| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| π Overview | What it is, three foundational principles |
| π Architecture | Repo structure + generated workspace structure |
| π₯ Installation | Prerequisites, setup, profiles, troubleshooting |
| π§ The Kernel | Invariants, heuristics, contracts |
| π οΈ CLI Reference | All CLI commands |
| π Workflow Catalog | 23 governed workflows |
| π‘οΈ Rule Catalog | 11 governance rules |
| π§© Skill Catalog | 2 reusable skills |
| π§© Task Management | Hybrid 3-File model |
| π Upgrading | Auto update + clean slate |
| πΊοΈ Roadmap | Version history + planned features |
PARA Workspace is an open-source workspace framework that defines how humans and AI agents organize knowledge and collaborate on projects. It ships as a repo containing a kernel (constitution), CLI tools, and templates β which generates workspaces where you actually work. The kernel enforces invariants and heuristics so every workspace is predictable, auditable, and agent-friendly.
- Repo β Workspace β The repo contains governance (kernel, CLI, templates). It never contains user data.
- Workspace = Runtime β Generated by
para init, each workspace is a standalone instance where you and your agent work. - Kernel = Constitution β Immutable rules that all workspaces follow. Changes require an RFC + version bump.
Repo (Constitution + Compiler)
β para init
Workspace (Operating System Runtime)
β agent attach
Agent (Execution Environment)
para-workspace/
βββ .github/ # π€ CI/CD β validate-pr.yml, CODEOWNERS
βββ rfcs/ # π RFC Process β TEMPLATE.md, status in header
βββ kernel/ # π§ Constitution
β βββ KERNEL.md
β βββ invariants.md # 10 hard rules (MAJOR bump)
β βββ heuristics.md # 10 soft conventions
β βββ schema/ # workspace, project, backlog, catalog schemas
β βββ examples/ # valid/ + invalid/ compliance vectors
βββ cli/ # π§ Compiler
β βββ para # Entry point (Bash 3.2+ compatible)
β βββ lib/ # logger.sh, validator.sh, rollback.sh, fs.sh
β βββ commands/ # init, scaffold, status, migrate, archive, install, update
βββ templates/ # π¦ Scaffolding & Governed Libraries
β βββ common/agent/ # Centralized workflows/, rules/, skills/ + catalog.yml
β β βββ projects/ # .project.yml template
β βββ profiles/ # dev, general presets
βββ tests/ # π§ͺ kernel/ + cli/ integration tests
βββ docs/ # π Documentation
β βββ architecture/ # Architecture: overview, kernel, ecosystem
β βββ guides/ # How-to: development, planning, meta-project
β βββ reference/ # Lookup: CLI, workflows, project-rules
β βββ rules/ # Individual rule documentation (11 files)
β βββ changelog/ # Version history
β βββ workflows/ # Individual workflow docs (22 files)
βββ CONTRIBUTING.md
βββ VERSIONING.md
βββ CHANGELOG.md
βββ VERSION
<your-workspace>/
βββ Projects/ # Goal-oriented tasks
β βββ my-app/ # Standard project (type: standard)
β β βββ repo/ # Source code (git repo)
β β βββ artifacts/ # Plans, tasks, decisions
β β βββ sessions/ # Session logs
β β βββ docs/ # Project documentation
β β βββ project.md # Project contract
β βββ my-ecosystem/ # Ecosystem project (type: ecosystem) β v1.6.0+
β βββ artifacts/ # Cross-project plans & backlog
β βββ sessions/ # Session logs
β βββ docs/ # Strategy & shared docs
β βββ project.md # satellites: [app, api, ...], NO repo/
βββ Areas/ # Ongoing responsibilities (e.g., health, finance)
β βββ Workspace/ # Master session log, audits, SYNC queue
β βββ Learning/ # Shared knowledge (from /learn)
βββ Resources/ # Reference material & tools
β βββ ai-agents/ # Kernel snapshot + governed library snapshots
β βββ references/ # The original PARA repository (read-only)
βββ Archive/ # Cold storage for completed items
βββ _inbox/ # Temporary landing zone for external downloads
βββ .agents/ # Governed library copies (Auto-synced)
β βββ rules.md # Workspace Rules Trigger Index (always loaded)
β βββ skills.md # Workspace Skills Trigger Index (v1.6.2+)
β βββ rules/ # Active agent rules (.md)
β βββ skills/ # Active agent skills (.md, /scripts)
β βββ workflows/ # Active agent workflows (.md)
βββ .para/ # System state (DO NOT EDIT)
β βββ archive/ # Smart Archive vault for deprecated files
β βββ migrations/ # Migration execution logs
β βββ backups/ # Date-stamped workflow & project backups
β βββ audit.log # Action history
βββ para # Bootstrapper CLI
βββ .para-workspace.yml # Workspace root metadata config
- An AI Agent platform (see compatibility table below)
- Git (required β to clone and update)
- Bash 3.2+ (Linux/macOS native, Windows via Git Bash or WSL)
| Platform | Integration Point | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Antigravity | .agents/ (skills, workflows) |
β Verified | Designed and tested for this platform |
| Claude Code | CLAUDE.md + .agents/ |
βͺ Untested | May read .agents/rules/ directly β needs validation |
| Cursor | .cursor/rules/ |
βͺ Untested | Theory: copy rules to .cursor/rules/ |
| VS Code + Copilot | .github/copilot-instructions |
βͺ Untested | Theory: instructions only, no auto-trigger |
Bash (Linux / macOS / Windows Git Bash / WSL):
# Clone repo into the correct location
mkdir -p Resources/references
git clone https://github.com/pageel/para-workspace.git Resources/references/para-workspace
# Set executable permissions
chmod +x Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para
chmod +x Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/commands/*.sh
# Initialize your workspace with a profile
./Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para init --profile=dev --lang=enPowerShell (alternative for Windows):
mkdir -Force Resources\references
git clone https://github.com/pageel/para-workspace.git Resources\references\para-workspace
# Then open Git Bash or WSL at workspace root:
./Resources/references/para-workspace/cli/para init --profile=dev --lang=en./para status
# β
If you see a health report β installation successfulWhat just happened?
- The repo lives at
Resources/references/para-workspace/β it's a read-only reference source, not a user project.chmod +xensures all CLI scripts are executable (required on Linux/macOS).para initcreates the full PARA directory structure, runsinstall.shautomatically to sync kernel, workflows, governance rules, and generates a./parawrapper.- You can now use
./parafrom your workspace root for all commands.
# Pull latest from GitHub and re-sync workspace
./para update
# Preview changes before applying
./para update --dry-runThis will git pull the repo, run version-gated migrations, and re-sync all governed libraries. Existing user-customized files are backed up to .bak before overwriting (Smart Sync). If the install fails mid-operation, all changes are automatically rolled back.
What happens during update:
git pullfetches latest code (self-restarts if scripts changed)migrate.shruns version-gated migration steps (only what's needed)install.shsyncs kernel, workflows, rules, skills to workspace (with atomic rollback)- Audit log is updated in
.para/audit.log
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| macOS: permission denied | Run chmod +x on CLI scripts (Step 3 above) |
| Windows: file lock on update | See Windows Recovery below |
| Stale workspace (v1.3.x) | Use Manual Clean Slate |
If para update fails on Windows due to NTFS file locking:
cd Resources\references\para-workspace
git checkout -- .
git pull origin main
cd ..\..\..
.\para install| Profile | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
general |
Minimal PARA structure | Personal PKM |
dev |
Technical Areas + AI tooling | Software developers |
- β
Creates
Projects/,Areas/,Resources/,Archive/, and_inbox/ - β Sets executable permissions on all CLI scripts
- β
Runs
install.shautomatically, which:- Syncs governed workflows from
catalog.ymlinto.agents/workflows/ - Syncs governed rules from
catalog.ymlinto.agents/rules/ - Syncs workspace rules index into
.agents/rules.md(trigger index) - Syncs skills into
.agents/skills/(if profile includes them) - Creates
./parawrapper at workspace root - Backs up conflicting files to
.bak
- Syncs governed workflows from
- β
Generates
.para-workspace.ymlwith kernel version tracking - β
Initializes
.para/state (audit.log, migrations/, backups/) for full auditability
The Kernel is the constitution of PARA Workspace β the rules that all workspaces must follow.
| # | Rule |
|---|---|
| I1 | PARA directory structure is mandatory |
| I2 | Hybrid 3-file task model (backlog = canonical, hot lane, /end sync) |
| I3 | kebab-case project naming |
| I4 | No active tasks = inactive project |
| I5 | Areas contain no runtime tasks |
| I6 | Archive is immutable cold storage |
| I7 | Seeds are raw ideas, not tasks |
| I8 | No loose files at workspace root |
| I9 | Resources are read-only references |
| I10 | Repo β Workspace separation |
| I11 | Workflow language compliance |
| # | Guideline |
|---|---|
| H1 | Naming conventions (kebab-case, PascalCase) |
| H2 | Context loading priority |
| H3 | Semantic versioning with approval levels |
| H4 | Standard project directory structure |
| H5 | Beads lifecycle |
| H6 | VCS & Git boundaries |
| H7 | Cross-project references + Ecosystem (v1.6.0) |
| H8 | Workflow kernel compatibility |
| H9 | Governed libraries require catalog.yml with kernel_min |
| H10 | Knowledge Items β schema, scope, slug validation (v1.7.0) |
| File | Schema | Enforced By |
|---|---|---|
.para-workspace.yml |
workspace.schema.json |
para init, para status |
Projects/*/.project.yml |
project.schema.json |
para scaffold, para review |
artifacts/tasks/backlog.md |
backlog.schema.json |
para verify |
*/catalog.yml |
catalog.schema.json |
para install, para update |
# Core Commands
para init [--profile] [--lang] # Create workspace
para status [--json] # System health
para update # Auto-update & migrate
para scaffold <type> <name> # Create structured paths
para install [--force] # Sync governed libraries
para archive <type> <name> # Graduation review
para migrate [--from] [--to] # Workspace migration
# Configuration
para config [key] [value] # Manage workspace settings
# Agent Capabilities
@[/para-workflow] list # Manage workflows
@[/para-rule] list # Manage rulesPlatform Support: Linux, macOS (Bash 3.2+), Windows (Git Bash / WSL).
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/backlog |
Manage project tasks via canonical backlog.md |
/backup |
Backup workflows, rules, config, and project data |
/brainstorm |
Collaborative ideation with structured output |
/config |
Manage workspace configuration |
/end |
Close session with PARA classification + automated cleanup |
/inbox |
Categorize files from _inbox/ into PARA |
/install |
Intelligent installer (handles updates/merges) |
/learn |
Capture lessons into Areas/Learning |
/merge |
Semantic merge for workflow conflicts |
/new-project |
Initialize new project with scaffolding |
/open |
Start session with context + plan phase loading |
/para |
Master controller for workspace management |
/docs |
Generate, review, and publish technical documentation |
/para-audit |
Macro Assessor for tracking workspace structural drift |
/para-rule |
Manage, install, and standardize agent rules |
/para-workflow |
Manage, install, and standardize agent workflows |
/plan |
Create, review, and update implementation plans |
/push |
Fast commit and push to GitHub |
/release |
Pre-release quality gate |
/retro |
Project retrospective before archiving |
/update |
Agent-guided safe workspace update with error recovery |
/verify |
Verify task completion with walkthroughs |
/knowledge |
Manage Knowledge Items β dashboard, create, audit, archive |
Rules govern agent behavior, security, and compliance. Loaded on-demand via a Two-Tier trigger index (~200 tokens). Skills are loaded via a parallel skills trigger index (v1.6.2). See Rules & Context Loading for the loading mechanism.
| Rule | Description | Priority |
|---|---|---|
governance |
Kernel invariants, scope containment, safety guardrails | π΄ Critical |
vcs |
Git safety: commit, branch, merge, PR, secrets | π΄ Critical |
knowledge |
KI operations β write gate, approval, namespace (v1.7.0) | π΄ Critical |
hybrid-3-file-integrity |
6 constraints (C1βC6) for task management | π‘ Important |
agent-behavior |
Proactive Trigger Check, Context Recovery (v1.6.2) | π‘ Important |
context-rules |
Agent Index Loading (rules + skills), Two-Tier trigger | π‘ Important |
para-discipline |
PARA architecture compliance, 7 rules | π‘ Important |
artifact-standard |
Plans, walkthroughs, persistent mirroring | π’ Standard |
naming |
kebab-case, PascalCase, camelCase conventions | π’ Standard |
versioning |
SemVer, autonomy levels, multi-location sync | π’ Standard |
exports-data |
Data export: _inbox/, UTF-8 BOM, naming |
π’ Standard |
Skills are reusable knowledge modules loaded on-demand via the skills trigger index. Unlike rules (which enforce constraints), skills provide templates, patterns, and reference material.
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| PARA Kit | PARA workspace structure reference β schema, layout, kernel governance, intelligence routing |
| Formatting | Tables, diagrams, tree listings, ASCII box art |
Rules and skills aren't dumped into context all at once. PARA Workspace uses a progressive disclosure architecture that loads indices on-demand, saving ~90% of token budget while maintaining full compliance.
/open starts session
Step 2.5a: ALWAYS read workspace rules index
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β .agents/rules.md (~20 lines, ~200 tokens) β
β Agent memorizes triggers β loads rules ON DEMAND β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Step 2.5b: ALWAYS read workspace skills index (v1.6.2+)
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β .agents/skills.md (~10 lines, ~100 tokens) β
β Agent memorizes triggers β loads skills ON DEMAND β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
Step 2.5c: CONDITIONALLY read project agent indices
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β Check project.md: β
β agent.rules: true β project .agents/rules.md β
β agent.skills: true β project .agents/skills.md β
β has_rules: true β backward compat (legacy) β
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
π‘ Total cost: ~350 tokens (vs ~2000 if all loaded)
After a long conversation, AI agents lose context (truncation). PARA Workspace has 4 independent layers to ensure rules and skills survive:
Layer What Where Survives
βββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββββ βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββ
1 Index instructions agent-behavior.md Β§4 β οΈ Lost after truncation
2 Safety block in output /open Step 8 report β
In checkpoint summary
3 Workflow pre-flight Step 0: re-read rules + skills β
Fresh from disk
4 File guard headers <!-- β οΈ ... --> in file β
Inline in target file
Layer 3 uses Proactive Trigger Check (v1.6.2): BEFORE any side-effect, agent scans all trigger tables and loads matching rules/skills FIRST.
Layer 4 supports 4 guard types: TASK (C1-C3), KERNEL (I9), GOVERNED (rules), WORKSPACE (session/sync).
Scenario: Agent forgets rules after truncation
Long conversation β Context window truncated β Agent loses rules
β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββ€
βΌ βΌ
Agent runs /push Agent edits done.md
β β
Layer 3 catches: Layer 4 catches:
Step 0 re-reads <!-- β οΈ APPEND-ONLY -->
.agents/rules.md reminds C2 constraint
β β
VCS rules loaded Agent obeys guard
β safe commit β append only β
π Full architecture: Context Recovery Β· Defense-in-Depth Β· Rule Layers
PARA Workspace uses a proprietary Hybrid 3-File Architecture (v1.5.3: Hot Lane) to solve the AI Agent "Context Window vs. Amnesia" problem.
Instead of forcing the agent to read one massive backlog file every time it opens a project (which wastes tokens and causes hallucination), tasks are distributed across three highly specialized files:
artifacts/tasks/
βββ backlog.md # π CANONICAL β Operational Authority. All strategic tasks live here.
βββ sprint-current.md # π₯ HOT LANE β Agent-writable buffer for ad-hoc quick tasks.
βββ done.md # β
ARCHIVE β Append-only log with origin tags (#backlog / #session).
- Backlog Summary β
/openreads only the Summary table (~10 lines) + top active items viagrep. Never the full file. - Hot Lane β Agent writes ad-hoc quick tasks (
- [ ] Fix CSS) tosprint-current.mdand ticks[x]when done. Strategic tasks from backlog are read directly, not copied. /endis the Sole Sync Point β At session close,/endruns Hot Lane Sync:- Quick
[x]tasks βdone.md(tagged#session) - Quick
[ ]tasks β ask user: keep or promote to backlog? - Smart Suggest β reads session log, finds mentioned task IDs, suggests marking strategic tasks as Done (tagged
#backlog)
- Quick
- Zero Ceremony During Coding β No
/backlog updateneeded mid-session. Just code. /backlog clean= Compress, Not Delete β Done items are compressed into 1 line per plan in backlog'sβ Completedsection. Details live indone.md(grouped by plan, linking toplans/done/). Lookup chain:backlog β done.md β plans/done/.
AI agents lose context between sessions. Knowledge Items (KIs) are a core feature of Google Antigravity β the AI coding agent platform β that provides persistent memory across sessions, projects, and conversations.
KIs live outside the workspace, in Antigravity's platform-managed KI Store (~/.gemini/antigravity/knowledge/). This mirrors PARA Workspace's foundational principle: just as the repo governs but does not contain user data, PARA Workspace governs KI operations (schema, rules, lifecycle workflows) without owning the storage layer.
Antigravity Platform
KI Store PARA Workspace
~/.gemini/antigravity/ <ββ Governance: schema, rules,
knowledge/ /knowledge workflow
(platform-managed) (workspace-managed)
Session 1 Session 2 Session N
ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ
β Agent β β Agent β β Agent β
β discoversβββββ save βββββΆβ auto- βββββ refine βββΆβ applies β
β insight β as KI β loaded β over time β instantlyβ
ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ
β β² β²
βΌ β β
.para/knowledge/ Platform KI Platform KI
index.md (scope) Store (auto) Store (auto)
Unlike session logs (lost after truncation) or learning files (project-scoped), KIs are:
- Auto-injected at session start by the platform
- Cross-project β workspace-scoped KIs apply to all projects
- Graph-ready β domain Γ purpose taxonomy with
relates_toandconceptsfields
Each KI is classified along two axes β domain (what) Γ purpose (how):
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
β PURPOSE β
ββββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββββ¬ββββββββββββββ¬βββββββββββββ€
β context β reference β pitfall β playbook β
β (priming) β (lookup) β (gotchas) β (how-to) β
ββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββββΌββββββββββββββΌβββββββββββββ€
β workspace β PARA arch β kernel specs β update bugs β audit proc β
β engineeringβ tech stack β API docs β dep gotchas β deploy SOP β
D β operations β infra setup β CI/CD ref β env traps β rollback β
O β content β writing std β style guide β SEO traps β publish β
M β strategy β org context β roadmap β scope creep β planning β
A β ... β β β β β
I ββββββββββββββ β β β β
N β (open β define your own) β β β β
βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββββ΄ββββββββββββββ΄βββββββββββββ
Domain is an open string β define custom domains as needed. Purpose is a fixed enum:
context,reference,pitfall,playbook.
| Workflow | KI Integration |
|---|---|
/open |
Platform-injected KI context, scope matching for report |
/plan |
Pitfall KIs β Risks, Playbook KIs β Phase references |
/end |
Suggests creating/updating KIs from session insights |
/brainstorm |
Option F: Extract insight as KI |
/retro |
Graduates cross-project patterns to KIs |
/knowledge |
Full lifecycle: create, update, audit, archive |
KI operations are governed by 6 rules (KR1βKR6) and validated against H10 (11 clauses):
- KR1 Write Gate: Only
/knowledgeworkflow can create/modify KIs - KR2 User Approval: Every KI creation requires explicit user consent
- KR3 Namespace:
para_prefix reserved for system KIs - KR5 Recoverability: All KI operations are reversible
π Full schema:
ki.schema.jsonΒ· Governance:heuristics.mdH10
π Note: For a detailed breakdown of all features, fixes, and updates in each version, please read our CHANGELOG.
PARA Workspace offers two official mechanisms to upgrade to a newer version:
For most healthy workspaces, the built-in update mechanism handles everything safely.
./para updateThis will automatically pull the newest core code, run version-gated migrations (only steps relevant to your current version), sync the libraries, and securely move obsolete structural files to the .para/archive/ vault without deleting your custom data (Smart Archive). User-customized rules are protected with .bak backups.
If your workspace is very old (v1.3.x) or has been heavily customized, start fresh:
- Run
para init --profile=dev --lang=enin a completely new directory. - Copy your old
Projects/directories into the_inbox/of the new workspace. - Use the
/inboxworkflow or let your AI agent sort them into the new correct structure.
- Cross-Project Sync Queue (shipped in v1.3.6)
- Kernel Extraction & Repo Restructure (shipped in v1.4.0)
- Governed Libraries, RFC Process, Workspace Runtime Safety (shipped in v1.4.1)
- Landing Page
paraworkspace.dev(shipped in v1.4.1) - Plan-Aware Workflows & Token Optimization (shipped in v1.4.2)
- Automated Plan Cleanup via
/end [done](shipped in v1.4.3) - Safety Guardrails & Terminal Allowlist (shipped in v1.4.5)
- Smart Archive & Version Migration (shipped in v1.4.6)
- macOS Compatibility & Safe Migration Pipeline (shipped in v1.4.7)
- Atomic Rollback, Dry-run Pipeline & README Rewrite (shipped in v1.4.8)
- Centralized Backup & Workspace Cleanup (shipped in v1.4.9)
- Project Rules Loading & Safe Update Workflow (shipped in v1.5.0)
- Hybrid 3-File Synchronization & Fast Mode (shipped in v1.5.1)
- Hybrid 3-File Integrity, Working Checkmarks & Docs Overhaul (shipped in v1.5.2)
- Hot Lane Refactor, /end Sync Point & Token Optimization (shipped in v1.5.3)
- Context Recovery, Workflow Pre-flight & Defense-in-Depth (shipped in v1.5.4)
- Meta-Project & Ecosystem Support (shipped in v1.6.0)
- Unified Strategy β Plan Flow (shipped in v1.6.1)
- Unified Agent Index β Skills Loading & Proactive Trigger Check (shipped in v1.6.2)
- Central Gate β project.md as single source for context loading (shipped in v1.6.3)
- Para-Kit Skill v1.1.0, Recursive Sync & Git Hash Detection (shipped in v1.6.4)
- Update Flow Fix β Version Direction Detection & Migration History (shipped in v1.6.5)
- Knowledge System β KI schema, /knowledge workflow, graph-ready taxonomy (shipped in v1.7.0)
- System KI Governed Lifecycle β namespace guard, template sync, CLI hooks (shipped in v1.7.1)
- KI Index Schema Upgrade, Workflow Simplification & Knowledge Graph Seed (shipped in v1.7.2)
- Agent Path Convention Fix (BUG-28) & Rule Frontmatter (shipped in v1.7.3)
- Department System (v1.8.0 β planned)
- Community & Trust Boundary (v1.9.0 β planned)
See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines. Key points:
- Kernel invariant changes require an RFC + MAJOR bump β See rfcs/TEMPLATE.md
- Heuristic changes require a PR + MINOR/PATCH bump
- All changes must pass test vectors in
kernel/examples/
Built with β€οΈ by Pageel. Standardizing the future of Agentic PKM.
Version: 1.7.3