Purchase Pause Development Assistant

An expert AI agent for developing Purchase Pause, an evidence-based Chrome extension and Android app that helps prevent impulse buying using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques and delay gratification strategies.

What This Skill Does

This skill provides comprehensive development support for the Purchase Pause project, including:

Core Principles

Follow these principles for all work:

1. **Evidence-Based**: All features must have research backing (see RESEARCH_FINDINGS.md)

2. **Privacy-Focused**: All data stored locally, no external API calls for user data

3. **Non-Judgmental**: Use supportive language, never shame users

4. **User Retention First**: Target <30 second interactions, button-based UX only

5. **Session Documentation**: Maintain comprehensive handoffs between sessions

Instructions for AI Agent

Session Start Protocol

At the beginning of every session:

1. **Read the latest handoff file**:

```bash

ls -t handoff/*.md | head -1

```

2. **Review** `handoff/MASTER_HANDOFF_INDEX.md` for session history

3. **Check** `FILE_INDEX.md` to understand current codebase structure

4. **Identify next steps** from "Next Session Recommendations" in the latest handoff

5. **Create TODO list** using TodoWrite tool based on session goals

Development Guidelines

#### Code Standards

#### UX Principles (CRITICAL)

#### Evidence-Based Approach

#### Testing Requirements

#### Privacy & Security

File Structure Reference

```

purchase-pause/

├── CLAUDE.md # Project instructions (source of truth)

├── README.md # Project overview

├── RESEARCH_FINDINGS.md # Psychological research and evidence

├── CRITICAL_REVIEW.md # Critical analysis and known issues

├── IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md # Phase-by-phase development plan

├── FILE_INDEX.md # Master file index (keep updated)

├── handoff/

│ ├── MASTER_HANDOFF_INDEX.md # Summary of all sessions

│ └── [YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_EST.md] # Individual session handoffs

└── [src/, public/, etc. - future]

```

Session End Protocol (MANDATORY)

When user says **"end session"** or equivalent, follow these steps:

#### Step 1: Create Handoff Document

1. Create handoff folder if needed:

```bash

mkdir -p handoff

```

2. Generate filename in format: `handoff/YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_EST.md` (use Eastern Time)

3. Use this template:

```markdown

Session Handoff - [MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM:SS EST]

Session Summary

[Brief overview of session goals and outcomes]

Accomplishments

Files Modified This Session

Created

Modified

Deleted

Current Project Status

Next Session Recommendations

Technical Notes

Research & Decisions Made

```

#### Step 2: Update Master Handoff Index

Add new entry at the TOP of `handoff/MASTER_HANDOFF_INDEX.md`:

```markdown

[YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS EST] - [Brief Session Title]

**Handoff File:** `YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_EST.md`

**Summary:** [2-3 sentence summary]

**Key Changes:**

**Status:** [Completed/In Progress/Blocked]

---

```

#### Step 3: Update Master File Index

Update `FILE_INDEX.md` with any file changes:

```markdown

`/path/to/file.ext`

**Purpose:** [What this file does]

**Key Functions/Components:** [Main exports]

**Dependencies:** [Imports/requires]

**Last Modified:** [Session date]

**Status:** [Active/Deprecated/In Progress]

```

#### Step 4: Git Commit

1. Stage all changes:

```bash

git add .

```

2. Commit with descriptive message:

```bash

git commit -m "Session [DATE]: [Brief summary]

- [Change 1]

- [Change 2]

- [Change 3]

Handoff: handoff/YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_EST.md"

```

3. Push to GitHub:

```bash

git push origin main

```

#### Step 5: Confirm to User

Display completion summary:

```

✅ Session ended successfully

📝 Handoff created: handoff/YYYY-MM-DD_HH-MM-SS_EST.md

📋 Master index updated

📚 File index updated

✅ Changes committed and pushed to GitHub

Session Summary:

Next session can start by reading the handoff file.

```

Git & Version Control

#### Commit Message Format

```

Type: Brief description (max 50 chars)

[Optional: References to issues, handoffs]

```

**Types**: `feat:` (feature), `fix:` (bug fix), `docs:` (documentation), `refactor:` (code refactoring), `test:` (tests), `chore:` (maintenance)

#### Versioning

What NOT to Do

❌ Never create text input fields in interventions

❌ Never intervene on every purchase (use smart triggers)

❌ Never use judgmental language ("bad decision", "stop buying")

❌ Never commit without user approval

❌ Never skip the end session protocol

Technical Stack

**Chrome Extension:**

**Future (Android):**

Success Metrics to Track

**User Retention:**

**Intervention Completion:**

**Savings:**

Example Usage

**Starting a new session:**

```

User: "Let's continue working on Purchase Pause"

Agent:

1. Reads latest handoff file

2. Reviews MASTER_HANDOFF_INDEX.md

3. Creates TODO list with TodoWrite

4. Asks user to confirm priorities

```

**During development:**

```

User: "Add a cooling-off period feature"

Agent:

1. Consults RESEARCH_FINDINGS.md for evidence on delay tactics

2. Reviews CRITICAL_REVIEW.md for UX considerations

3. Implements button-based UI (no text input)

4. Updates FILE_INDEX.md as files are created/modified

5. Asks for user confirmation before committing

```

**Ending a session:**

```

User: "end session"

Agent:

1. Creates handoff document with timestamp

2. Updates MASTER_HANDOFF_INDEX.md

3. Updates FILE_INDEX.md

4. Commits and pushes to GitHub

5. Shows completion summary

```

Important Notes