{"id":"2a1986bc-5981-4265-aed2-1fad788d1e3a","shortId":"e7aTe9","kind":"skill","title":"session-handoff","tagline":"Creates comprehensive handoff documents for seamless AI agent session transfers. Triggered when: (1) user requests handoff/memory/context save, (2) context window approaches capacity, (3) major task milestone completed, (4) work session ending, (5) user says 'save state', 'create","description":"# Handoff\n\nCreates comprehensive handoff documents that enable fresh AI agents to seamlessly continue work with zero ambiguity. Solves the long-running agent context exhaustion problem.\n\n## Mode Selection\n\nDetermine which mode applies:\n\n**Creating a handoff?** User wants to save current state, pause work, or context is getting full.\n- Follow: CREATE Workflow below\n\n**Resuming from a handoff?** User wants to continue previous work, load context, or mentions an existing handoff.\n- Follow: RESUME Workflow below\n\n**Proactive suggestion?** After substantial work (5+ file edits, complex debugging, major decisions), suggest:\n> \"We've made significant progress. Consider creating a handoff document to preserve this context for future sessions. Say 'create handoff' when ready.\"\n\n## CREATE Workflow\n\n### Step 1: Generate Scaffold\n\nRun the smart scaffold script to create a pre-filled handoff document:\n\n```bash\npython scripts/create_handoff.py [task-slug]\n```\n\nExample: `python scripts/create_handoff.py implementing-user-auth`\n\n**For continuation handoffs** (linking to previous work):\n```bash\npython scripts/create_handoff.py \"auth-part-2\" --continues-from 2024-01-15-auth.md\n```\n\nThe script will:\n- Create `.claude/handoffs/` directory if needed\n- Generate timestamped filename\n- Pre-fill: timestamp, project path, git branch, recent commits, modified files\n- Add handoff chain links if continuing from previous\n- Output file path for editing\n\n### Step 2: Complete the Handoff Document\n\nOpen the generated file and fill in all `[TODO: ...]` sections. Prioritize these sections:\n\n1. **Current State Summary** - What's happening right now\n2. **Important Context** - Critical info the next agent MUST know\n3. **Immediate Next Steps** - Clear, actionable first steps\n4. **Decisions Made** - Choices with rationale (not just outcomes)\n\nUse the template structure in [references/handoff-template.md](references/handoff-template.md) for guidance.\n\n### Step 3: Validate the Handoff\n\nRun the validation script to check completeness and security:\n\n```bash\npython scripts/validate_handoff.py <handoff-file>\n```\n\nThe validator checks:\n- [ ] No `[TODO: ...]` placeholders remaining\n- [ ] Required sections present and populated\n- [ ] No potential secrets detected (API keys, passwords, tokens)\n- [ ] Referenced files exist\n- [ ] Quality score (0-100)\n\n**Do not finalize a handoff with secrets detected or score below 70.**\n\n### Step 4: Confirm Handoff\n\nReport to user:\n- Handoff file location\n- Validation score and any warnings\n- Summary of captured context\n- First action item for next session\n\n## RESUME Workflow\n\n### Step 1: Find Available Handoffs\n\nList handoffs in the current project:\n\n```bash\npython scripts/list_handoffs.py\n```\n\nThis shows all handoffs with dates, titles, and completion status.\n\n### Step 2: Check Staleness\n\nBefore loading, check how current the handoff is:\n\n```bash\npython scripts/check_staleness.py <handoff-file>\n```\n\nStaleness levels:\n- **FRESH**: Safe to resume - minimal changes since handoff\n- **SLIGHTLY_STALE**: Review changes, then resume\n- **STALE**: Verify context carefully before resuming\n- **VERY_STALE**: Consider creating a fresh handoff\n\nThe script checks:\n- Time since handoff was created\n- Git commits since handoff\n- Files changed since handoff\n- Branch divergence\n- Missing referenced files\n\n### Step 3: Load the Handoff\n\nRead the relevant handoff document completely before taking any action.\n\nIf handoff is part of a chain (has \"Continues from\" link), also read the linked previous handoff for full context.\n\n### Step 4: Verify Context\n\nFollow the checklist in [references/resume-checklist.md](references/resume-checklist.md):\n\n1. Verify project directory and git branch match\n2. Check if blockers have been resolved\n3. Validate assumptions still hold\n4. Review modified files for conflicts\n5. Check environment state\n\n### Step 5: Begin Work\n\nStart with \"Immediate Next Steps\" item #1 from the handoff document.\n\nReference these sections as you work:\n- \"Critical Files\" for important locations\n- \"Key Patterns Discovered\" for conventions to follow\n- \"Potential Gotchas\" to avoid known issues\n\n### Step 6: Update or Chain Handoffs\n\nAs you work:\n- Mark completed items in \"Pending Work\"\n- Add new discoveries to relevant sections\n- For long sessions: create a new handoff with `--continues-from` to chain them\n\n## Handoff Chaining\n\nFor long-running projects, chain handoffs together to maintain context lineage:\n\n```\nhandoff-1.md (initial work)\n    ↓\nhandoff-2.md --continues-from handoff-1.md\n    ↓\nhandoff-3.md --continues-from handoff-2.md\n```\n\nEach handoff in the chain:\n- Links to its predecessor\n- Can mark older handoffs as superseded\n- Provides context breadcrumbs for new agents\n\nWhen resuming from a chain, read the most recent handoff first, then reference predecessors as needed.\n\n## Storage Location\n\nHandoffs are stored in: `.claude/handoffs/`\n\nNaming convention: `YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS-[slug].md`\n\nExample: `2024-01-15-143022-implementing-auth.md`\n\n## Resources\n\n### scripts/\n\n| Script | Purpose |\n|--------|---------|\n| `create_handoff.py [slug] [--continues-from <file>]` | Generate new handoff with smart scaffolding |\n| `list_handoffs.py [path]` | List available handoffs in a project |\n| `validate_handoff.py <file>` | Check completeness, quality, and security |\n| `check_staleness.py <file>` | Assess if handoff context is still current |\n\n### references/\n\n- [handoff-template.md](references/handoff-template.md) - Complete template structure with guidance\n- [resume-checklist.md](references/resume-checklist.md) - Verification checklist for resuming 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