Handoff

Handoff

Write a handoff note so the next session can continue from the current state without re-excavating.

Flow

1. Pin the next objective: if the user specifies what the next session should do, put it first; otherwise organize around the current unfinished tasks.
2. Gather state: lay out the goal, changes already made, key decisions, verification results, open items, blockers, and risks.
3. Reference, don't copy: for existing implementation notes, ADRs, commits, diffs, docs, and reports, give only the path or URL — don't repeat the full text.
4. Protect sensitive info: never write API keys, passwords, tokens, or PII; when needed, just note "credentials must be re-fetched."
5. Give the next steps: list the suggested skills, priority actions, files to read first, and things to watch out for.
6. Save location: when the user doesn't specify a location, write the handoff note to the system temp directory and give the absolute path in your reply; don't default to writing into the current repo.

Handoff note format

# Handoff

## Next Objective

## Current State

## Completed

## Key Decisions

## Important Files / Links

## Validation

## Open Items

## Risks / Blockers

## Suggested Skills

## Suggested Next Steps

Completion criteria

• The next agent can understand the current goal, state, and best next step.
• Completed and unfinished content are separated, not mixed.
• Key decisions state their reasons and reference the relevant CONTEXT.md, ADR, implementation note, or code location.
• No large existing artifact is copied wholesale; only paths, URLs, or commits are referenced.
• No sensitive information is leaked.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: initxy
• Source: initxy/initxy-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.