Session Handoff

Generate a complete handoff package that allows a new session to resume work seamlessly.

When to Use

• Context window approaching limit (agent or user notices slowdown/truncation)
• Before intentionally ending a productive session
• User requests handoff explicitly
• Complex task needs to span multiple sessions

Handoff Process

Step 0: Check Token Budget

Read .claude/memory/.memory-config.md for token budget (if exists):

• economy: Session summary ~200-400 tokens (brief, 2-3 sentences)
• light: Session summary ~400-700 tokens (concise, 3-5 sentences)
• standard: Session summary ~600-1000 tokens (default, 5-8 sentences)
• detailed: Session summary ~900-1500 tokens (comprehensive, 8-12 sentences)

If no config exists, use standard budget.

Step 1: Sync Memory First

Before generating handoff, ensure memory is current:

• Update active-context.md with current state
• Add any new decisions to decisions/
• Update progress.md with completed/in-progress items
• Create session summary in sessions/

Session file format: sessions/YYYY-MM-DD-HHMM.md or sessions/YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md

Note: Include timestamp (HHMM) to avoid overwriting previous same-day sessions. The topic suffix is preferred when a clear topic exists.

# Session: [date]

## Summary
Brief summary of what was accomplished.
- economy: 2-3 sentences
- light: 3-5 sentences
- standard: 5-8 sentences (default)
- detailed: 8-12 sentences with comprehensive context

## Work Completed
- [Item 1]
- [Item 2]

## Decisions Made
- ADR-NNN: [title] (if applicable)

## Context for Next Session
- [Key context point]

## Open Questions
- [Question if any]

---
*Session duration: ~[time]*

Step 2: Gather Handoff Context

Collect from conversation and memory:

• Original goal: What the user asked for
• Current task: What we're actively working on
• Progress: What's been completed this session
• Remaining work: What still needs to be done
• Key decisions: Decisions made this session (reference ADRs if created)
• Blockers/questions: Unresolved issues
• Critical files: Files being actively modified
• Recent errors: Any errors we're debugging

Step 3: Generate Handoff Prompt

Output a fenced code block the user can copy/paste:

## Handoff Prompt (copy everything below this line)

I'm continuing work on [project-name] from a previous session.

Original Goal

[What the user originally asked for]

Session Summary

[2-3 sentence summary of what was accomplished]

Current State

• Active task: [What we were working on when session ended]
• Files in progress: [List of files being modified]
• Last action: [What the agent just did or was about to do]

Completed This Session

• [Item 1]
• [Item 2]

Remaining Work

• [Task 1 - next priority]
• [Task 2]
• [Task 3]

Key Decisions Made

• [Decision 1] (see ADR-NNN if applicable)
• [Decision 2]

Open Questions/Blockers

• [Question or blocker if any]

Context to Load

Project memory is at: .claude/memory/ Key files to review: [list critical files]

Please load the project memory and continue with [specific next task].

Step 4: Confirm Handoff Complete

After outputting the prompt:

Session handoff complete. Memory has been synced.

Copy the prompt above and paste it into a new session to continue.

Key files updated:
- active-context.md (current state)
- progress.md (task status)
- sessions/[date].md (session summary)