handoff

Handoff Skill

Capture everything a fresh agent with zero prior context needs to resume the current work, write it to a single self-contained markdown document, and hand it off with one unambiguous sentence:

Read docs/handoffs/<file>.md and do <the next concrete action>.

Use this when a session is ending, when context is about to be compacted, when you are switching machines or sessions, or when the user explicitly asks for a handoff. The goal is zero context loss: the receiving agent should be able to act correctly after reading exactly one file.

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Output Contract

This skill produces exactly two things:

1. A handoff document at docs/handoffs/handoff-<YYYY-MM-DD-HHmm>.md (created if the directory does not exist). It is comprehensive, self-contained, and links to — or quotes — every artifact the next agent must read.

2. A single closing sentence, and nothing else after the document is written, of the exact form:

   Read docs/handoffs/handoff-2026-06-17-1432.md and do <YYY>.
   

   Where <YYY> is one concrete, actionable next step (an imperative, not a vague theme). Good: "implement the parseConfig validation in src/config.ts:84 and make tests/config.test.ts pass". Bad: "continue the work" / "look into the config stuff".

The sentence is the deliverable the user hands to the next agent. The document is what makes that sentence safe to follow.

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Method

Step 1 — Reconstruct what we are working on

Review the session to date and answer, concretely:

• Objective: What is the user actually trying to accomplish? State it in one or two sentences.
• Definition of Done: What does "finished" look like? Enumerate verifiable acceptance criteria if any exist.
• Why: The motivation/problem behind the task, so the next agent does not re-litigate settled decisions.

Pull from: the user's original request, any GitHub Issue (gh issue view <n>), the design/plan docs, and the arc of the conversation.

Step 2 — Load any persisted metaswarm state

If this project uses metaswarm's context persistence, read and fold in whatever exists — do not duplicate it blindly, summarize and link:

ls .beads/plans/active-plan.md            # the approved plan (if mid-execution)
ls .beads/context/project-context.md      # completed work units, patterns, tooling
ls .beads/context/execution-state.md      # current work unit, phase, retry count
bd prime --work-type recovery 2>/dev/null # reload plan + state + knowledge, if beads present

If an active plan exists, the handoff must point to it explicitly and state which work unit/phase is in progress.

Step 3 — Establish current status

Be honest and specific about state. Distinguish clearly between:

• Done & verified — with evidence (tests passing, build green, commit SHAs).
• Done but unverified — written but not yet tested/run.
• In progress — the exact thing being worked on right now, and where it stopped.
• Not started — remaining work.

Capture the working tree reality so the next agent is not surprised:

git branch --show-current
git status --short
git log --oneline -10
git diff --stat

Note uncommitted changes, stashes, and whether the branch is pushed.

Step 4 — Identify required reading

List every artifact the next agent must read before acting, and for each one say why and what to look for. Categories to sweep:

• Specs / Issues — the requirements source of truth (GitHub Issue, spec section, DoD).
• Design docs — docs/plans/*-design.md and any approved design.
• Plans — .beads/plans/active-plan.md, docs/plans/*-plan.md.
• Code — the specific files and file:line anchors that are the focus of the work, plus any pattern files to imitate.
• Tests — the tests that define correctness (failing tests are the spec under TDD).
• Config / gates — .coverage-thresholds.json, CLAUDE.md rules, CI config that the change must satisfy.

Prefer precise pointers (src/foo.ts:120-145) over whole-file references. If something is short and load-bearing, quote it directly into the handoff so the next agent does not have to hunt.

Step 5 — Decide the single next action (YYY)

Pick the one most important, concrete next step. It must be:

• Actionable — an imperative the agent can start immediately.
• Specific — names files, functions, or DoD items.
• Bounded — the immediate next move, not the entire remaining roadmap (the rest goes in the document's "Remaining work" section).

Step 6 — Write the document

Create docs/handoffs/handoff-<YYYY-MM-DD-HHmm>.md using the template below. Fill every section; write "None" where a section genuinely does not apply rather than deleting it.

Step 7 — Emit the handoff sentence

After writing the file, verify it (Step 8), then output the single sentence — exactly one line, the literal file path, and the concrete action. Do not add commentary after it.

Step 8 — Self-check before handing off

Confirm, as if you were the receiving agent who knows nothing:

• Could I start work from this document alone, without the prior conversation?
• Are all referenced files/paths/issues real and correct (spot-check with ls/git)?
• Is the next action unambiguous and immediately startable?
• Are decisions and their rationale captured so I won't undo them?
• Are the quality gates (tests, coverage, lint, build commands) stated?
• Does the closing sentence name the exact file and a concrete action?

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Handoff Document Template

# Handoff: <short title of the work>

**Date**: <YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm> · **Branch**: `<branch>` · **Author session**: <model/agent>

## 1. Objective
<1–2 sentences: what we are trying to accomplish and why.>

## 2. Definition of Done
- [ ] <verifiable acceptance criterion>
- [ ] <…>

## 3. Current Status
**Done & verified:**
- <item> (evidence: <tests/commit>)

**Done, not yet verified:**
- <item>

**In progress (stopped here):**
- <the exact thing being worked on, and where/why it paused>

**Not started:**
- <remaining item>

### Working tree
- Branch `<branch>`, <pushed/not pushed>
- Uncommitted changes: <git status --short summary, or "clean">
- Recent commits:
  - `<sha>` <subject>

## 4. Required Reading (read these before acting)
| # | Path / reference | Why it matters | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | `<path-or-issue>` | <reason> | <specific thing> |
| 2 | `<path:line>` | <reason> | <specific thing> |

## 5. Key Decisions & Rationale
- **<decision>** — <why; what alternatives were rejected and why>. Do not undo without reason.

## 6. Code Map
- `<file:line>` — <what lives here / its role in this task>
- Pattern to imitate: `<file>` — <why>

## 7. How to Verify
```bash
<test command>           # e.g., npm test
<coverage command>       # reads .coverage-thresholds.json
<lint/build command>
```
Expected: <what green looks like>.

## 8. Open Questions / Blockers
- <question needing the user, or external dependency>  — or "None"

## 9. Next Action
<The single concrete next step — the YYY — expanded with any detail the one-liner can't hold.>

## 10. Remaining Work (after the next action)
1. <subsequent step>
2. <…>

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Anti-Patterns

1. Vague next action — "continue where we left off" is useless. Name the file and the change.
2. Assuming shared memory — the next agent has none. If it matters and isn't in the doc, it's lost.
3. Dumping the transcript — synthesize. A 40-line oriented summary beats a 4,000-line paste.
4. Stale pointers — verify paths and line numbers exist before citing them; code may have moved.
5. Hiding uncommitted state — always disclose dirty working tree, stashes, and unpushed commits.
6. Multiple "final" sentences — emit exactly one Read <file> and do <action>. line.
7. Silent decision loss — if a choice was made and settled, record it with rationale so it isn't reopened.

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Relationship to Other Metaswarm Pieces

• Complements /prime (which loads knowledge into a session) by serializing context out of a session for the next one.
• For mid-execution work, this skill should reference .beads/plans/active-plan.md and .beads/context/execution-state.md rather than restating them, so the next agent can bd prime --work-type recovery and then read the handoff for the human-readable narrative.
• Run /self-reflect separately to capture durable learnings into the knowledge base; /handoff captures this task's transient state to resume it.