 6: Session End (MANDATORY)

1. Finalize --00.md with:

   • What was accomplished
   • Technical decisions made
   • Files created/modified
   • Lessons learned
   • Next steps / open items
   • Exchange file index

2. Update INDEX.md — add/update this session's entry

3. Commit .ai-chats/ changes to git

Filename Convention (ONE place, ONE time)

Folder names

.ai-chats/YYYY-MM-DD-NN-description/

• All lowercase, dashes only, no spaces

File names

[Model-Version]--[NN].md

• No spaces — use dashes: Opus-4.6--01.md not Opus 4.6--01.md
• Double dash before sequence: --01 not -01
• Always include version: Sonnet-4.6 not Sonnet
• Sequence 00 = summary, 01-99 = exchanges

Model Identifiers

What "Verbatim" Means

Exchange files (--01 and up) must contain:

• Full user input — exact message including code, errors, context
• Full AI response text — complete response as written

Tool calls, function results, and files-read content are optional detail — include them when they add value, omit when they'd create 50KB+ noise. The goal is preserving the conversation, not logging raw JSON.

INDEX.md Format

Each session is one entry, date-sorted (newest first). No duplicate views.

# AI-Chats Index

**Last Updated:** YYYY-MM-DD

## Sessions

### YYYY-MM-DD-01-description ([Model-Version])
- Brief summary of what was done
- Status: ✅ Complete | Files: N

### YYYY-MM-DD-02-another-topic ([Model-Version])
- Brief summary
- Status: 🚧 In Progress | Files: N

Searchable by model, date, or topic via grep. Template: ~/.claude/skills/_ai_chats_protocol/assets/index-template.md

--00.md Summary Template

# AI Chat Session: [Topic]
- **Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
- **Model:** [Model-Version]
- **Tool:** Claude Code / Gemini CLI / etc.
- **Project:** [name]

## Summary
[What was accomplished, key decisions]

## Technical Details
[Technologies, files changed, configs modified]

## Lessons Learned
[What worked, what didn't, insights]

## Next Steps
[Unfinished work, follow-ups]

## Exchange Index
- [01 - Description](./Model--01.md)
- [02 - Description](./Model--02.md)

Multi-Model Sessions

When multiple AI models work in the same session, each creates its own files (Opus-4.6--00.md, Gemini-Pro-2.5--00.md, etc.) in the same folder. Read other models' files for context.

Full Protocol Reference

For edge cases, detailed model-name rules, multi-model examples, and version history: ~/.claude/skills/_ai_chats_protocol/references/full-protocol.md