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

# Session states

> Reference for every state a Builder session can be in, what you see, and what to do in each one.

A session is one continuous working relationship with the Builder in a workspace. It is always in exactly one state.

## The states

| State              | What is happening                       | What you see                                                        | What to do                                                |
| ------------------ | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Provisioning**   | The machine for your build is starting  | `preview starting…`                                                 | Wait                                                      |
| **Running**        | The Builder is working                  | Phase labels in the feed — `thinking…`, `implementing…`, `working…` | Watch, or keep typing — your message sends when it pauses |
| **Awaiting input** | The Builder asked you a question        | A question card with options                                        | Choose one, select **Send answer**                        |
| **Paused**         | The machine went to sleep between turns | `this session is asleep`                                            | Select **Wake preview**, or send a message                |
| **Complete**       | The session finished                    | `this session has ended`                                            | Select **Start fresh** to begin a new one                 |
| **Error**          | The session ended with a problem        | `this session errored, no preview`                                  | Select **Start fresh**                                    |
| **Aborted**        | The session was stopped for good        | Preview unavailable                                                 | Select **Start fresh**                                    |

**Complete**, **Error**, and **Aborted** are final — those sessions do not resume. The other four are all part of normal work.

## The normal cycle

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
    P["Provisioning"] --> R["Running"]
    R --> A["Awaiting input"]
    A --> R
    R --> S["Paused (asleep)"]
    S --> R
```

Most of your time is spent moving between **Running** and **Paused**. A session sleeping is not a problem — it is how Skarmy avoids charging you for idle time.

## Stopped versus asleep versus ended

These look similar and mean different things.

|             | What it means                       | Recoverable?                          |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Stopped** | You interrupted a run with **Stop** | Yes — send a message to continue      |
| **Asleep**  | Idle between turns                  | Yes — wakes in seconds                |
| **Ended**   | The session is over                 | No — **Start fresh** begins a new one |

If you stopped the Builder and want it to carry on, send:

```text theme={null}
Continue where you left off.
```

## One session per workspace

Each workspace has one active session. Opening the workspace resumes it.

**Start fresh** archives the current session and starts a new one on your next message. Your files and published site are not deleted.

<Warning>
  **Start fresh** cannot be undone. It only appears once the session has ended, so it cannot interrupt work mid-write.
</Warning>

## When the state looks wrong

The workspace derives what it shows from a live connection to your session. If that connection drops, the display can lag behind reality — most often looking busy after the work has actually finished.

Reload the page. That reconnects and re-reads the true state.

<Note>
  The fix is always a reload — you are not losing work, and reloading does not cost extra credits.
</Note>

## Next

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Troubleshooting" icon="wrench" href="/account/troubleshooting">
    Fixes for the problems you are most likely to hit.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Read the live preview" icon="eye" href="/build/live-preview">
    What the preview is telling you.
  </Card>
</Columns>