The agent needs a desk
Working memory is temporary state for the current task. It is where the agent keeps partial findings, assumptions, current plan, open questions, and tool handles that should not become permanent memory.
Do not confuse working memory with long-term memory. Working memory is the messy desk during the job; long-term memory is the filing cabinet after the job.
Make it visible
A visible scratchpad beats hidden hope. Store run state in structured fields so tools, policies, and logs can inspect it. The model can see a concise version; the executor can rely on the exact version.
This is especially important under context pressure. If the scratchpad is explicit, it can be compacted, summarized, or persisted without losing the job's spine.