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name: sessions-memory description: "Choose and configure session memory, server-managed continuation, backends, compaction, and multi-turn history for openai-agents-python." disable-model-invocation: true metadata: disco-role: operating license: MIT

Sessions and Memory

Use this sub-skill when a task mentions session, memory, SQLiteSession, RedisSession, SQLAlchemySession, conversation_id, previous_response_id, compaction, or multi-turn history.

Route First

Need	Use	Details
SDK-managed client-side history	session=... with a Session backend	See backends and workflows.
OpenAI server-managed continuation	conversation_id, previous_response_id, or auto_previous_response_id	Do not combine with session; see workflows.
Basic agent loop behavior	Core runtime	Route to core-runtime.
Provider auth, model defaults, transport selection	Models/providers	Route to models-providers.
Sandbox filesystem/process memory	Sandbox agents	Route to sandbox-agents unless normal SDK sessions are involved.

What To Configure

• Pick one history owner: either an SDK Session backend or OpenAI server-managed continuation, never both in the same run.
• For local or simple persistent memory, start with SQLiteSession(session_id, db_path=...).
• For production storage, choose an extension backend by deployment constraints, required extras, and lifecycle ownership in backends.
• For long conversations, use SessionSettings(limit=...), RunConfig.session_input_callback, or compaction depending on whether you need retrieval limiting, custom merge logic, or stored-history replacement.
• For approval or interruption resumes, pass the same session object or another instance pointing at the same backing store when calling Runner.run(agent, state, session=session).

Required Safety Checks

• Before recommending a backend, run or adapt the bundled no-network helper: python scripts/check_session_backend.py --backend sqlite --json.
• When optional backends fail to import, report the missing extra and avoid constructing network clients unless the user explicitly asks.
• When behavior is surprising, consult troubleshooting before changing runtime code.