Session Handoff

Session Handoff Protocol

When This Skill Activates

• "Save this session", "I need to continue later"
• "Switching to Cursor/Windsurf/VS Code"
• "What did we accomplish?"
• "End of session", "wrapping up"
• "Summarize what we did"

Session Start Checklist

When Starting a Session:

1. Check for previous session notes

# Look for session files
find . -name "SESSION-*.md" -mtime -7 | head -5
cat .claude/session-notes.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No previous session"

2. Check git for recent context

git log --oneline -10
git status

3. Review open tasks

grep -r "TODO:" --include="*.ts" --include="*.tsx" | head -10

Session Handoff Document

When user ends session or switches IDE, create this document:

# Session Handoff: [Date]

## What Was Accomplished
- [x] [Completed task 1]
- [x] [Completed task 2]
- [ ] [Started but not finished]

## Current State
- **Working on**: [Current task]
- **Branch**: [git branch name]
- **Last file modified**: [file path]
- **Uncommitted changes**: [yes/no, what]

## Key Decisions Made
1. **[Decision]**: [Rationale]
2. **[Decision]**: [Rationale]

## Open Issues / Blockers
- [ ] [Issue 1]: [Why blocked]
- [ ] [Issue 2]: [Next step needed]

## For Next Session
1. [Priority 1 - Must do first]
2. [Priority 2]
3. [Priority 3]

## Context Files to Review
- `path/to/important/file.ts` - [Why important]
- `path/to/another.ts` - [Why important]

## Commands to Remember
```bash
# Start dev server
npm run dev

# Run specific test
npm test -- path/to/test.ts

Notes

[Any additional context the next session needs]

## Quick Handoff Commands

### Save Session State
```bash
# Create session file
cat > .claude/session-$(date +%Y%m%d).md << 'EOF'
# Session: $(date)

## Status
[Current state]

## Next Steps
[What to do next]
EOF

Git-Based Context

# Create WIP commit with context
git add -A
git commit -m "WIP: [description]

Session context:
- Working on: [feature]
- Next step: [what to do]
- Blocked by: [if any]"

Cipher Memory Integration

For cross-IDE persistence, store in Cipher:

Use cipher_ask_cipher to store:
- Key decisions made
- Patterns discovered
- Blockers encountered
- Solutions found

Always include projectPath: "/path/to/your/project"

Store Session Summary

cipher_ask_cipher({
  message: `SESSION SUMMARY for [project]:

  Accomplished:
  - [task 1]
  - [task 2]

  Decisions:
  - [decision]: [why]

  Next session:
  - [priority task]

  Blockers:
  - [if any]`,
  projectPath: "/path/to/your/project"
})

Recall Previous Session

cipher_ask_cipher({
  message: "Recall the last session for this project. What was accomplished and what should I focus on?",
  projectPath: "/path/to/your/project"
})

IDE Switch Protocol

When switching between Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, etc:

1. Before leaving current IDE:

   • Save session notes
   • Commit or stash changes
   • Store key context in Cipher

2. When entering new IDE:

   • Read session notes
   • Recall from Cipher
   • Check git status
   • Review TODO list

Quick Session Summary Format

For fast handoffs:

STATUS: [Working/Blocked/Done]
TASK: [What you were doing]
NEXT: [Immediate next action]
FILES: [Key files touched]
NOTES: [Anything important]

Key Principle

The goal is seamless continuity. The next session (in any IDE) should be able to pick up exactly where this one left off without re-explaining context.