rollback

Restore a vault note from a previous snapshot. Undo mechanism for /sync, /deepen, /status, /compare, /archive-callouts, and any other skill that creates pre-edit snapshots.

Recognized snapshot triggers (frontmatter snapshot_trigger: field): sync, deepen, status, compare, stress-test, prune, rename, catalyst, callout-sweep, thesis, rollback (safety snapshot), rollback-cleanup (archived-file move). Unknown triggers fall through to the generic 2.5a cascade path (Tier A snapshot-based restore with no manifest).

Design rationale lives in .claude/skills/rollback/RATIONALE.md. SKILL.md references sections via §N.M.

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS should be one of:

• Ticker (e.g., NVDA): find all snapshots for that ticker and present options
• Snapshot filename (e.g., NVDA - Nvidia (pre-sync 2026-04-16)): restore a specific snapshot
• Empty: list all available snapshots grouped by source note

If ambiguous or no match → report what's available and ask user to clarify.

Step 0: Pre-flight

0.1: Acquire vault lock (mode-dependent)

• List mode (no args OR ticker without snapshot name): read-only scope. Timeout 2 min.
• Restore mode (specific snapshot filename → will cp + possibly cascade): vault-wide scope. Timeout 10 min.

Per .claude/skills/_shared/preflight.md Procedure 1. Capture token, verify ownership (Procedure 1.5) at every subsequent Bash block, release via rm -f "$LOCK_FILE" in final reporting block.

0.2: Rename-marker check

• List mode: skip.
• Restore mode: glob .rename_incomplete.*. If any exists, emit advisory (non-blocking — rollback may be the recovery path FROM a bad rename): ⚠️ In-flight rename repair(s) detected: [markers]. Rollback may restore a snapshot of a file that has since been renamed. Snapshot frontmatter's snapshot_of: points to the ORIGINAL path; restoration writes to that path. Review after rollback and re-run /rename if needed.

Step 1: Inventory Snapshots

# Exclude manifest sidecars (_<type>-manifest (...).md) — they are transaction
# ledgers, not restorable snapshots. Listing them (29 in the live vault) offered
# them as rollback candidates, and restoring one is undefined.
find _Archive/Snapshots/ -name '*.md' -type f -not -name '_*-manifest*' | sort

If none exist: "No snapshots available — nothing to rollback." Stop.

Malformed snapshots: a snapshot whose frontmatter lacks snapshot_of: / snapshot_trigger: / snapshot_batch: (legacy pre-6.9 files, or copied content frontmatter) cannot be cascade-matched. Surface it in the list flagged ⚠️ unparseable — content-only restore, no cascade, and on selection offer only a plain content restore (Step 5) with an explicit warning; never guess a batch.

Match by argument

• Ticker: filename prefix match, plus grep snapshot_of: frontmatter for sector/macro snapshots.
• Filename: direct.
• No argument: list all, ask user to choose.

Multiple matches → present in a table and wait for selection:

#	Snapshot	Date	Trigger	Source Note
1	NVDA - Nvidia (pre-sync 2026-04-16-2115).md	2026-04-16	sync	[[Theses/NVDA - Nvidia]]
2	NVDA - Nvidia (pre-deepen 2026-04-14-0930).md	2026-04-14	deepen	[[Theses/NVDA - Nvidia]]

Wait for user selection before proceeding.

Step 2: Read and Compare

1. Read selected snapshot in full.
2. Extract snapshot_of: → identify original file path.
3. Read current version of original file in full.
4. If original file no longer exists, branch on snapshot_trigger::

4a. Rename-undo branch

If snapshot_trigger: rename AND snapshot has rename_target: AND file at rename_target: exists: three options (§3.1 for design):

⚠️ Rename detected. This snapshot was created by /rename.
  Original path:    [[snapshot_of value]]
  Current location: [[rename_target value]]

Restoring to the original path would create a duplicate file.
Inbound wikilinks across the vault still point to the current name.

Options:
  (a) Symmetric reverse-rename — RECOMMENDED.
      Run `/rename [TICKER] "[old_name]"` after this rollback exits.
  (b) Content-only restore — write snapshot content to the OLD path.
      Creates a duplicate (both names exist). Wikilinks retain current target.
      Use ONLY for side-by-side comparison.
  (c) Cancel.

• (a) Symmetric reverse-rename: stop rollback. Output exact command:

  Run this command:
    /rename [TICKER] "[old_name from snapshot]"
  
  /rename will atomically reverse and produce its own pre-rename snapshot.
  Do NOT re-run /rollback for the rename — use /rename inverse.
  

  Skip Steps 3-7. Report exit reason in Step 7.
• (b) Content-only restore: proceed to Step 3 with explicit duplicate-file warning. Step 5 writes snapshot content to OLD path; file at rename_target: untouched.
• (c) Cancel: stop entirely. Report in Step 7.

4b. Other-trigger branch (default)

If snapshot_trigger: is anything other than rename: proceed with recreate flow. Warn: ⚠️ Original file [path] no longer exists. Rollback will recreate it. Confirm? Wait for confirmation.

Diff summary

• Original file does not exist (4b recreate flow): skip diff. Report: "No current version to compare — file was archived/deleted. Snapshot contents will be restored in full. The archived copy in _Archive/ (if found) will be moved to Snapshots during Step 6 cleanup."
• 4a content-only restore chosen: skip diff. Report: "No diff possible — original path is empty (file was renamed to [[rename_target]]). Snapshot content will be written to the original path, creating a duplicate. Wikilinks across the vault retain their current targets. Acknowledge the side-by-side outcome in confirmation."
• Original file exists: compare snapshot vs current. Report:
  • Sections changed: each ## section that differs + one-line description
  • Frontmatter changes: fields that differ (conviction, status, etc.)
  • Log entries added since snapshot: will be LOST — highlight these (Tier 2 append-only audit trail loss is primary rollback cost)
  • Net change: word count delta

Step 2.5: Cascade Detection

2.5a: Batch matching

1. Extract snapshot_batch: from selected snapshot. If absent (legacy), fall back to snapshot_trigger: + YYYY-MM-DD portion of snapshot_date:. Both -HHMM (legacy) and -HHMMSS (current) recognized.
2. Search _Archive/Snapshots/ for other snapshots with matching snapshot_batch: (or trigger+date in fallback).
3. If matches found:

Found [N] other snapshot(s) from the same batch [batch ID]:
  - [[_Archive/Snapshots/other-snapshot-1]] → [[source-file-1]]
  - [[_Archive/Snapshots/other-snapshot-2]] → [[source-file-2]]

These files were modified together. Restoring only [[selected file]] may
leave the vault inconsistent (e.g., thesis reverted but sector note retains
post-sync content).

Options:
  (a) Cascade — restore ALL [N+1] files from this [trigger]
  (b) Single — restore only [[selected file]]
  (c) Cancel

4. Wait for user selection.
   • (a) Cascade: add all matched snapshots to restore set. Batch the diff reads — issue ALL snapshot Reads AND ALL current-file Reads for every file in the restore set in ONE parallel tool-call batch, then perform all diffs in the reasoning layer. For a 10-file cascade this is 20 Reads in one round-trip instead of 20 serial rounds. Combined confirmation in Step 3 covers all files. Execute Step 4 + Step 5 in batched phases: ALL safety snapshots first (Step 4 issues all cp commands in one Bash block with & + wait), then ALL restorations (§7.1). Step 6 runs once at end.
   • (b) Single: emit warning then wait for re-confirmation:

     ⚠️ Proceeding with single-file rollback. [N] other file(s) retain content
     from the reverted [trigger]. Run /sync TICKER to re-propagate, but pre-sync
     content in sector/macro/cross-thesis notes cannot be automatically reverted.
     Consider cascade (option a) instead.
     

   • (c) Cancel: stop.

If no matches, proceed silently to Step 3.

2.5b: Sync manifest sidecar lookup (sync-trigger snapshots only)

If snapshot_trigger: sync (or any cascade match is sync-triggered), check for companion manifest:

_Archive/Snapshots/_sync-manifest (sync-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).md

If manifest exists, parse:

• ## Theses with snapshots taken (Tier A) — confirms Step 2.5a cascade set
• ## Theses with Log-only appends (Tier B — NO snapshot, NOT recoverable) — invisible-to-cascade entries; surface during prompt
• ## Sector notes touched / ## Macro notes touched (Tier B link-only) — also invisible to cascade

Extend cascade prompt:

⚠️ Tier B appends from this batch (cannot be auto-restored — manual review needed):

[N] thesis Log entries written without snapshots (cross-thesis propagation,
augmented targets, etc.):

  - Theses/TICKER1 - Name.md:
    ### YYYY-MM-DD
    - [[Research/source]]: [what changed] — conviction [impact]
    Reason: cross-thesis propagation from [[Research/...]]

  - Theses/TICKER2 - Name.md:
    [Log entry text]
    Reason: ...

[M] sector/macro notes received link-only additions (harmless to leave in place):
  - Sectors/Foo.md (link added to Related Research)
  - Macro & Technology/Bar.md (link added to body)

Options:
  (a) Cascade — restore ALL Tier A files. Tier B entries SURFACED in Step 7 for manual review.
  (b) Cascade + strikethrough — restore Tier A AND auto-strikethrough every Tier B Log entry:
      "~~[entry]~~ → Reverted YYYY-MM-DD: rolled back via /rollback batch [batch ID]"
  (c) Single — restore only [[selected file]] (NOT recommended).
  (d) Cancel.

Wait for selection. If (b), perform strikethrough Edits after Step 5 cascade completes (one Edit per Tier B entry). If (a), include Tier B list in Step 7 report.

Manifest missing (sync pre-T2.1, or manifest write failed): fall back to 2.5a with warning: ⚠️ No sync manifest found for batch [batch ID]. Cascade will only restore Tier A snapshots; any Tier B Log appends from this sync are invisible and will persist after rollback. To find them manually, grep Theses/*.md for entries dated [snapshot date] referencing [source research notes from the snapshot's referenced sources].

2.5c: Non-manifest triggers (generic passthrough to 2.5a) — D1 canonical

Triggers without manifests (catalyst, rename, callout-sweep, rollback pre-rollback safety net) snapshot every modified file (Tier A only). Proceed with 2.5a behavior unchanged.

D1 canonical meaning: 2.5c is the "no-manifest" case — a generic passthrough to 2.5a's batch prefix lookup. /deepen previously sat in this bucket; as of M3 (2026-04-21) /deepen has its own manifest (_deepen-manifest) and its own cascade branch at 2.5g. /prune has _prune-manifest but its cascade uses 2.5a generic batch lookup — intentional, because per-thesis (pre-prune) snapshots are homogeneous and the manifest's role is retention-window metadata, not cascade routing. /archive-callouts sits in 2.5c — each swept thesis gets its own (pre-callout-sweep) snapshot, no manifest, and the cascade batch uses the shared callout-sweep-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS prefix to group multi-thesis runs.

Callout-sweep rollback semantics: restoring a pre-callout-sweep snapshot undoes the body restructuring — original callout blocks return to their source sections, ## Legacy Callouts reverts to pre-sweep state, and the Callout sweep: Log entry is removed by the snapshot restore. Safety snapshot at Step 4 still captures the current state so re-sweep is always possible after the rollback. No side effects on sector or macro notes — sweep is thesis-local by design.

2.5d: Stress-test manifest cascade (T3.1)

If snapshot associated with /stress-test batch (user-supplied stress-test-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS OR companion _stress-test-manifest (...) matches): read manifest, surface Log entry for strikethrough review. /stress-test writes NO thesis snapshot — only a Log append (§2.2).

Stress-test batch cascade detected:
  Batch:       stress-test-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS
  Ticker:      TICKER
  Research note: [[Research/YYYY-MM-DD - TICKER - Stress Test]]  (NOT deleted by rollback)

Log entry appended to Theses/TICKER - Name.md (Tier 2 append-only — no snapshot):
  [full entry text from manifest]

Options:
  (a) Surface only — leave Log entry as historical audit; manually annotate later.
  (b) Cascade + strikethrough — rewrite as:
      `~~[original entry]~~ → Reverted YYYY-MM-DD: stress-test run judged
      invalid (rolled back via /rollback batch stress-test-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).`
  (c) Cancel.

If (b), perform strikethrough Edit. Edit failure → report and continue (degrades to (a)).

Research note at Research/ preserved as historical record (same policy as scenario and compare research notes).

2.5e: Status manifest cascade (T2.2)

If snapshot associated with /status batch: read manifest for full transaction context. /status = single-ticker multi-file transaction (thesis frontmatter + sector + optional archive mv + optional .graph_invalidations + _hot.md).

Status transaction cascade detected:
  Batch:          status-TICKER-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS
  Ticker:         TICKER
  Transition:    [conviction|status] [old] → [new]
  Manifest:      [[_Archive/Snapshots/_status-manifest (status-...)]]

Stages that landed:
  ✅ Thesis frontmatter edited — snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/...]]
  ✅ Sector note edited — snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/...]]
  ✅ Archive move (closure only)
  ✅ Graph invalidations written
  ✅ _hot.md updated

Cascade options:
  (a) Restore thesis frontmatter only (from thesis snapshot).
  (b) Restore full transaction (thesis + sector + un-archive + clear invalidations).
  (c) Cancel.

Option (b) execution: restore thesis → restore sector → if closure: un-archive with collision check (C5) → remove matching rows from .archive_ticker_registry.md (Step 6.2a — H1 fix) → clear matching entries from .graph_invalidations (Step 6.2b — H2 fix) → revert _hot.md Recent Conviction Changes. On any sub-step failure → abort remaining, report. Pre-rollback safety snapshot (Step 4) covers worst case.

Un-archive collision check (C5): before mv _Archive/TICKER - Name.md Theses/TICKER - Name.md, probe the destination:

if [ -e "Theses/TICKER - Name.md" ]; then
    # Collision — a replacement thesis was created post-closure (e.g., via
    # /thesis TICKER → "proceed accepting dual files" option in Step 1.2).
    # Default mv would silently overwrite on BSD/Linux, destroying the replacement.
    echo "collision"
fi

On collision, pause the cascade and present:

⚠️ Un-archive collision — destination already exists:
  Existing file: Theses/TICKER - Name.md (replacement thesis created post-closure)
  Archive source: _Archive/TICKER - Name.md (what rollback wants to restore)

Silently overwriting destroys the replacement. Options:

  (a) Save collision to snapshot, then un-archive.
      - cp Theses/TICKER - Name.md → _Archive/Snapshots/TICKER - Name (rollback-collision-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).md
      - then mv _Archive/TICKER - Name.md → Theses/TICKER - Name.md
      - replacement's snapshot available for later inspection
  (b) Un-archive with suffix.
      - mv _Archive/TICKER - Name.md → Theses/TICKER - Name (reopened YYYY-MM-DD).md
      - both files coexist in Theses/; user reconciles manually
  (c) Cancel un-archive sub-step only (keep earlier thesis + sector + invalidations
      restorations). Archive file stays in _Archive/. User reconciles manually.

Confirm (a/b/c):

Proceed with the selected sub-step only after explicit user confirmation. Option (a) is the default recommendation — preserves both states without creating a dual-file vault. For standard rollbacks with no post-closure replacement, destination is absent and the mv runs directly without this prompt.

2.5f: Thesis manifest cascade (H1)

If snapshot or user-supplied batch matches /thesis batch (thesis-TICKER-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS OR companion _thesis-manifest (thesis-...)): read manifest. Cascade is deletion-based, not snapshot-based — /thesis creates new files; undo = delete (§2.2).

Thesis creation cascade detected:
  Batch:           thesis-TICKER-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS
  Ticker:          TICKER
  Proposed name:   [proposed_name from manifest]
  Proposed path:   Theses/TICKER - [proposed_name].md
  Manifest:        [[_Archive/Snapshots/_thesis-manifest (...)]]

Landed operations:
  ✅ Thesis file created (or ⚠️ not created)
  ✅ Sector note updated — [sector] (or ℹ️ skipped/new_sector_created)
  ✅ _hot.md updated
  ✅ [N] orphan research notes touched

Cascade options:
  (a) Delete thesis file only — leaves sector note and _hot.md modifications.
  (b) Full cascade — (a) + remove thesis wikilink from sector note Active Theses
      + revert _hot.md entries (targeted Edits) + revert orphan research mtimes
      (if captured in manifest; otherwise skip).
  (c) Cancel — manual cleanup.

Confirm (a/b/c):

Option (b) execution:

1. rm "Theses/TICKER - [proposed_name].md" (if exists)
2. Remove - [[Theses/TICKER - [proposed_name]]] line from sector note Active Theses (exact-match Edit)
3. Revert _hot.md:
   • Active Research Thread: strike/remove thesis-creation entry
   • Recent Conviction Changes: remove - **[TICKER]**: ... initial [level] line
   • Open Questions: remove entries added by this /thesis run (manifest lists verbatim)
4. If new_sector_note_created in manifest (user chose option (a) of /thesis §5 new-sector): offer to delete newly-created sector note file — ONLY if manifest confirms sector was new.

Edit failures during cascade: continue remaining steps; report per-step outcome. Users complete partial cascade manually via manifest body.

Preservation: thesis file content NOT preserved in _Archive/Snapshots/ unless user chose (a) and archived manually. Before accepting (b), consider saving thesis content elsewhere.

2.5g: Deepen manifest cascade (M3 — 2026-04-21)

If snapshot or user-supplied batch matches /deepen batch (deepen-TICKER-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS OR companion _deepen-manifest (deepen-...)): read manifest. /deepen is a multi-file transaction (thesis edit + optional supporting research note + _hot.md). Cascade uses thesis pre-deepen snapshot as anchor; supporting research note (if created) is Tier C (its own file, undone by deletion).

Deepen transaction cascade detected:
  Batch:          deepen-TICKER-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS
  Ticker:         TICKER
  Section deepened: [Section Name from manifest]
  Manifest:       [[_Archive/Snapshots/_deepen-manifest (deepen-...)]]

Landed operations:
  ✅ Thesis section rewritten — snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/TICKER - Name (pre-deepen ...)]]
  ✅ Thesis Log entry appended (Phase 5c final — `Deepened [Section]:` or ↳ CORRECTION)
  ✅ Supporting research note created (or ℹ️ skipped — Phase 6 judged insubstantial)
  ✅ _hot.md updated

Cascade options:
  (a) Restore thesis only (from pre-deepen snapshot) — reverts section rewrite AND
      removes today's `Deepened`/`Deepening`/`↳ CORRECTION` Log entries automatically
      via snapshot restore. Research note preserved. _hot.md unchanged.
  (b) Full cascade — (a) + delete supporting research note (if created in Phase 6).
  (c) Cancel.

Option (a) execution: standard Tier A snapshot restore. Pre-rollback safety snapshot (Step 4) covers the current thesis state before restore.

Option (b) execution:

1. Restore thesis from pre-deepen snapshot (as in option a).
2. If manifest's ## Research note created lists a wikilink (not none): rm Research/YYYY-MM-DD - TICKER - [Section Topic] Deep Dive.md.
3. Report per-step outcome.

Research note preservation default: option (a) is the conservative default — research notes are historical records (same rule as scenario/stress-test). Option (b) only appropriate when the research note was generated from an invalid deepen run (wrong section targeted, hallucinated sources, etc.).

_hot.md note: 2.5g does NOT auto-revert _hot.md entries — the safety snapshot in Step 4 includes the current _hot.md, so manual review post-rollback suffices. Consistent with 2.5d (stress-test) and 2.5e (status option a).

Step 3: Confirm (Mandatory)

Present the rollback plan and wait for explicit user confirmation:

If original file exists:

Proposed rollback:
  Restore: [[path/to/original]]
  From snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/snapshot-name]]
  Snapshot date: YYYY-MM-DD
  Trigger: [sync/deepen/status/compare]

  Sections that will revert: [list]
  Frontmatter changes reverted: [list, e.g., conviction: medium → high]
  Log entries that will be LOST: [count] entries from [dates]

  A pre-rollback snapshot will be created as safety net.

Confirm? (y/n)

If original file does not exist:

Proposed rollback:
  Recreate: [[path/to/original]] (file currently absent)
  From snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/snapshot-name]]
  Snapshot date: YYYY-MM-DD
  Trigger: [sync/deepen/status/compare]

  Full restoration from snapshot. Archived copy (if found) will be moved to Snapshots.
  Safety snapshot: skipped (no current file to snapshot).

Confirm? (y/n)

Do NOT proceed without explicit user confirmation.

Step 4: Create Pre-Rollback Safety Snapshot

If original file exists:

mkdir -p _Archive/Snapshots
cp "[original file path]" "_Archive/Snapshots/[Name] (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).md"

Read the new safety snapshot, add frontmatter:

snapshot_of: "[[original file path]]"
snapshot_date: YYYY-MM-DD
snapshot_trigger: rollback
snapshot_batch: rollback-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS

Generate HHMMSS once via date +%H%M%S. Reuse this snapshot_batch: for Step 6 cleanup snapshots (§1.1).

If original file does not exist (archived/closed): skip safety snapshot. Log: Safety snapshot skipped — original file does not exist at [path].

Cascade batch mode: complete Step 4 for ALL files in restore set BEFORE Step 5 begins (§7.1). Issue all cp calls in ONE Bash block using background shell jobs + wait:

mkdir -p _Archive/Snapshots
HHMMSS=$(date +%H%M%S)
pids=()
cp "Theses/TICKER1 - Name.md" "_Archive/Snapshots/TICKER1 - Name (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-$HHMMSS).md" & pids+=($!)
cp "Theses/TICKER2 - Name.md" "_Archive/Snapshots/TICKER2 - Name (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-$HHMMSS).md" & pids+=($!)
cp "Sectors/Foo.md" "_Archive/Snapshots/Foo (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-$HHMMSS).md" & pids+=($!)
# Wait on each PID individually — bare `wait` returns 0 even when a background cp
# failed, so the abort-on-failure guarantee below would never fire.
snap_fail=0
for pid in "${pids[@]}"; do wait "$pid" || snap_fail=1; done
[ "$snap_fail" -ne 0 ] && { echo "❌ pre-rollback safety snapshot failed — aborting; Step 5 NOT run"; exit 1; }

If any safety snapshot fails, abort — do NOT proceed to Step 5. Same snapshot_batch: across all safety snapshots in batch. Then issue all frontmatter-addition Edits in one parallel tool-call batch (one Edit per snapshot, all in the same message).

Step 5: Restore

1. Read snapshot content.
2. Remove snapshot-specific frontmatter (snapshot_of, snapshot_date, snapshot_trigger, snapshot_batch) — they belong to snapshot, not live note.
3. Write cleaned content to original file path, fully replacing current.
4. Append Log entry to restored note:

   ### YYYY-MM-DD
   - ROLLBACK to snapshot (YYYY-MM-DD, pre-[trigger]). [N] log entries from [date range] lost. Safety snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/Name (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS)]]
   

Cascade failure handling

Mid-batch failure → all files have safety snapshots (from Step 4). Report:

⚠️ Cascade rollback partially completed.
Restored: [list]
Failed: [file + error]
Not attempted: [remaining]
All pre-rollback safety snapshots exist (batch: rollback-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).
To undo restored files: /rollback [any restored ticker] → select (pre-rollback) → cascade (a).
To retry failed files: /rollback [failed ticker] → select original (pre-[trigger]) snapshot.

Do NOT proceed to Step 6 for partial cascade — cleanup requires consistent state.

Step 6: Post-Rollback Cleanup

6.1: Conviction/status revert — sector note update

Runs only if rollback changed conviction: or status: frontmatter (snapshot vs current pre-rollback differ). Mirrors /status Step 5 end-to-end (§5.1).

If status: reverted to active from closure (file recreated): surface once: ℹ️ Restored status is already active — do NOT run /status closed→active (it will fail validation). Proceed directly to /sync TICKER → /graph.

6.1a: Resolve sector note (via contract)

Use .claude/skills/_shared/sector-resolution.md. Inputs: restored thesis's sector:. Outputs: sector_note_path, match_confidence, log_message.

• none → emit warning, skip 6.1b-6.1f, proceed to 6.2.
• normalized → emit log, silent to 6.1b.
• substring → emit log AND stop for explicit user confirmation. Declined → skip to 6.2.
• exact → silent to 6.1b.

6.1b: Dry-run — determine if edit needed

Decision matrix per revert direction (§5.2):

Revert direction	Check against sector note	edit_planned: true when...
status: closed → active (recreated)	(1) in Active Theses? (2) in Closed/Archived?	ABSENT from Active Theses OR PRESENT in Closed/Archived
status: active → closed (reopen revert)	in Active Theses?	PRESENT (remove)
status: monitoring → active	absent from Active OR annotated as monitoring?	Either
status: active → monitoring	sector distinguishes monitoring AND thesis not annotated?	Both
conviction: reverted	sector displays conviction AND displayed differs from reverted?	Both

Detection indicators (mirror /status Step 5.1):

• Monitoring: ## Monitoring, (monitoring), monitoring:, suffix
• Conviction: (high|medium|low) adjacent, | Conviction | column, grouped sections

edit_planned: false → log ℹ️ Sector note update skipped — [sector_note_path] already reflects reverted state. Proceed to 6.2. edit_planned: true → 6.1c.

6.1c: Pre-edit snapshot

cp "[sector_note_path]" "_Archive/Snapshots/[Sector Name] (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).md"

Add frontmatter (reuse Step 4 HHMMSS — §1.2):

snapshot_of: "[[Sectors/Sector Name]]"
snapshot_date: YYYY-MM-DD
snapshot_trigger: rollback
snapshot_batch: rollback-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS

Cascade batch: distinct HHMMSS per sector only if sectors differ. Shared sector → one snapshot (§1.3).

6.1d: Apply edit

Mirror /status Step 5b. Targeted Edit (atomic), NOT full Write.

1. Reverted to active (from closed/monitoring/draft): add to Active Theses (if absent). Remove monitoring annotation. If "Closed/Archived" section exists and contains this thesis, remove from there (prevents dual listing).
2. Reverted to monitoring (from active): apply monitoring annotation per sector convention (move to "Monitoring" section, add (monitoring) suffix, etc.).
3. Reverted to closed (reopen revert): remove from Active Theses. Add to "Closed/Archived" if exists.
4. Conviction reverted: update displayed level (e.g., (medium) → (high), or move between conviction-grouped sections).

6.1e: Post-edit verification

Re-read. For each edited section:

1. Ends with complete sentence (no mid-word, no unmatched ** or *)
2. No incomplete table rows (line starts | but doesn't end |)
3. Thesis wikilink present/absent per 6.1d intention (re-grep to confirm)
4. Dual-listing absent: wikilink appears in AT MOST ONE of {Active Theses, Closed/Archived, Monitoring}

Any fail: ⚠️ Sector note may contain a partial edit in [section]. Snapshot available: [[_Archive/Snapshots/[Sector Name] (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS)]]. Review manually or run /rollback on the sector snapshot.

6.1f: Report

• Sector resolved: [sector_note_path] (confidence [exact|normalized|substring|none])
• Sector edit: applied | skipped (edit_planned: false) | skipped (match_confidence: none) | skipped (declined substring confirmation)
• Sector snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/...]] (if 6.1c ran) | n/a
• Post-edit verification: passed | ⚠️ failed: [check]

6.2: Archived file cleanup

If original file recreated (detected Step 2), check for archived copy:

find _Archive/ -maxdepth 1 -name "TICKER - *.md" -type f

(Glob includes - and .md to avoid false positives on short tickers like A, T, U.)

If found, move to Snapshots:

mv "_Archive/TICKER - Company Name.md" "_Archive/Snapshots/TICKER - Company Name (archived pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS).md"

Add snapshot_of, snapshot_date, snapshot_trigger: rollback-cleanup, snapshot_batch: rollback-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS (reuse Step 4 batch ID).

6.2a: Remove stale archive-registry entries (closure-reversal only — H1 fix)

Only runs when Step 2 detected the file was recreated (closure reversal). Skip for standard rollbacks.

.archive_ticker_registry.md carries TICKER|archived_filename|YYYY-MM-DD|conviction|rationale rows appended by /status Step 7.5b and /prune Stage 4 at closure time. A closure-reversal makes matching rows stale — the thesis is back in Theses/, the archived file (if any) has been moved to Snapshots/ by 6.2, and the row now points to a non-existent archive target.

Leaving stale rows in place causes /thesis TICKER Signal C (archive-collision detection) to emit spurious verification work on every subsequent invocation. Remove matching rows:

if [ -f .archive_ticker_registry.md ]; then
  # Remove any data row whose first pipe-delimited field equals TICKER.
  # Preserve comments (^#), blank lines, and malformed short lines (NF<2) —
  # mirrors /rename Step 8.5 pattern for consistency.
  awk -F'|' -v t="$TICKER" '/^#/ || /^$/ || NF<2 || $1!=t' .archive_ticker_registry.md > .archive_ticker_registry.md.tmp
  mv .archive_ticker_registry.md.tmp .archive_ticker_registry.md
  
  # If registry now contains only comments/blanks (zero DATA rows), remove the
  # file so /lint #46 and /thesis Signal C skip the Grep entirely. Count real
  # data rows the same way the filter above defines them (≥2 pipe fields, not
  # comment/blank) — `grep -cv '^#\|^$'` also counted any YAML frontmatter
  # (`---`, `type:`, `purpose:`) as data, so the file was never removed.
  if [ "$(awk -F'|' '!/^#/ && !/^$/ && NF>=2' .archive_ticker_registry.md | wc -l)" -eq 0 ]; then
    rm -f .archive_ticker_registry.md
  fi
fi

Note (preserves audit trail via snapshot): the removed rows are still recoverable — they exist in the thesis's ## Log "CLOSED" entry (preserved by snapshot → restore). If the user needs the original closure date or rationale, read the Log from the pre-rollback safety snapshot (Step 4). Registry is a lookup aid, not authoritative history.

Multiple historical closures: if TICKER was closed, rolled back, closed again, rolled back, … the registry may contain multiple rows for TICKER (H4 scenario). The $1!=t filter removes ALL rows matching TICKER — consistent with the semantics that the current rollback restores the ticker to live state and obsoletes every prior archive record for it. /thesis Signal C verifies file existence independently; if a prior archive file is still in _Archive/ after this rollback (unusual — would require a second closure that /prune missed), /thesis falls back to Signal A (filename glob) and Signal D (snapshot trail).

6.2b: Clear matching .graph_invalidations entries (closure-reversal only — H2 fix)

Only runs when Step 2 detected the file was recreated. Skip for standard rollbacks.

.graph_invalidations accumulates neighbor paths appended by /status Step 7.6b and /prune Stage 4.5 at closure time. When the closure is reversed, the entries for the restored thesis's neighbors are no longer semantically needed (their adjacency back to TICKER is valid again — no re-derivation required for the closure's sake).

The entries are idempotent (running /graph last on them produces correct output regardless), so clearing them is hygiene rather than correctness. But leaving them in place causes /graph last to re-extract neighbors that don't need re-extraction, inflating graph-rebuild cost on the user's mandatory post-rollback run (§6.3).

Remove entries matching neighbors referenced from the restored thesis body:

if [ -f .graph_invalidations ] && [ -f "$RESTORED_PATH" ]; then
  # Extract neighbor thesis paths from restored thesis's wikilinks.
  # Matches [[Theses/NEIGHBOR - Name]], [[Theses/NEIGHBOR - Name|alias]],
  # [[Theses/NEIGHBOR - Name#section]], [[Theses/NEIGHBOR - Name.md]] —
  # covers 4 of the 5 canonical wikilink forms per _shared/wikilink-forms.md
  # (folder-less form #5 is not used in thesis-to-thesis references).
  NEIGHBORS=$(grep -oE '\[\[Theses/[^]|#]+' "$RESTORED_PATH" 2>/dev/null \
    | sed 's|^\[\[||; s|\.md$||' \
    | sort -u)
  
  if [ -n "$NEIGHBORS" ]; then
    cp .graph_invalidations .graph_invalidations.tmp
    while IFS= read -r n; do
      # Use grep -F (fixed-string mode) to avoid regex metachar interpretation.
      # Thesis filenames legitimately contain `.` (e.g., "3M - 3M Co."), `(`, `)`
      # (e.g., "Alphabet (Google)"), `&` (e.g., "H&R Block"), etc. Unescaped
      # regex would over-match — `.` would match any char, `(` would fail as
      # unterminated group. Fixed-string match with two separate -F invocations
      # handles both the path-with-.md and path-without-.md forms exactly.
      # NOTE: the mv is UNCONDITIONAL. grep -Fxv exits 1 when it filters out ALL
      # lines (the single-neighbor common case → empty result), so the prior
      # `&& mv` skipped the update, left the neighbor in the file, and orphaned
      # .tmp.new. Always mv; the empty-file removal below handles the emptied case.
      grep -Fxv -e "$n" -e "${n}.md" .graph_invalidations.tmp > .graph_invalidations.tmp.new
      mv .graph_invalidations.tmp.new .graph_invalidations.tmp
    done <<< "$NEIGHBORS"
    mv .graph_invalidations.tmp .graph_invalidations
    
    # If file now empty, remove so /graph last doesn't process empty input
    [ -s .graph_invalidations ] || rm -f .graph_invalidations
  fi
fi

Why grep -Fxv: -F treats patterns as fixed strings (no regex), -x requires whole-line match (no substring bleed), -v inverts the match (keep lines that do NOT equal any pattern). Multiple -e patterns let one grep invocation handle both n and n.md forms atomically. The original regex-based grep -vE "^${n}(\.md)?\$" over-matched when $n contained ., (, ), &, ', or other regex metacharacters that are legal in thesis filenames.

Safety: if a neighbor path is in .graph_invalidations for a DIFFERENT reason (a separate closure that happens to reference the same neighbor), we could theoretically remove it prematurely. In practice this is safe — the neighbor's re-extraction on next /graph last will still produce correct adjacency from the current thesis body. Worst case: a second closure's invalidation is consumed one /graph last later than intended, still idempotent.

Fallback — clearing skipped: if $RESTORED_PATH doesn't exist at this step (shouldn't happen — Step 5 wrote it), log ℹ️ Skipping .graph_invalidations cleanup — restored thesis path not readable. Run /graph (full) to ensure graph consistency. and proceed.

6.2.5: Intervening-neighbor Log scan (recreated-file rollbacks only)

Only runs on recreated-file rollbacks (original did NOT exist before rollback). Skip for standard rollbacks. Rationale: §4.

Procedure:

1. Identify closure date. From restored thesis's Log, find final CLOSED: or Cross-thesis closure: pre-closure entry. Alternate: pre-rollback snapshot body. Capture closure_date: YYYY-MM-DD (date Log entry written, NOT date file mv'd).

2. Identify citing files — H3 extension: grep Theses/ + Macro & Technology/ + Sectors/ (excluding restored thesis) for wikilink patterns referencing restored thesis:

   • [[Theses/TICKER - Name]], [[Theses/TICKER - Name|...]], [[Theses/TICKER - Name#...]], [[Theses/TICKER - Name.md]]
   • [[_Archive/TICKER - Name]] (from Cross-thesis closure: entries and post-closure narrative)
   • [[TICKER - Name]] folder-less form

   Tag each match with category (thesis | macro | sector).

3. Scan for post-closure references per category:

   • Theses: ## Log section, entries where date >= closure_date AND body contains wikilink to restored thesis.
   • Macros: ENTIRE BODY (macros often lack Log). Capture file-path + line number. Date attribution: file_mtime >= closure_date → post-closure candidate; otherwise advisory flag.
   • Sectors: ## Log per thesis pattern + narrative sections (## Acquisitions and new entrants, ## Competitive dynamics, ## Industry history) with mtime attribution. Skip ## Active Theses (handled by /status//prune at closure time).

4. Classify each match:

   • Thesis Log — Premise-dependent: prefix Cross-thesis closure: / Cross-thesis closures: (registry §13 — explicitly premised on closure)
   • Thesis Log — Scenario/stress-test: prefix Stress test/Scenario/Scenario REVERSED + body cites restored thesis
   • Thesis Log — Sync-propagated: prefix is research-note wikilink that cites closed thesis in rationale
   • Macro/Sector body citation: LLM-judgment premise-dependent vs contextual (§4.4)
   • Sector Log — post-closure: same as thesis Log pattern
   • Other

5. Present findings:

⚠️ Intervening Log entries detected — closure of [[restored thesis]] dated [closure_date]
   may have been cited as premise by other skills.

[N] entries found across [M] files:

[[Theses/AMAT - Applied Materials.md]]:
  - 2026-04-20: Cross-thesis closure: [[_Archive/NVDA - Nvidia]] archived — AI capex
    exposure reduced. [PREMISE-DEPENDENT]
  - 2026-04-25: [[Research/...]]: ASML guidance... given NVDA exit, AMAT positioning...
    [PARTIAL PREMISE]

[[Macro & Technology/...]]:
  - Line 42: "Iranian retaliation risk most directly affects [[_Archive/LITE - Lumentum]]..."
    [premise-dependent — macro body prose]

Options:
  (a) Surface only — leave as historical audit trail.
  (b) Auto-strikethrough premise-dependent entries (`Cross-thesis closure:` prefix only):
      `~~Cross-thesis closure: ...~~ → Superseded YYYY-MM-DD: [restored thesis] reopened via /rollback.`
  (c) Auto-strikethrough ALL matched entries (premise-dependent + partial):
      `~~entry~~ → Review YYYY-MM-DD: [restored thesis] was reopened — premise may no longer apply.`
  (d) Skip — acknowledge gap manually.

Confirm (a/b/c/d):

6. Branch behavior:

   • (a): add summary to Step 7 report. No edits. User reviews manually.
   • (b): iterate Cross-thesis closure: entries, strikethrough each. Include in Step 7.
   • (c): iterate ALL matched entries, apply generic strikethrough template. Report in Step 7.
   • (d): ℹ️ Intervening-neighbor scan skipped per user. [N] entries flagged but not annotated. Include full list in Step 7.

7. Edit failures: record + continue. Report failed Edits in Step 7 alongside successful.

Overlap with /prune cascade (2.5a generic path — D1 canonical): Cross-thesis closure: prefix filter may duplicate entries surfaced by the _prune-manifest's populated neighbor list (§4.5). Detect overlap → log ℹ️ 6.2.5 scan overlaps with /prune cascade (_prune-manifest neighbor list at Stage 4.5); showing combined list.

6.3: Graph update deferred

_graph.md owned exclusively by /graph (§6). After this rollback, run /graph last immediately — re-extracts adjacency from restored thesis file, updates reverse indexes, removes restored research notes from orphan list.

Recreated-file rollback: /graph last rebuilds the absent adjacency entry; single-pass captures new adjacency + reverse-index re-entry + Cross-Thesis Cluster restoration.

6.4: Update _hot.md

Read _hot.md then edit (do NOT touch Latest Sync / Sync Archive — owned by /sync). Follow _shared/hot-md-contract.md:

1. Active Research Thread: same-ticker continuation (append dated line). New topic: compress outgoing to *Previous:* line. Write: rolled back [TICKER/note] to [snapshot date] snapshot, and what was reverted. Max 5 *Previous:* lines; drop oldest.
2. Recent Conviction Changes: if conviction/status reverted, add: - **[TICKER]**: rollback [field] [current] → [reverted] — restored to [snapshot date] state
3. Open Questions: if rollback restored previously-resolved Outstanding Questions, re-add them.

Word cap: after all edits, if over 8,000 words (soft cap per _shared/hot-md-contract.md), prune ## Sync Archive (oldest first) then *Previous:* lines. Abort if over 10,000 hard cap.

6.5: Propagated-research caveat scan (sync-trigger rollbacks only)

Runs only when the rolled-back snapshot has snapshot_trigger: sync (or any cascade member does). Skip for deepen, status, compare, prune, rename, catalyst triggers — those skills don't carry the propagated_to: dedup hazard.

Why this scan exists: /rollback restores the thesis file from a pre-sync snapshot, which removes the [[Research/source-note]]: … Log entries that the reverted /sync had appended. But /rollback does NOT rewrite the propagated_to: frontmatter on those source research notes. The notes still carry propagated_to: [TICKER], so the next /sync (Case 2b) skips re-propagating them — silently leaving the thesis without the Log entries the user expected to be re-applied. User Guide §3m documents this caveat; this scan surfaces it explicitly in the Step 7 report so the user doesn't have to remember to read §3m.

Procedure (one Bash + Grep per restored-thesis ticker):

1. Resolve every ticker whose thesis file was restored in this run (single-file: one ticker; cascade: every Tier A thesis snapshot in the batch). Skip sectors and macros — propagated_to: is research-note → thesis only.

2. For each restored ticker T, identify research notes that claim propagation to T:

   # Match propagated_to: [...] frontmatter lines containing the ticker as a list element.
   # Tolerate single-quoted, double-quoted, and unquoted forms.
   Grep pattern='^propagated_to:.*\b'"$T"'\b' path='Research/' glob='*.md' output_mode='files_with_matches'
   

3. For each matched research note, cross-check: was a Log entry referencing this note ACTUALLY appended to the restored thesis BEFORE the snapshot date? Two-step:

   • Read the snapshot's ## Log section. If the snapshot already contained a Log entry referencing this research note (any of the 5 wikilink forms per _shared/wikilink-forms.md), then the propagation was older than the rollback target — the rollback didn't lose the Log entry, and re-propagation is not needed. Skip this note.
   • Otherwise: the propagation happened AFTER the snapshot was taken (i.e., during the reverted /sync). The Log entry was lost. The note's propagated_to: is now stale.

4. Collect the stale-claim set: (research_note_path, ticker) pairs that need user attention.

5. No stale claims: skip Step 7's caveat section silently.

6. Stale claims found: emit in Step 7 under ### Propagated-research caveat (sync-trigger rollback only) (see Step 7 below).

Atomicity / failure: if Grep fails or any cross-check Read fails, log warning, skip the caveat section, but do NOT abort the rollback (the rollback content already landed; the caveat is informational telemetry). Surface the failure in Step 7 with a fallback recommendation: ⚠️ Propagated-research scan failed — manually run: grep -l 'propagated_to:.*\b[TICKER]\b' Research/*.md to identify stale claims.

Step 7: Report

Normal rollbacks (Steps 4-6 executed)

• Restored: [[original file path]] from snapshot dated YYYY-MM-DD
• Safety snapshot: [[_Archive/Snapshots/Name (pre-rollback YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS)]]
• Sections reverted: [list]
• Log entries lost: [count] — preserved in safety snapshot
• Side effects: [sector updated / graph updated / conviction reverted]
• Graph reminder: → Run /graph last to update the dependency map. (Critical for recreated-file rollbacks — restored thesis is invisible to graph-assisted propagation until /graph last runs.)
• Duplicate-file note (Step 4a option (b) only): ⚠️ Content-only restore created duplicate file. Original path: [[snapshot_of]]. Current name: [[rename_target]]. Wikilinks retain current targets. To consolidate: decide which to keep, delete the other, run /sync.
• To undo this rollback: /rollback [ticker] → select (pre-rollback) snapshot

Propagated-research caveat (sync-trigger rollback only — populated by Step 6.5)

Emit only if Step 6.5 found stale propagated_to: claims. Otherwise skip this section silently.

⚠️ Propagated-research caveat — [N] research note(s) still claim propagation to the restored thesis(es):

  - [[Research/YYYY-MM-DD - source-note-1]] → propagated_to: includes [TICKER1]
  - [[Research/YYYY-MM-DD - source-note-2]] → propagated_to: includes [TICKER1, TICKER2]
  - ...

The rollback restored the thesis content to its pre-sync state, removing the Log entries
that the reverted /sync had appended. But the source research notes above were NOT modified —
their propagated_to: frontmatter still lists the rolled-back ticker(s) as already-propagated.

If you run /sync TICKER (or default /sync) expecting these research notes to re-propagate, /sync
will SKIP them (Case 2b dedup) — leaving the restored thesis without the Log entries you may
have expected to be re-applied.

To force re-propagation, choose ONE per research note:
  (a) Edit the research note's frontmatter and remove [TICKER] from propagated_to:
      Then run /sync TICKER. Case 2b will not skip; Case 2a wikilink-presence will detect
      the absence and re-propagate.
  (b) Delete the research note and re-/ingest the source. The fresh research note has no
      propagated_to: claim; /sync will treat it as new.
  (c) Accept the loss — the rolled-back thesis state stays as-is. The research note's
      propagated_to: claim is silently stale; /lint #1 may eventually surface it as orphan.

This caveat is also documented in User Guide §3m (Recovery — Undo a Bad Sync). It surfaces
here so the consequence is visible at the moment of rollback, not after the silent skip happens.

Rename-undo redirect (Step 4a option (a))

• Rollback exited — no changes made.
• Reason: snapshot was created by /rename. Symmetric reverse via /rename is the correct undo path.
• Run this command: /rename [TICKER] "[old_name from snapshot]"
• Rationale: /rename atomically restores filename, inbound wikilinks (7 patterns), _graph.md adjacency header, sector note Active Theses, _Archive/Snapshots/ snapshot_of:. After /rename succeeds, this snapshot remains as historical record.

Cancellation (Step 4a option (c))

• Rollback canceled — no changes made.