| name | handoff |
| description | Wrap the current session for continuity so the user can /clear (or exit) and resume cleanly in a fresh session. Writes a prescriptive cold-start handoff doc AND a ready-to-paste restart prompt, with real git state auto-captured. Use when the user says "hand this off", "write a handoff", "wrap this session", "handoff and a restart prompt", "prep to /clear", "session handoff", "pause here and let me resume later", "write me a handoff doc", or "I want to continue this in a fresh session".
|
| argument-hint | focus / next task for the resume prompt |
Handoff
Write a prescriptive cold-start handoff doc and a paste-able restart prompt so the
user can /clear or exit and resume cleanly without losing context.
Announce at start: "I'm using the handoff skill to wrap this session."
Do NOT confuse with skills/dev/claude-handoff — that skill spawns a background
agent. This skill produces session-continuity artifacts for a human to resume manually.
1. Boot from the OS preamble
Load os/PREAMBLE.md (USER identity + active rules + anti-slop / use-the-skill
contract) before proceeding. This grounds the handoff in who the user is and what
rules apply to their sessions.
2. Auto-capture git state
Run all of the following and embed the results verbatim in the handoff doc. The user
must not have to type any of this themselves.
git branch --show-current
git status -sb
git log --oneline -10
git diff --stat $(git merge-base HEAD @{u} 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD origin/main 2>/dev/null || echo HEAD) HEAD 2>/dev/null
For open PRs, run:
gh pr list --state open 2>/dev/null || echo "(gh not available or no open PRs)"
If the directory is not a git repo, note that and skip git sections.
3. Write the handoff doc
Target path: .memory-bank/HANDOFF-<YYYY-MM-DD>.md in the current project directory.
Use today's date (YYYY-MM-DD). If .memory-bank/ does not exist, create it.
Required sections — in this order
# Handoff — <YYYY-MM-DD>
> **TLDR:** <one sentence: what was being worked on and the single most important
> thing the next session needs to know>
## Cold start (do in order)
1. `cd <absolute project path>`
2. `git checkout <branch>`
3. Read: <path/to/most-important-context-file>
4. Read: <this handoff doc>
5. <any must-run setup command, e.g. `nvm use`, `pnpm install`>
6. Open `/sir-albert:resume` to reload state in ≤5 bullets before doing anything.
## Current state
- **Branch:** `<branch>` — <what it contains>
- **Done this session:** <bullets, reference commit hashes or artifact paths — no duplicate prose>
<!-- Re-litigating a resolved decision costs sessions. Record it once here. -->
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Style rules
- TLDR first. Put the most important thing at the top.
- Prescriptive, not descriptive. Cold start is a numbered list of actions, not a
narrative of what happened.
- Reference, don't duplicate. For PRDs, plans, ADRs, prior handoffs, or long
decision logs — reference by path or URL. Do NOT paste their content.
- No slop. No filler phrases ("as we discussed", "it's worth noting"). Every
bullet earns its place.
4. Emit the restart prompt
Immediately after writing the handoff doc, print a fenced code block the user can
copy and paste into a fresh session. It must be self-contained.
```
You are resuming work on <repo name>, branch `<branch>`.
Before doing ANYTHING else:
1. Read: .memory-bank/HANDOFF-<YYYY-MM-DD>.md
2. Run /sir-albert:resume to state the plan back in ≤5 bullets.
3. Confirm the next task with me before starting.
Immediate next task: <next task from the handoff doc, one sentence>
Project root: <absolute path>
```
If $ARGUMENTS were passed, use them as the "immediate next task" wording.
5. Cross-file durable learnings (conditional)
After emitting the restart prompt, ask yourself: did this session produce durable,
reusable knowledge that would benefit future sessions on different projects — not just
task state?
Examples of durable learnings worth capturing:
- A non-obvious pattern or approach that solved a recurring problem
- A tool or API behavior that isn't obvious from its docs
- A domain concept that clarified a class of decisions
Examples of things that are NOT durable learnings:
- "We renamed file X to Y" (task state — already in the handoff doc)
- "The PR is open" (operational — already in the handoff doc)
If durable learnings exist, invoke kw-compound and present the candidate(s) for
approval before filing. Never auto-save to the wiki.
If no durable learnings exist, skip this step silently.
6. Redact secrets
Before writing the handoff doc and before emitting the restart prompt, scan for:
- API keys, tokens, passwords, connection strings
- Personal email addresses or phone numbers not intended for sharing
- Internal URLs or credentials
Replace any found with [REDACTED]. The handoff doc may be pasted into other
tools or shared with teammates.
Completion report
After all steps, confirm to the user:
Handoff written: .memory-bank/HANDOFF-<YYYY-MM-DD>.md
Restart prompt: (above — ready to paste)
Wiki compounds: <N filed | none>
Do NOT commit the handoff doc unless the user explicitly asks.
