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Session Reflection Prompt

A prompt for creating reflective analysis of AI coding sessions, focusing on techniques, patterns, and lessons learned.

Overview​

Use this prompt to capture meta-analysis of your AI coding sessions:

  • What went well - Effective techniques and approaches
  • What went wrong - Issues and delays
  • Lessons learned - Actionable insights for future sessions
  • Tips & tricks - Useful patterns discovered

Usage​

/reflect api-migration

Or auto-derive name from session context:

/reflect

Output is saved to .copilot/reflections/<date>-<name>.md.

See the Session Reflection Guide for detailed usage.

Prompt Source​

---
name: reflect
description: Create reflective analysis of AI coding session for continuous improvement
argument-hint: Name or topic of the session to reflect on
---

# Session Reflection

Create a reflective analysis of this AI coding session.

## Purpose

Focus on **META aspects** - not what was implemented, but HOW the work was done:
- Techniques and approaches used
- What worked well vs. what didn't
- Lessons learned for future sessions
- Actionable improvements

## Instructions

1. **Analyze the Current Session**

   Review the conversation and identify:
   - Problem-solving approaches used
   - Tool/feature usage patterns (which worked well, which didn't)
   - Communication patterns (clarifications, iterations)
   - Planning and execution strategies
   - Any blockers, pivots, or course corrections

2. **Generate the Reflection**

   Create a markdown file at: `_plans/reflections/<date>-<name>.md`

   Where:
   - `<date>` is today's date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format
   - `<name>` is a short kebab-case slug (2-4 words) from `${input:session-name}` or derived from the session gist (e.g., `api-debugging`, `test-refactoring`)

3. **Use This Structure**

```markdown
# Session Reflection: [Brief Title]

**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Session Goal**: [One-line summary of what the session aimed to accomplish]

---

## What Went Well

- [Effective technique or approach]
- [Tool usage that was particularly helpful]
- [Communication pattern that worked]

## What Went Wrong

- [Approach that didn't work or caused delays]
- [Tool misuse or inefficiency]
- [Unnecessary iteration or backtracking]

## Lessons Learned

1. **[Lesson Title]**: [Explanation of the insight and why it matters]
2. **[Lesson Title]**: [Explanation of the insight and why it matters]

## Action Items

- [ ] [Specific improvement to apply in future sessions]
- [ ] [Process or workflow change to consider]

## Tips & Tricks

Useful patterns discovered in this session:

- **Tip**: [Specific tip discovered or reinforced]
- **Tip**: [Another useful pattern or shortcut]

---

*Generated by `/reflect` prompt*
```

## Guidelines

- **Be honest and specific** - vague observations aren't actionable
- **Focus on process, not outcomes** - "we used X approach" not "we built Y feature"
- **Prioritize actionable insights** - each lesson should inform future behavior
- **Keep it concise** - quality over quantity
- **Skip sections if not applicable** - empty sections add no value

## Examples

- `/reflect api-migration` - Reflect on API migration session
- `/reflect` - Auto-derive name from session gist