Handoff

Handoff

Write a handoff that lets a fresh agent continue without spelunking the entire conversation.

Workflow

1. Identify what the next session will do. If the user gave a focus, tailor the handoff to that.
2. Save the handoff outside the current repository in a durable location: ~/.codex/handoffs/ (create it if missing), named <YYYY-MM-DD>-<short-slug>.md. Never use the OS temporary directory — a handoff that must survive into a future session cannot live somewhere the OS wipes.
3. Include only operationally useful context. Do not duplicate artifacts that already exist; reference paths, PRs, commits, docs, logs, or notebooks instead.
4. Redact secrets, tokens, credentials, private personal data, and unnecessary customer data.
5. Include suggested skills and why they should be used.
6. Include exact commands already run only when they matter for continuation or verification.

Output Shape

# Handoff: [short title]

## Next Goal

## Current State

## Key Decisions And Evidence

## Files, Branches, PRs, Or Artifacts

## Commands Already Run

## Suggested Skills

## Risks And Open Questions

## Recommended Next Steps

Composition with toolshed

• In-repo multi-session task state lives in docs/work/<slug>/ via the toolshed skill (thin STATE + D/Q/E). Prefer updating toolshed session-end over writing a fat handoff when the next agent will open the same repo.
• Handoff is for off-repo or cross-machine continuation: no clone, toolshed gitignored/local-only, or a compact note outside the tree.
• Do not re-serialize a full toolshed closeout packet into the handoff. Point at docs/work/<slug>/STATE.md, PR URLs, and SHAs.
• Not the Workbench product/MCP (Slack/highlights app).

Rules

• Keep it compact.
• Prefer links, paths, commit SHAs, and command names over prose.
• Distinguish verified facts from assumptions.
• Say where the file was saved.
• Suggested skills should use current names (toolshed, not workbench for task state).