Skillshub langgraph-persistence
INVOKE THIS SKILL when your LangGraph needs to persist state, remember conversations, travel through history, or configure subgraph checkpointer scoping. Covers checkpointers, thread_id, time travel, Store, and subgraph persistence modes.
git clone https://github.com/ComeOnOliver/skillshub
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/ComeOnOliver/skillshub "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/Harmeet10000/skills/langgraph-persistence" ~/.claude/skills/comeonoliver-skillshub-langgraph-persistence && rm -rf "$T"
skills/Harmeet10000/skills/langgraph-persistence/SKILL.md- Checkpointer: Saves/loads graph state at every super-step
- Thread ID: Identifies separate checkpoint sequences (conversations)
- Store: Cross-thread memory for user preferences, facts
Two memory types:
- Short-term (checkpointer): Thread-scoped conversation history
- Long-term (store): Cross-thread user preferences, facts </overview>
| Checkpointer | Use Case | Production Ready |
|---|---|---|
| Testing, development | No |
| Local development | Partial |
| Production | Yes |
Checkpointer Setup
<ex-basic-persistence> <python> Set up a basic graph with in-memory checkpointing and thread-based state persistence. ```python from langgraph.checkpoint.memory import InMemorySaver from langgraph.graph import StateGraph, START, END from typing_extensions import TypedDict, Annotated import operatorclass State(TypedDict): messages: Annotated[list, operator.add]
def add_message(state: State) -> dict: return {"messages": ["Bot response"]}
checkpointer = InMemorySaver()
graph = ( StateGraph(State) .add_node("respond", add_message) .add_edge(START, "respond") .add_edge("respond", END) .compile(checkpointer=checkpointer) # Pass at compile time )
ALWAYS provide thread_id
config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "conversation-1"}}
result1 = graph.invoke({"messages": ["Hello"]}, config) print(len(result1["messages"])) # 2
result2 = graph.invoke({"messages": ["How are you?"]}, config) print(len(result2["messages"])) # 4 (previous + new)
</typescript> </ex-basic-persistence> <ex-production-postgres> <python> Configure PostgreSQL-backed checkpointing for production deployments. ```python from langgraph.checkpoint.postgres import PostgresSaver</python> <typescript> Set up a basic graph with in-memory checkpointing and thread-based state persistence. ```typescript import { MemorySaver, StateGraph, StateSchema, MessagesValue, START, END } from "@langchain/langgraph"; import { HumanMessage } from "@langchain/core/messages"; const State = new StateSchema({ messages: MessagesValue }); const addMessage = async (state: typeof State.State) => { return { messages: [{ role: "assistant", content: "Bot response" }] }; }; const checkpointer = new MemorySaver(); const graph = new StateGraph(State) .addNode("respond", addMessage) .addEdge(START, "respond") .addEdge("respond", END) .compile({ checkpointer }); // ALWAYS provide thread_id const config = { configurable: { thread_id: "conversation-1" } }; const result1 = await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("Hello")] }, config); console.log(result1.messages.length); // 2 const result2 = await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("How are you?")] }, config); console.log(result2.messages.length); // 4 (previous + new)
with PostgresSaver.from_conn_string( "postgresql://user:pass@localhost/db" ) as checkpointer: checkpointer.setup() # only needed on first use to create tables graph = builder.compile(checkpointer=checkpointer)
</typescript> </ex-production-postgres></python> <typescript> Configure PostgreSQL-backed checkpointing for production deployments. ```typescript import { PostgresSaver } from "@langchain/langgraph-checkpoint-postgres"; const checkpointer = PostgresSaver.fromConnString( "postgresql://user:pass@localhost/db" ); await checkpointer.setup(); // only needed on first use to create tables const graph = builder.compile({ checkpointer });
Thread Management
<ex-separate-threads> <python> Demonstrate isolated state between different thread IDs. ```python # Different threads maintain separate state alice_config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "user-alice"}} bob_config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "user-bob"}}graph.invoke({"messages": ["Hi from Alice"]}, alice_config) graph.invoke({"messages": ["Hi from Bob"]}, bob_config)
Alice's state is isolated from Bob's
</typescript> </ex-separate-threads></python> <typescript> Demonstrate isolated state between different thread IDs. ```typescript // Different threads maintain separate state const aliceConfig = { configurable: { thread_id: "user-alice" } }; const bobConfig = { configurable: { thread_id: "user-bob" } }; await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("Hi from Alice")] }, aliceConfig); await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("Hi from Bob")] }, bobConfig); // Alice's state is isolated from Bob's
State History & Time Travel
<ex-resume-from-checkpoint> <python> Time travel: browse checkpoint history and replay or fork from a past state. ```python config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "session-1"}}result = graph.invoke({"messages": ["start"]}, config)
Browse checkpoint history
states = list(graph.get_state_history(config))
Replay from a past checkpoint
past = states[-2] result = graph.invoke(None, past.config) # None = resume from checkpoint
Or fork: update state at a past checkpoint, then resume
fork_config = graph.update_state(past.config, {"messages": ["edited"]}) result = graph.invoke(None, fork_config)
</typescript> </ex-resume-from-checkpoint> <ex-update-state> <python> Manually update graph state before resuming execution. ```python config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "session-1"}}</python> <typescript> Time travel: browse checkpoint history and replay or fork from a past state. ```typescript const config = { configurable: { thread_id: "session-1" } }; const result = await graph.invoke({ messages: ["start"] }, config); // Browse checkpoint history (async iterable, collect to array) const states: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof graph.getState>>[] = []; for await (const state of graph.getStateHistory(config)) { states.push(state); } // Replay from a past checkpoint const past = states[states.length - 2]; const replayed = await graph.invoke(null, past.config); // null = resume from checkpoint // Or fork: update state at a past checkpoint, then resume const forkConfig = await graph.updateState(past.config, { messages: ["edited"] }); const forked = await graph.invoke(null, forkConfig);
Modify state before resuming
graph.update_state(config, {"data": "manually_updated"})
Resume with updated state
result = graph.invoke(None, config)
</typescript> </ex-update-state></python> <typescript> Manually update graph state before resuming execution. ```typescript const config = { configurable: { thread_id: "session-1" } }; // Modify state before resuming await graph.updateState(config, { data: "manually_updated" }); // Resume with updated state const result = await graph.invoke(null, config);
Subgraph Checkpointer Scoping
When compiling a subgraph, the
checkpointer parameter controls persistence behavior. This is critical for subgraphs that use interrupts, need multi-turn memory, or run in parallel.
<subgraph-checkpointer-scoping-table>
| Feature | | (default) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interrupts (HITL) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-turn memory | No | No | Yes |
| Multiple calls (different subgraphs) | Yes | Yes | Warning (namespace conflicts possible) |
| Multiple calls (same subgraph) | Yes | Yes | No |
| State inspection | No | Warning (current invocation only) | Yes |
When to use each mode
— Subgraph doesn't need interrupts or persistence. Simplest option, no checkpoint overhead.checkpointer=False
(default / omitNone
) — Subgraph needscheckpointer
but not multi-turn memory. Each invocation starts fresh but can pause/resume. Parallel execution works because each invocation gets a unique namespace.interrupt()
— Subgraph needs to remember state across invocations (multi-turn conversations). Each call picks up where the last left off.checkpointer=True
Warning: Stateful subgraphs (
checkpointer=True) do NOT support calling the same subgraph instance multiple times within a single node — the calls write to the same checkpoint namespace and conflict.
</warning-stateful-subgraphs-parallel>
<ex-subgraph-checkpointer-modes>
<python>
Choose the right checkpointer mode for your subgraph.
```python
# No interrupts needed — opt out of checkpointing
subgraph = subgraph_builder.compile(checkpointer=False)
Need interrupts but not cross-invocation persistence (default)
subgraph = subgraph_builder.compile()
Need cross-invocation persistence (stateful)
subgraph = subgraph_builder.compile(checkpointer=True)
</typescript> </ex-subgraph-checkpointer-modes> <parallel-subgraph-namespacing></python> <typescript> Choose the right checkpointer mode for your subgraph. ```typescript // No interrupts needed — opt out of checkpointing const subgraph = subgraphBuilder.compile({ checkpointer: false }); // Need interrupts but not cross-invocation persistence (default) const subgraph = subgraphBuilder.compile(); // Need cross-invocation persistence (stateful) const subgraph = subgraphBuilder.compile({ checkpointer: true });
Parallel subgraph namespacing
When multiple different stateful subgraphs run in parallel, wrap each in its own
StateGraph with a unique node name for stable namespace isolation:
<python>
```python
from langgraph.graph import MessagesState, StateGraph
def create_sub_agent(model, *, name, **kwargs): """Wrap an agent with a unique node name for namespace isolation.""" agent = create_agent(model=model, name=name, **kwargs) return ( StateGraph(MessagesState) .add_node(name, agent) # unique name -> stable namespace .add_edge("start", name) .compile() )
fruit_agent = create_sub_agent( "gpt-4.1-mini", name="fruit_agent", tools=[fruit_info], prompt="...", checkpointer=True, ) veggie_agent = create_sub_agent( "gpt-4.1-mini", name="veggie_agent", tools=[veggie_info], prompt="...", checkpointer=True, )
</typescript></python> <typescript> ```typescript import { StateGraph, StateSchema, MessagesValue, START } from "@langchain/langgraph"; function createSubAgent(model: string, { name, ...kwargs }: { name: string; [key: string]: any }) { const agent = createAgent({ model, name, ...kwargs }); return new StateGraph(new StateSchema({ messages: MessagesValue })) .addNode(name, agent) // unique name -> stable namespace .addEdge(START, name) .compile(); } const fruitAgent = createSubAgent("gpt-4.1-mini", { name: "fruit_agent", tools: [fruitInfo], prompt: "...", checkpointer: true, }); const veggieAgent = createSubAgent("gpt-4.1-mini", { name: "veggie_agent", tools: [veggieInfo], prompt: "...", checkpointer: true, });
Note: Subgraphs added as nodes (via
add_node) already get name-based namespaces automatically and don't need this wrapper.
</parallel-subgraph-namespacing>
Long-Term Memory (Store)
<ex-long-term-memory-store> <python> Use a Store for cross-thread memory to share user preferences across conversations. ```python from langgraph.store.memory import InMemoryStorestore = InMemoryStore()
Save user preference (available across ALL threads)
store.put(("alice", "preferences"), "language", {"preference": "short responses"})
Node with store — access via runtime
from langgraph.runtime import Runtime
def respond(state, runtime: Runtime): prefs = runtime.store.get((state["user_id"], "preferences"), "language") return {"response": f"Using preference: {prefs.value}"}
Compile with BOTH checkpointer and store
graph = builder.compile(checkpointer=checkpointer, store=store)
Both threads access same long-term memory
graph.invoke({"user_id": "alice"}, {"configurable": {"thread_id": "thread-1"}}) graph.invoke({"user_id": "alice"}, {"configurable": {"thread_id": "thread-2"}}) # Same preferences!
</typescript> </ex-long-term-memory-store> <ex-store-operations> <python> Basic store operations: put, get, search, and delete. ```python from langgraph.store.memory import InMemoryStore</python> <typescript> Use a Store for cross-thread memory to share user preferences across conversations. ```typescript import { MemoryStore } from "@langchain/langgraph"; const store = new MemoryStore(); // Save user preference (available across ALL threads) await store.put(["alice", "preferences"], "language", { preference: "short responses" }); // Node with store — access via runtime const respond = async (state: typeof State.State, runtime: any) => { const item = await runtime.store?.get(["alice", "preferences"], "language"); return { response: `Using preference: ${item?.value?.preference}` }; }; // Compile with BOTH checkpointer and store const graph = builder.compile({ checkpointer, store }); // Both threads access same long-term memory await graph.invoke({ userId: "alice" }, { configurable: { thread_id: "thread-1" } }); await graph.invoke({ userId: "alice" }, { configurable: { thread_id: "thread-2" } }); // Same preferences!
store = InMemoryStore()
store.put(("user-123", "facts"), "location", {"city": "San Francisco"}) # Put item = store.get(("user-123", "facts"), "location") # Get results = store.search(("user-123", "facts"), filter={"city": "San Francisco"}) # Search store.delete(("user-123", "facts"), "location") # Delete
</python> <typescript> Always provide thread_id in config to enable state persistence. ```typescript // WRONG: No thread_id - state NOT persisted! await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("Hello")] }); await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("What did I say?")] }); // Doesn't remember!</python> </ex-store-operations> --- ## Fixes <fix-thread-id-required> <python> Always provide thread_id in config to enable state persistence. ```python # WRONG: No thread_id - state NOT persisted! graph.invoke({"messages": ["Hello"]}) graph.invoke({"messages": ["What did I say?"]}) # Doesn't remember! # CORRECT: Always provide thread_id config = {"configurable": {"thread_id": "session-1"}} graph.invoke({"messages": ["Hello"]}, config) graph.invoke({"messages": ["What did I say?"]}, config) # Remembers!
// CORRECT: Always provide thread_id const config = { configurable: { thread_id: "session-1" } }; await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("Hello")] }, config); await graph.invoke({ messages: [new HumanMessage("What did I say?")] }, config); // Remembers!
</python> <typescript> Use PostgresSaver instead of MemorySaver for production persistence. ```typescript // WRONG: Data lost on process restart const checkpointer = new MemorySaver(); // In-memory only!</typescript> </fix-thread-id-required> <fix-inmemory-not-for-production> <python> Use PostgresSaver instead of InMemorySaver for production persistence. ```python # WRONG: Data lost on process restart checkpointer = InMemorySaver() # In-memory only! # CORRECT: Use persistent storage for production from langgraph.checkpoint.postgres import PostgresSaver with PostgresSaver.from_conn_string("postgresql://...") as checkpointer: checkpointer.setup() # only needed on first use to create tables graph = builder.compile(checkpointer=checkpointer)
// CORRECT: Use persistent storage for production import { PostgresSaver } from "@langchain/langgraph-checkpoint-postgres"; const checkpointer = PostgresSaver.fromConnString("postgresql://..."); await checkpointer.setup(); // only needed on first use to create tables
</python> <typescript> Use Overwrite to replace state values instead of passing through reducers. ```typescript import { Overwrite } from "@langchain/langgraph";</typescript> </fix-inmemory-not-for-production> <fix-update-state-with-reducers> <python> Use Overwrite to replace state values instead of passing through reducers. ```python from langgraph.types import Overwrite # State with reducer: items: Annotated[list, operator.add] # Current state: {"items": ["A", "B"]} # update_state PASSES THROUGH reducers graph.update_state(config, {"items": ["C"]}) # Result: ["A", "B", "C"] - Appended! # To REPLACE instead, use Overwrite graph.update_state(config, {"items": Overwrite(["C"])}) # Result: ["C"] - Replaced
// State with reducer: items uses concat reducer // Current state: { items: ["A", "B"] }
// updateState PASSES THROUGH reducers await graph.updateState(config, { items: ["C"] }); // Result: ["A", "B", "C"] - Appended!
// To REPLACE instead, use Overwrite await graph.updateState(config, { items: new Overwrite(["C"]) }); // Result: ["C"] - Replaced
</python> <typescript> Access store via runtime parameter in graph nodes. ```typescript // WRONG: Store not available in node const myNode = async (state) => { store.put(...); // ReferenceError! };</typescript> </fix-update-state-with-reducers> <fix-store-injection> <python> Access store via the Runtime object in graph nodes. ```python # WRONG: Store not available in node def my_node(state): store.put(...) # NameError! store not defined # CORRECT: Access store via runtime from langgraph.runtime import Runtime def my_node(state, runtime: Runtime): runtime.store.put(...) # Correct store instance
// CORRECT: Access store via runtime const myNode = async (state, runtime) => { await runtime.store?.put(...); // Correct store instance };
</typescript> </fix-store-injection> <boundaries> ### What You Should NOT Do - Use `InMemorySaver` in production — data lost on restart; use `PostgresSaver` - Forget `thread_id` — state won't persist without it - Expect `update_state` to bypass reducers — it passes through them; use `Overwrite` to replace - Run the same stateful subgraph (`checkpointer=True`) in parallel within one node — namespace conflict - Access store directly in a node — use `runtime.store` via the `Runtime` param </boundaries>