Protocol
Checkpoint meaningful progress before a long agent crosses a fragile boundary
Progress that exists only in the current context window is not durable progress.
When it fits
- A task spans many tool calls, context compactions, process restarts or long-running background work.
When to avoid it
- Do not checkpoint secrets or unnecessary raw data into insecure storage.
Why it matters
Save a checkpoint after meaningful milestones: current task state, completed outputs, unresolved items, relevant artifact versions and next action. Use checkpointing before context reset, external wait, process restart or other point where reconstruction would be expensive.
Steps
- Completed artifacts have stable identities.
- Open work and next action are recorded.
- Critical assumptions/decisions are persisted.
- Checkpoint can be rehydrated without replaying the entire transcript.
An example
After finishing repository analysis, persist the selected plan and changed-file list before the agent starts a long implementation phase.
Check your result
A later process can resume from the checkpoint without guessing what the prior context knew.
Keep this limit in mind
- Do not checkpoint secrets or unnecessary raw data into insecure storage.
Connected ideas
Useful withCheckpoint the task before a planned interruption
Evidence and sources
Supports
Microsoft's workflow checkpoint guidance supports saving state so long-running workflows can resume after failures or pauses.
Do not checkpoint secrets or unnecessary raw data into insecure storage.
Microsoft Agent Framework Workflows - Checkpoints · See source record