claude-handoff

argument-hint	[task]
compatibility	Requires Claude Code Agent-tool subagents with access to the selected model. Plan mode is required for implementation handoffs, but research-only handoffs may run in any mode.
disable-model-invocation	true
metadata	{"install-targets":"claude-code"}
name	claude-handoff
skill-dependencies	["agents-brain","code-polish","commit"]
user-invocable	true
description	Orchestrate read-only Explore research subagents in any mode, or one to eight Claude subagents to implement an approved plan.

Claude Handoff

Orchestrates read-only investigation in any mode, or implementation within the current session from Plan mode. Task-handoff instead writes a decision-complete file for a fresh, separate session — use it for work continuing later or elsewhere; use an in-session handoff to implement an approved plan now.

If these instructions are already present from a slash or dollar invocation, follow them directly; do not invoke this skill again through a skill tool.

Follow the Contract, then use Claude Code's in-session Agent workflow to research during planning and implement the approved plan.

Contract

• Run only after explicit user invocation. Classify a task research-only when its requested outcome is findings, evidence, or an assessment, with no repository changes or implementation plan requested; it may run in any mode. Every other task requires Plan mode — if inactive, ask the user to switch and stop.
• Claude owns decisions, the final plan, and orchestration; delegate investigation to read-only research subagents before writing the plan on complex tasks.
• Research agents gather evidence and report findings; never edit files, decide design, or return plans.
• Implementation agents implement their assigned part of the approved plan — inspect, edit, validate — never redesign or return another plan.
• Use the smallest effective team (one agent is valid); add agents only when decomposition materially improves latency, correctness, or verification. Never exceed eight implementation agents per handoff.
• Size every brief before finalizing the team: estimate wall-clock time and split anything likely to exceed roughly 25-30 minutes into parallel disjoint scopes or dependency waves, adding an integration agent as needed.
• Use at most three research agents, stable IDs R1-R3, counted separately from the eight implementation agents.
• Keep Claude's own work to orchestration, integrity checks, failure handling, and conditional polish passes.
• Treat an explicit user model preference (e.g. Sonnet, Opus) as an orchestration constraint on every research and implementation agent unless scoped narrower — never substitute complexity-based selection. If the Agent tool cannot launch that model, report the incompatibility and ask before falling back.
• Treat the approved outcome, not the initial manifest or its write scopes, as the authorization boundary: when implementation reveals a related in-repository fix or evidence change the outcome requires, Claude may extend the handoff and launch follow-on agents without asking again. The discovering subagent still stops at its assigned scope and returns evidence; Claude owns scope expansion, coordination, and delegation.

Use $ARGUMENTS as the task when present; otherwise the active user request.