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)