Continue

Continue skill

Find handoff documents written by the handoff skill, present them to the user, then execute the continuation protocol specified in the chosen handoff.

Step 1: Find candidate handoffs

Look in docs/handoffs/*.md, relative to the current working directory.

If the directory does not exist, tell the user:

"No docs/handoffs/ directory found here. If you're in the wrong working directory, change to the project root and run continue again. If you have a handoff elsewhere, share its path and I'll read it directly."

If a filter argument is provided, match it case-insensitively against the H1 topic and the Goal section of each handoff.

Step 2: Parse each candidate

For each handoff file, extract:

• Topic — from the H1 (# Handoff: <topic>).
• Goal — first non-empty line under ## Goal.
• First action — first numbered item under ## Next agent: start here.
• Timestamp — from ## Metadata > Timestamp:.
• Mode — from ## Metadata > Mode:.
• Verification — from ## Metadata > Verification:.
• Prior handoff — from ## Metadata > Prior handoff:.
• Path — full file path.

If a file is malformed, skip it but report "Skipped malformed: ()" so the user knows it exists. Treat as malformed if any of these are missing: H1 starting with # Handoff:, ## Goal section, ## Next agent: start here section, ## Metadata section.

Step 3: Present candidates

Zero candidates. Tell the user honestly:

"No handoff files found in docs/handoffs/. If you have a handoff elsewhere, share its path and I'll read it directly."

Do not invent options.

One candidate. Don't make the user pick from a list of one. Show the parsed preview and confirm:

"Found one handoff:

(, ) Goal: First action: Path:

Continue this? (yes / no)"

Multiple candidates. Sort by timestamp, newest first. Show as a numbered list with parsed preview for each:

"Found N handoffs. Newest first:

1. (, ) Goal: First action:

2. (, ) ...

Which would you like to continue? (number, or 'none')"

Flag any handoff with Verification: non-interactive using a [unverified] marker — its Intent and Stance were inferred without user confirmation.

Flag any handoff older than 30 days with a [stale] marker. Do not hide it; the marker invites scrutiny.

Step 4: Execute the continuation protocol

Once the user has chosen a handoff:

1. Read the entire handoff file.
2. If the handoff is part of a chain (Prior handoff is not "(none)"), read the prior handoff too. Follow the chain back at most 3 hops; if longer, tell the user the chain extends further and ask whether to keep traversing.
3. Read all Tier 1 files listed under "Next agent: start here".
4. If the handoff is non-interactive (unverified Intent and Stance), say:

   "This handoff's Intent and Stance were inferred without verification. Before I act on them, can you confirm or correct them? Here's what was inferred:

   "

5. Summarise back to the user, in this order:
   • Goal (one sentence).
   • Intent (1–2 sentences capturing what we're optimizing for and not).
   • Stance & ways of working (1 sentence).
   • First concrete action.
   • Any open questions from the handoff that block the first action.
6. Wait for confirmation or correction before doing anything else. Do not start executing.

Step 5: After continuation

Leave the handoff file alone. Do not delete, move, rename, or modify it. The user manages handoff files; this skill only reads them.

Constraints

• Read-only. Never write to handoff files.
• No fabrication. If a section is missing or empty, report it honestly — do not guess what the previous session meant.
• No silent execution. Always summarise and confirm before acting, even if the first action seems obvious.
• Honour the Tier system. Read Tier 1 files before summarising. Read Tier 2 files only when their trigger condition fires during the continued work. Tier 3 files are not read unless the user asks.

Argument handling

If the user passes an argument (e.g., continue auth refactor), treat it as a filter against topic and goal. If exactly one handoff matches, go directly to the single-candidate confirmation. If multiple match, show the filtered list. If none match, fall back to showing all handoffs and tell the user the filter matched nothing.