pi-session-recap — one-line session context for Pi

A Pi extension that keeps a one-line recap above the editor so long-running coding sessions are easier to resume.

pi install npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap

/session-recap status

Features

• Recap widget — show the current session focus directly above Pi's editor.
• Idle refresh — update the recap after agent turns once Pi is idle.
• Model selection — choose auto, the current active model, or a fixed provider/model-id.
• Fallback summaries — use local heuristics when no authenticated recap model is available.
• Session persistence — save the latest recap as extension state so resumed sessions and external monitors can read it.
• Configurable delay — refresh immediately or after delays such as 10s, 30s, 2m, or 1h.
• Command autocomplete — complete subcommands, delays, and authenticated model IDs.

Install

Install from npm:

pi install npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap

Install project-locally instead of globally:

pi install npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap -l

Install from GitHub or a local checkout:

pi install git:github.com/lukemelnik/pi-session-recap
pi install /absolute/path/to/pi-session-recap

Quick Start

Install the package, open Pi, then check the current recap configuration:

/session-recap status

Use the default model selection and refresh delay:

/session-recap model auto
/session-recap delay default

Regenerate the recap immediately from recent session context:

/session-recap refresh

Commands

Command	Description
/session-recap	Show current settings. Same as /session-recap status.
/session-recap status	Show whether the widget is enabled, the recap model, delay, and settings path.
/session-recap on	Show the recap widget and refresh after agent turns.
/session-recap off	Hide the recap widget and stop refreshes.
/session-recap toggle	Toggle the recap widget.
/session-recap refresh	Regenerate the recap immediately from recent context.
/session-recap model	Open a model picker for authenticated models.
/session-recap model auto	Use the first available recap candidate, then fall back to the current active model.
/session-recap model current	Always use the current active Pi model.
/session-recap model <provider>/<model-id>	Use a fixed model for recaps.
/session-recap delay	Show the current refresh delay.
/session-recap delay <duration>	Set the refresh delay. Supports ms, s, m, and h.
/session-recap delay default	Restore the default 30 second delay.

Model Behavior

The auto model mode tries these authenticated models first, then falls back to the active Pi model:

1. openai-codex/gpt-5.4-mini
2. openai/gpt-5.4-mini
3. openrouter/openai/gpt-5.4-mini

If no authenticated model is available, the extension generates a best-effort local fallback from recent user requests and file paths.

The selected recap model receives recent session text so it can summarize the actual task. Use /session-recap off if recap context should not be sent to a model provider.

Configuration

Settings are stored globally at:

~/.pi/agent/session-recap.json

Setting	Default	Description
enabled	true	Whether the recap widget is shown.
delayMs	30000	Delay after an agent turn before refreshing.
modelMode	auto	One of auto, current, or fixed.
provider	unset	Provider used when modelMode is fixed.
modelId	unset	Model ID used when modelMode is fixed.

Settings changes are also written into the current Pi session so resumed or forked sessions keep their recap choices.

Session State

The latest generated recap is saved in the current Pi session as a custom extension entry:

{
  "type": "custom",
  "customType": "session-synopsis-state",
  "data": {
    "schemaVersion": 1,
    "synopsis": "Debugging API integration failures in Songkeeper",
    "lastSummarizedLeafId": "abc123",
    "updatedAt": 1778165000000
  }
}

Pi custom entries are extension state and are not sent to the model as conversation context. Consumers should read the current branch from newest to oldest and use the first session-synopsis-state entry.

Manage the Package

pi list
pi config
pi update npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap
pi remove npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap

If the package was installed project-locally, pass -l to pi remove:

pi remove npm:@lukemelnik/pi-session-recap -l

Requirements

• Pi with package support.
• An authenticated model for generated recaps. Without one, local fallback summaries still work.

Development

Maintainer setup, type checking, and release commands are documented in docs/development.md.

License

MIT