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Agent skill

Handoff

by alirezarezvani in alirezarezvani/claude-skills

Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up.

MITAuto-check: notesAgent Workflows

Install Handoff

skills CLI
$ npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill handoff -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install alirezarezvani/claude-skills handoff --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/productivity/handoff/skills/handoff .claude/skills/handoff && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
handoff
GitHub stars
28k
Token cost
~2.5k tokens
SKILL.md length
1,100 words
Files
15 (incl. scripts, references, assets)
Skills in repo
342
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up.

  • The user says hand this off
  • SKILL.md covers Invocation Triggers, First-Run Setup, Output Path and Section Template, plus 11 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls python3
  • Summarize this for a new session

What it does

Handoff is an agent skill from alirezarezvani/claude-skills. Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up. Save to a user-configured location (OS temp, home folder, or per-project .handoff/), redact secrets before write, suggest skills for the next session, and auto-load the latest handoff on the next SessionStart. First-run setup asks where to save so the project folder never gets cluttered. Use when the user says 'hand this off', 'handoff doc', 'summarize this for a new session', 'compact this conversation', 'I'm ending this…

Its SKILL.md is about 2.5k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 17 other files, including scripts, reference files and assets (for example `README.md`, `assets/example_handoff.md` and `references/configuration.md`).

It sits in Agent Workflows. The repository describes itself as: 380 Claude Code skills & agent skills & plugins (30+ Agents, 70+ custom commands, 380+ skills, customizable references, scripts)for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, and 8… The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • The user says hand this off
  • Summarize this for a new session
  • Compact this conversation
  • Im ending this session

Example prompts

  • “hand this off”
  • “handoff doc”
  • “summarize this for a new session”
  • “/handoff”

Requirements

  • Python 3

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 19392f7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Ships 7 files in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • python3

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • github.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Handoff loads about 2.5k tokens when it runs, and up to ~8.4k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 196 tokens; SKILL.md has 1,100 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~196
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.5k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~8.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check: notes

The automated check noted patterns worth knowing about, such as sudo or a known installer.

  • NoteMentions a .env fileSKILL.md:99
    - `.env`-style `KEY=value` lines containing secrets

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from alirezarezvani/claude-skills at commit 19392f7, republished under its MIT licence (© alirezarezvani). 1,100 words, ~2,478 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/handoff/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 14 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
handoff
description
Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up. Save to a user-configured location (OS temp, home folder, or per-project .handoff/), redact secrets before write, suggest skills for the next session, and auto-load the latest handoff on the next SessionStart. First-run setup asks where to save so the project folder never gets cluttered. Use when the user says 'hand this off', 'handoff doc', 'summarize this for a new session', 'compact this conversation', 'I'm ending this session', 'pick this up later', or any variation signaling intent to pass work to a fresh agent. Also trigger on implicit signals: the user announcing they're switching machines, ending the day mid-task, or context is growing long without a natural stopping point.
license
MIT
argument-hint
What will the next session be used for?
metadata.version
1.0.0
metadata.voice
Matt Pocock — no-duplication, reference-existing-artifacts, tailored to next-session focus
metadata.inspired_by
https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/skills/productivity/handoff

Handoff

Write a handoff document summarising the current conversation so a fresh agent can continue the work. Save to the temporary directory of the user's OS — not the current workspace.

Include a "suggested skills" section in the document, which suggests skills that the agent should invoke.

Do not duplicate content already captured in other artifacts (PRDs, plans, ADRs, issues, commits, diffs). Reference them by path or URL instead.

Redact any sensitive information, such as API keys, passwords, or personally identifiable information.

If the user passed arguments, treat them as a description of what the next session will focus on and tailor the doc accordingly.

Invocation Triggers

Explicit phrases (any of):

  • "hand this off"
  • "handoff doc"
  • "summarize this for a new session"
  • "compact this conversation"
  • "I'm ending this session"
  • "pick this up later"
  • "wrap this up for tomorrow"
  • "save this for the next session"

Implicit signals (no phrase, but the intent is unmistakable):

  • User announces they're switching machines or stopping for the day mid-task
  • Conversation context is growing long without a natural stopping point
  • User says "let me come back to this" or "I'll continue this later"

When you detect an implicit trigger, propose the handoff before running it: "Want me to write a handoff for the next session?" — never run it silently.

First-Run Setup

On first invocation, the skill asks where to save handoffs so the project folder never gets cluttered. Setup is offered once via "Run setup now? (Y/n)" — answering N uses OS-temp defaults for this run and never re-prompts. The user can rerun setup any time via /cs:handoff-setup.

See references/configuration.md for the full config field reference.

Output Path

The save location is read from the user's config (~/.config/handoff/config.json, or the project-local .handoff/config.json if present). When no config exists and the user declined setup, fall back to:

bash
mktemp -t handoff-XXXXXX.md

Read the file before you write to it.

Section Template

The handoff doc has five sections. Use these exact headers:

  • Goal of next session — from the user's argument, or inferred from the most recent thread of the conversation.
  • State of play — what's done, what's in flight, what's blocked. Reference artifacts, do not paste them.
  • Open decisions — what the next agent must decide before continuing.
  • Skills to use — concrete list of 3-5 skills the next session should invoke, each with a one-line why.
  • Artifacts — paths/URLs to PRDs, plans, ADRs, issues, branches, PRs. Do not duplicate their contents.

See references/handoff_structure.md for a worked example.

The Agent's Job

Filling in the five sections is the agent's job, not the script's. Follow references/handoff_prompt.md as a mandatory checklist:

For each topic discussed in the conversation, decide explicitly: include in State of play / log as an Open decision / drop with reason.

Free-handing the summary leads to rosy progress reports and dropped blockers. The checklist prevents that.

Anti-Patterns

Matt's no-duplication discipline made concrete:

  • Do not paste the diff. Reference the branch or PR.
  • Do not retype the PRD. Link to its path.
  • Do not summarise what's already in the commit message. Link to the commit hash.
  • Do not list 20 skills. Pick the 3-5 the next session actually needs.
  • Do not narrate every message in the conversation. Compress to State + Decisions.

See references/deduplication_discipline.md for the full list.

Redaction

Before saving, the linter scans the draft for secrets and PII. In strict mode (default) it blocks save on findings; in warn mode it flags inline and saves anyway.

Redact:

  • API keys, OAuth tokens, JWT tokens
  • Passwords and DB connection strings
  • -----BEGIN ... PRIVATE KEY----- blocks
  • .env-style KEY=value lines containing secrets
  • Email addresses, phone numbers, names of unrelated third parties
  • Internal URLs containing tokens or session IDs

See references/redaction_checklist.md for the full pattern list and manual-review steps for what regex cannot catch.

SessionStart Auto-Load

When the plugin is installed, a SessionStart hook scans the configured save location for the most recent handoff (within the retention window) and surfaces it to the new session as <handoff_from_previous_session> data. The next agent reads it as context, not as instructions — suggested actions must be verified against current state before executing.

Disable per-session with HANDOFF_SESSIONSTART=0.

Show full SKILL.md (432 more words)Show less

SessionEnd Reminder

A paired SessionEnd hook checks whether a recent handoff exists when the session is ending. If none does (or the most recent is older than 30 minutes), it prints a one-line reminder so the user is prompted to write one before context is lost.

The hook cannot prompt interactively or block session end — it surfaces text in the session log.

Disable per-session with HANDOFF_SESSIONEND=0.

Refreshing an Existing Handoff

When work continues past the original handoff time, refresh in place instead of creating a new file:

bash
python3 scripts/handoff_template_generator.py --refresh --goal "<updated goal>"

Prints the path of the most recent handoff. The agent edits it directly. Keeps the save location uncluttered and ensures the SessionStart hook always loads the up-to-date version.

Tools

ToolPurpose
setup.pyFirst-run Q&A — save location, retention, redaction strictness, git-context, recommender scope.
handoff_template_generator.pyWrites the 5-section scaffold at the configured path. --refresh reuses the most recent handoff instead of creating a new file.
redaction_linter.pyScans the draft for secrets/PII before save. Exit 1 on findings in strict mode.
handoff_self_check.pyFidelity check — flags empty Goal, State bullets without artifacts, missing Decisions when git is dirty, too few/many Skills, inline content in Artifacts. Run before the linter.
skill_recommender.pySuggests 3-5 skills for the next session based on goal text + repo scan.
cleanup.pyDeletes scaffolds older than the retention window. mtime-guarded — never deletes a handoff the user edited.
config_loader.pyShared helper: read project config → global config → defaults.

Slash Commands

  • /cs:handoff [optional next-session description] — generate the handoff.
  • /cs:handoff-setup — reconfigure save location, retention, redaction.

Agent

cs-handoff-author — Matt-voice persona orchestrating the skill. Terse, no-duplication, references-not-copies.

Examples

Example 1 — explicit invocation with a goal
User: /cs:handoff "finish wiring the redaction linter and open a draft PR"

The skill walks the mandatory checklist, generates a 5-section scaffold, fills it from the conversation, runs the redaction linter, and saves to the configured location. See assets/example_handoff.md for a complete worked example.

Example 2 — implicit trigger
User: I'm packing up for the day, let me come back to this tomorrow.

Detect the implicit signal. Propose before running: "Want me to write a handoff for the next session?" — never silently. On confirmation, proceed as Example 1 with an inferred goal.

Example 3 — first-run setup
User: /cs:handoff "ship the migration"
Skill: Run setup now? (Y/n)
User: Y
[setup walks 5 questions: save location, retention, redaction strictness, git context, recommender scope]
Skill: Config saved to ~/.config/handoff/config.json. Continuing with handoff for: ship the migration.

If the user answers N, the skill writes a sentinel and uses defaults (OS temp dir, 7-day retention, strict redaction). The prompt never re-appears.

Example 4 — SessionStart auto-load

On the next session, the SessionStart hook scans the configured save location, finds the most recent handoff, and surfaces it as <handoff_from_previous_session> data. The next agent reads it as context, not instructions.

Usage

StepCommand
First-run setup/cs:handoff-setup (or answer Y on first /cs:handoff)
Generate a handoff/cs:handoff [goal]
Reconfigure later/cs:handoff-setup --reconfigure
Project-specific config/cs:handoff-setup --project
Disable SessionStart hookHANDOFF_SESSIONSTART=0 (per session)

Version: 1.0.0 Inspired by: Matt Pocock's handoff (MIT).

© alirezarezvani, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 14 other files (scripts, references, assets) in productivity/handoff/skills/handoff of alirezarezvani/claude-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • README.md
  • assets/example_handoff.md
  • references/configuration.md
  • references/deduplication_discipline.md
  • references/handoff_prompt.md
  • references/handoff_structure.md
  • references/redaction_checklist.md
  • scripts/cleanup.py
  • scripts/config_loader.py
  • scripts/handoff_self_check.py
  • scripts/handoff_template_generator.py
  • scripts/redaction_linter.py
  • scripts/setup.py
  • scripts/skill_recommender.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 19392f7

Compare with similar skills

Handoff next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Handoff compared with similar skills
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Hook Development for Claude Code Pluginsanthropics/claude-plugins-official38k10 repos~4.1kAutomated safety check: NotesApache-2.0
Using Superpowersfarm-fe/farm5.6k35 repos~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Executing Plans Inlineobra/superpowers297k2 repos~5.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Skill CreatorAzure/azqr79589 repos~8.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Categories

Questions about Handoff

What does Handoff do?

Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up. Handoff is an agent skill from alirezarezvani/claude-skills. Compact the current conversation into a handoff document for another agent to pick up.

When should I use Handoff?

Handoff fits situations like: the user says hand this off; summarize this for a new session; compact this conversation; im ending this session.

How do I install Handoff in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill handoff -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (productivity/handoff/skills/handoff in alirezarezvani/claude-skills) into .claude/skills/handoff in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Handoff in Codex?

Run `npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill handoff -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (productivity/handoff/skills/handoff in alirezarezvani/claude-skills) into .agents/skills/handoff in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Handoff in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill handoff -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/handoff, .gemini/skills/handoff, .github/skills/handoff and .opencode/skills/handoff in your project.

What does Handoff need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Handoff needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (python3). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Handoff access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. As links in the text: github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Handoff safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found notes only (mentions a .env file), nothing it rates as a warning. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Handoff use?

Handoff is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Handoff use?

About 2.5k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 5.9k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Handoff?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Handoff: MCP Server Builder (anthropics/skills, 180k stars), Hook Development for Claude Code Plugins (anthropics/claude-plugins-official, 38k stars), Using Superpowers (farm-fe/farm, 5.6k stars) and Executing Plans Inline (obra/superpowers, 297k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Handoff?

alirezarezvani (a GitHub user) maintains it in alirezarezvani/claude-skills, which has 27,891 GitHub stars. The repository holds 342 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 30, 2026.

Source: alirezarezvani/claude-skills on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.