How do I install the Handoff skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add ronniepinnell/handoff 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 Handoff 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 Handoff?

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 Handoff free to use?

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

Who published Handoff?

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

Handoff by ronniepinnell — Agent Skill

Name: Handoff
Author: ronniepinnell

Handoff

Context-rot prevention: write a structured handoff document capturing the current session state so you can /clear and continue in a fresh session without losing context. Use when: context >70%, session >15 turns, hitting limits, or switching tasks mid-work. Invoke: /handoff [optional-filename]

File contents

/handoff — Session Handoff Document

Write a structured handoff doc to docs/state/handoffs/YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM.md (or user-specified path).

Steps

Determine output path: docs/state/handoffs/<YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM>.md. Create dirs if needed.
Write the handoff doc with exactly these sections:

# Handoff — <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC>

## Branch & Git State
- Branch: <current branch>
- Last commit: <hash> <message>
- Uncommitted: <list files or "clean">

## Goal
<1-2 sentences: what we're trying to accomplish>

## Done This Session
<bulleted list of completed items with file paths>

## Pending / Next Steps
<ordered list of what to do next — be specific, include file paths and line numbers>

## Key Decisions Made
<any non-obvious choices: why X not Y>

## Active Linear Tickets
<BEN-XXXX: title — status>

## Resume Command
Continue from handoff: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md

Print: Handoff written: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md
Print: Next: /clear → new session → paste: "Continue from handoff: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md"

On "continue from handoff "

When a session starts with "Continue from handoff: ":

Read the handoff file at
Confirm the branch, verify git state
Resume exactly at "Pending / Next Steps" — no recap needed
Say: "Resuming from handoff. Next: "

Judgment weave (see /judgment)

The handoff doc must carry the judgment state, or the next session re-derives it: open GATE: lines and their current readings, unresolved /door analyses, UNVERIFIED claims awaiting refutation. Fresh sessions inherit the ledger for free (.claude/verdicts.log is committed) — point at it rather than re-summarizing.

---name: handoffdescription: Context-rot prevention: write a structured handoff document capturing the current session state so you can /clear and continue in a fresh session without losing context. Use when: context >70%, session >15 turns, hitting limits, or switching tasks mid-work. Invoke: /handoff [optional-filename]---# /handoff — Session Handoff DocumentWrite a structured handoff doc to `docs/state/handoffs/YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM.md` (or user-specified path).## Steps1. Determine output path: `docs/state/handoffs/<YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM>.md`. Create dirs if needed.2. Write the handoff doc with exactly these sections:```# Handoff — <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM UTC>## Branch & Git State- Branch: <current branch>- Last commit: <hash> <message>- Uncommitted: <list files or "clean">## Goal<1-2 sentences: what we're trying to accomplish>## Done This Session<bulleted list of completed items with file paths>## Pending / Next Steps<ordered list of what to do next — be specific, include file paths and line numbers>## Key Decisions Made<any non-obvious choices: why X not Y>## Active Linear Tickets<BEN-XXXX: title — status>## Resume CommandContinue from handoff: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md```3. Print: `Handoff written: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md`4. Print: `Next: /clear → new session → paste: "Continue from handoff: docs/state/handoffs/<filename>.md"`## On "continue from handoff <path>"When a session starts with "Continue from handoff: <path>":1. Read the handoff file at <path>2. Confirm the branch, verify git state3. Resume exactly at "Pending / Next Steps" — no recap needed4. Say: "Resuming from handoff. Next: <first pending item>"## Judgment weave (see /judgment)The handoff doc must carry the judgment state, or the next session re-derives it: open `GATE:` lines and their current readings, unresolved `/door` analyses, UNVERIFIED claims awaiting refutation. Fresh sessions inherit the ledger for free (`.claude/verdicts.log` is committed) — point at it rather than re-summarizing.

Frequently asked questions