> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.comet.rpamis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Intermediate artifacts

> Understand the handoff files, context snapshots, plans, reports, and recovery anchors Comet creates between phases.

Comet creates intermediate artifacts so the workflow can survive context loss, phase transitions, model switches, and later review. These files are not noise; they are the evidence trail that lets `/comet` resume from facts instead of memory.

<p align="center">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/comet-bb5f5294/piE9AoWsM20071ec/assets/intermediate-artifacts-illustrations/01-artifact-purposes.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=piE9AoWsM20071ec&q=85&s=93a2758612e489bb1dd75cb018f2febe" alt="Xiaoyu sorts Comet intermediate artifacts by context, recovery, handoff, and verification evidence" width="800" data-path="assets/intermediate-artifacts-illustrations/01-artifact-purposes.png" />
</p>

## Main artifact categories

| Category              | Examples                                            | Purpose                                   |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Requirements facts    | `proposal.md`, delta `spec.md`, `tasks.md`          | Define what is being changed.             |
| Design and plan       | Design Doc, implementation plan                     | Preserve how the work should be built.    |
| Handoff context       | `.comet/handoff/design-context.*`, `spec-context.*` | Move OpenSpec evidence into later phases. |
| Runtime state         | `run-state.json`, `state-events.jsonl`, checkpoints | Support deterministic recovery.           |
| Verification evidence | verify reports, test output, branch status          | Prove completion before archive.          |

## What to edit

Edit user-readable artifacts such as proposal, design, tasks, Design Doc, Plan, and configuration. Do not hand-edit machine-owned runtime state unless a recovery guide instructs it.

## Recovery anchors

Files such as `brainstorm-summary.md` and `subagent-progress.md` let an agent reload context after compaction. Keep them with the change.

In SubAgent mode, `subagent-progress.md` is maintained by the coordinator session, not implementer or reviewer subagents.

## Next steps

* [Project file structure](/en/guides/project-structure)
* [Context compression](/en/concepts/context-compression)
* [Workflow concepts](/en/concepts/workflow)