How do I install the Pickup skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add davemaynard/pickup in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Pickup safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Pickup?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Pickup free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Pickup?

davemaynard (@davemaynard) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Pickup by davemaynard — Agent Skill

Name: Pickup
Author: davemaynard

Pickup

Resume a previous conversation from a /handoff file. Trigger with /pickup [topic or project string], or when the user asks to pick up where they left off, resume earlier work, or continue from a handoff. Omit the argument to list all handoffs.

davemaynard bc04515 2.5 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

/pickup — resume from a handoff

Search string (optional): $ARGUMENTS

Find the matching handoff file in the store ($HANDOFF_DIR if set, otherwise ~/.claude/handoffs, the same location /handoff writes to), load it, and continue the work as if the break never happened. Handoffs from many projects live side by side, so match carefully.

Steps

List the store, newest first:
```
STORE="${HANDOFF_DIR:-$HOME/.claude/handoffs}"
ls -t "$STORE"/*.md 2>/dev/null
```
If the directory is empty or missing, tell the user there are no handoffs yet (they create one with /handoff) and stop.
Select the file:
- No $ARGUMENTS: show the available handoffs (slug + date, newest first) and ask which to resume. Stop and wait.
- With $ARGUMENTS: case-insensitively match the string against the filenames:
```
ls -t "$STORE"/*.md 2>/dev/null | grep -i -- "<string>"
```
  - 1 match: use it.
  - Several matches: use the most recent (top of the -t list), but list the others by name so the user can redirect you if you guessed wrong.
  - 0 matches: say so, show all available handoffs, and ask. Stop and wait.
Read the selected file in full with the Read tool.
Re-verify before acting — handoffs reflect a past moment. Confirm referenced files still exist, and check whether any noted dev server / process is still running (e.g. curl the URL, lsof -ti:PORT) before assuming the environment is as described. Flag anything that drifted.
Recap, then continue. Give the user a tight recap: the title, current state in one or two lines, and the immediate next step from the file's "Next steps." Then pick up that next step — don't wait for permission unless the next step is a decision that's genuinely theirs.

Rules

Match on filename/slug, not file contents — slugs are designed for this.
Prefer the most recent match when ambiguous; surface the alternatives rather than silently choosing.
If the handoff's environment notes are stale (server down, file moved), say so plainly and adapt rather than acting on outdated assumptions.
Keep the recap short — the user wrote the handoff (or you did); they need the launchpad, not a re-read.

---name: pickupdescription: Resume a previous conversation from a /handoff file. Trigger with /pickup [topic or project string], or when the user asks to pick up where they left off, resume earlier work, or continue from a handoff. Omit the argument to list all handoffs.---# /pickup — resume from a handoffSearch string (optional): $ARGUMENTSFind the matching **handoff file** in the store (`$HANDOFF_DIR` if set, otherwise`~/.claude/handoffs`, the same location `/handoff` writes to), load it, and continue the work as ifthe break never happened. Handoffs from many projects live side by side, so match carefully.## Steps1. **List the store, newest first:** ```bash STORE="${HANDOFF_DIR:-$HOME/.claude/handoffs}" ls -t "$STORE"/*.md 2>/dev/null ``` If the directory is empty or missing, tell the user there are no handoffs yet (they create one with `/handoff`) and stop.2. **Select the file:** - **No `$ARGUMENTS`:** show the available handoffs (slug + date, newest first) and ask which to resume. Stop and wait. - **With `$ARGUMENTS`:** case-insensitively match the string against the **filenames**: ```bash ls -t "$STORE"/*.md 2>/dev/null | grep -i -- "<string>" ``` - **1 match:** use it. - **Several matches:** use the **most recent** (top of the `-t` list), but list the others by name so the user can redirect you if you guessed wrong. - **0 matches:** say so, show all available handoffs, and ask. Stop and wait.3. **Read** the selected file in full with the Read tool.4. **Re-verify before acting** — handoffs reflect a past moment. Confirm referenced files still exist, and check whether any noted dev server / process is still running (e.g. `curl` the URL, `lsof -ti:PORT`) before assuming the environment is as described. Flag anything that drifted.5. **Recap, then continue.** Give the user a tight recap: the title, current state in one or two lines, and the immediate next step from the file's "Next steps." Then **pick up that next step** — don't wait for permission unless the next step is a decision that's genuinely theirs.## Rules- Match on **filename/slug**, not file contents — slugs are designed for this.- Prefer the **most recent** match when ambiguous; surface the alternatives rather than silently choosing.- If the handoff's environment notes are stale (server down, file moved), **say so plainly** and adapt rather than acting on outdated assumptions.- Keep the recap short — the user wrote the handoff (or you did); they need the launchpad, not a re-read.

Frequently asked questions