Continuous detection

Updating the plugin does not automatically replace the files HelmIt installed in your project. The instructions in CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, the commit hook, and the .gitignore rules remain under the project’s control. When a session starts, HelmIt makes a quick read-only check for differences that need your attention.

What can trigger a notice

• Installed files differ: the instruction section, commit hook, or HelmIt block in .gitignore no longer matches the plugin’s current content. The comparison uses content, not just a version number.
• Local state in Git: files meant to stay on one machine appear among the project’s tracked files.
• Old configuration: a key in .helmit/config.json is no longer in the current template and may need migration.
• Deep check due: the plugin version changed since the last check of the tools required by the project. This calls for another check; it does not by itself mean that any file is outdated.

If HelmIt’s commit hook is chained to a hook you already had, the comparison uses HelmIt’s copy. The hook that runs the chain remains yours and is not replaced by this check.

What to do when you see a notice

Ask the agent to run /helmit:env in the project. It checks the environment and shows what actually needs attention. Changes to project files are offered for your confirmation; the session-start notice only informs you and changes nothing.

No notice means the quick check found no issue it can recognize. It is not a complete environment check: for example, a missing file or a block without valid markers may need /helmit:env to inspect it. You can also run that command whenever you want to check the project, even without a notice.

See Installation and getting started for the update flow and Integrity for warnings about the structure of project records.