freeze
Restrict file edits to a specific directory for the session. Blocks Edit and Write outside the allowed path. Use when debugging to prevent accidentally "fixing" unrelated code, or when you want to scope changes to one module. Use when asked to "freeze", "restrict edits", "only edit this folder", or "lock down edits". (gstack)
Best use case
freeze is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Restrict file edits to a specific directory for the session. Blocks Edit and Write outside the allowed path. Use when debugging to prevent accidentally "fixing" unrelated code, or when you want to scope changes to one module. Use when asked to "freeze", "restrict edits", "only edit this folder", or "lock down edits". (gstack)
Teams using freeze should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/freeze/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How freeze Compares
| Feature / Agent | freeze | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Restrict file edits to a specific directory for the session. Blocks Edit and Write outside the allowed path. Use when debugging to prevent accidentally "fixing" unrelated code, or when you want to scope changes to one module. Use when asked to "freeze", "restrict edits", "only edit this folder", or "lock down edits". (gstack)
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
<!-- AUTO-GENERATED from SKILL.md.tmpl — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Regenerate: bun run gen:skill-docs -->
# /freeze — Restrict Edits to a Directory
Lock file edits to a specific directory. Any Edit or Write operation targeting
a file outside the allowed path will be **blocked** (not just warned).
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.gstack/analytics
echo '{"skill":"freeze","ts":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'","repo":"'$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")'"}' >> ~/.gstack/analytics/skill-usage.jsonl 2>/dev/null || true
```
## Setup
Ask the user which directory to restrict edits to. Use AskUserQuestion:
- Question: "Which directory should I restrict edits to? Files outside this path will be blocked from editing."
- Text input (not multiple choice) — the user types a path.
Once the user provides a directory path:
1. Resolve it to an absolute path:
```bash
FREEZE_DIR=$(cd "<user-provided-path>" 2>/dev/null && pwd)
echo "$FREEZE_DIR"
```
2. Ensure trailing slash and save to the freeze state file:
```bash
FREEZE_DIR="${FREEZE_DIR%/}/"
STATE_DIR="${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA:-$HOME/.gstack}"
mkdir -p "$STATE_DIR"
echo "$FREEZE_DIR" > "$STATE_DIR/freeze-dir.txt"
echo "Freeze boundary set: $FREEZE_DIR"
```
Tell the user: "Edits are now restricted to `<path>/`. Any Edit or Write
outside this directory will be blocked. To change the boundary, run `/freeze`
again. To remove it, run `/unfreeze` or end the session."
## How it works
The hook reads `file_path` from the Edit/Write tool input JSON, then checks
whether the path starts with the freeze directory. If not, it returns
`permissionDecision: "deny"` to block the operation.
The freeze boundary persists for the session via the state file. The hook
script reads it on every Edit/Write invocation.
## Notes
- The trailing `/` on the freeze directory prevents `/src` from matching `/src-old`
- Freeze applies to Edit and Write tools only — Read, Bash, Glob, Grep are unaffected
- This prevents accidental edits, not a security boundary — Bash commands like `sed` can still modify files outside the boundary
- To deactivate, run `/unfreeze` or end the conversationRelated Skills
unfreeze
Clear the freeze boundary set by /freeze, allowing edits to all directories again. Use when you want to widen edit scope without ending the session. Use when asked to "unfreeze", "unlock edits", "remove freeze", or "allow all edits". (gstack)
ship
Ship workflow: detect + merge base branch, run tests, review diff, bump VERSION, update CHANGELOG, commit, push, create PR. Use when asked to "ship", "deploy", "push to main", "create a PR", "merge and push", or "get it deployed". Proactively invoke this skill (do NOT push/PR directly) when the user says code is ready, asks about deploying, wants to push code up, or asks to create a PR. (gstack)
setup-deploy
Configure deployment settings for /land-and-deploy. Detects your deploy platform (Fly.io, Render, Vercel, Netlify, Heroku, GitHub Actions, custom), production URL, health check endpoints, and deploy status commands. Writes the configuration to CLAUDE.md so all future deploys are automatic. Use when: "setup deploy", "configure deployment", "set up land-and-deploy", "how do I deploy with gstack", "add deploy config".
setup-browser-cookies
Import cookies from your real Chromium browser into the headless browse session. Opens an interactive picker UI where you select which cookie domains to import. Use before QA testing authenticated pages. Use when asked to "import cookies", "login to the site", or "authenticate the browser". (gstack)
review
Pre-landing PR review. Analyzes diff against the base branch for SQL safety, LLM trust boundary violations, conditional side effects, and other structural issues. Use when asked to "review this PR", "code review", "pre-landing review", or "check my diff". Proactively suggest when the user is about to merge or land code changes. (gstack)
retro
Weekly engineering retrospective. Analyzes commit history, work patterns, and code quality metrics with persistent history and trend tracking. Team-aware: breaks down per-person contributions with praise and growth areas. Use when asked to "weekly retro", "what did we ship", or "engineering retrospective". Proactively suggest at the end of a work week or sprint. (gstack)
qa
Systematically QA test a web application and fix bugs found. Runs QA testing, then iteratively fixes bugs in source code, committing each fix atomically and re-verifying. Use when asked to "qa", "QA", "test this site", "find bugs", "test and fix", or "fix what's broken". Proactively suggest when the user says a feature is ready for testing or asks "does this work?". Three tiers: Quick (critical/high only), Standard (+ medium), Exhaustive (+ cosmetic). Produces before/after health scores, fix evidence, and a ship-readiness summary. For report-only mode, use /qa-only. (gstack) Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "quality check", "test the app", "run QA".
qa-only
Report-only QA testing. Systematically tests a web application and produces a structured report with health score, screenshots, and repro steps — but never fixes anything. Use when asked to "just report bugs", "qa report only", or "test but don't fix". For the full test-fix-verify loop, use /qa instead. Proactively suggest when the user wants a bug report without any code changes. (gstack) Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "bug report", "just check for bugs".
plan-eng-review
Eng manager-mode plan review. Lock in the execution plan — architecture, data flow, diagrams, edge cases, test coverage, performance. Walks through issues interactively with opinionated recommendations. Use when asked to "review the architecture", "engineering review", or "lock in the plan". Proactively suggest when the user has a plan or design doc and is about to start coding — to catch architecture issues before implementation. (gstack) Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "tech review", "technical review", "plan engineering review".
plan-devex-review
Interactive developer experience plan review. Explores developer personas, benchmarks against competitors, designs magical moments, and traces friction points before scoring. Three modes: DX EXPANSION (competitive advantage), DX POLISH (bulletproof every touchpoint), DX TRIAGE (critical gaps only). Use when asked to "DX review", "developer experience audit", "devex review", or "API design review". Proactively suggest when the user has a plan for developer-facing products (APIs, CLIs, SDKs, libraries, platforms, docs). (gstack) Voice triggers (speech-to-text aliases): "dx review", "developer experience review", "devex review", "devex audit", "API design review", "onboarding review".
plan-design-review
Designer's eye plan review — interactive, like CEO and Eng review. Rates each design dimension 0-10, explains what would make it a 10, then fixes the plan to get there. Works in plan mode. For live site visual audits, use /design-review. Use when asked to "review the design plan" or "design critique". Proactively suggest when the user has a plan with UI/UX components that should be reviewed before implementation. (gstack)
plan-ceo-review
CEO/founder-mode plan review. Rethink the problem, find the 10-star product, challenge premises, expand scope when it creates a better product. Four modes: SCOPE EXPANSION (dream big), SELECTIVE EXPANSION (hold scope + cherry-pick expansions), HOLD SCOPE (maximum rigor), SCOPE REDUCTION (strip to essentials). Use when asked to "think bigger", "expand scope", "strategy review", "rethink this", or "is this ambitious enough". Proactively suggest when the user is questioning scope or ambition of a plan, or when the plan feels like it could be thinking bigger. (gstack)