| name | session-handoff |
| license | MIT |
| description | Synthesizes the current session into a structured HANDOFF block for context transfer between sessions. Captures what was built, decisions made, and unresolved items. |
| user-invocable | true |
| auto-trigger | false |
| trigger_keywords | ["handoff","session summary"] |
| last-updated | "2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z" |
/session-handoff — Context Transfer
Orientation
Use when ending a session and wanting to preserve context for the next one.
Also used automatically by orchestrators (Archon, Fleet) at session boundaries.
Don't use when: You want to extract reusable patterns from a completed campaign (use /learn), write a structured postmortem for a failed campaign (use /postmortem), or produce documentation rather than a context transfer.
Protocol
-
Collect session data (run in parallel):
git log --oneline -20 and git diff HEAD --stat- Read
.planning/campaigns/ for files with status: active
- Read
.planning/fleet/ for files with status: active or needs-continue
-
Identify the primary thread: If an active campaign exists, use its current phase as the anchor. If multiple campaigns are active, list each. If no campaign, use the most recent git commits as the frame.
-
Map data to HANDOFF fields:
- What changed: campaign phase output if campaign active; otherwise commit subjects from this session
- Key decisions: commit messages with a tradeoff word ("instead", "because", "not"); or explicit statements from the conversation
- Unresolved items: campaign items marked
blocked or parked; TODOs added this session; anything explicitly deferred
- Next steps: campaign's next phase if active; otherwise the top open item from above
-
Output the HANDOFF block.
Output Format
---HANDOFF---
- {what was built or changed — be specific}
- {key decisions and tradeoffs — include reasoning}
- {unresolved items — what's blocking}
- {next steps — what the next session should do first}
---
Keep it to 3-5 bullets, under 150 words. This is a context transfer, not a report.
Quality Gates
- Every bullet must be actionable or informative
- No vague statements ("made progress on X")
- Specific file references where relevant
- Decisions include reasoning, not just the choice
Fringe Cases
.planning/ does not exist: Skip campaign and fleet checks. Treat as "no active campaigns" and proceed with git-only context.
Corrupted or unparseable campaign file (malformed frontmatter, invalid status, or truncated content in .planning/campaigns/): Skip that file and treat it as inactive. Output: "Campaign file at {path} could not be parsed — treating as inactive. Check the file manually if this is unexpected."
No active campaign and no git changes: If there is nothing to summarize, say so explicitly: "No active campaign or session changes found. Nothing to hand off." Do not fabricate a handoff.
No context to summarize (fresh session with no edits): Output a minimal handoff noting the session start state. At minimum, include what the user asked about and what was found.
Campaign is in a blocked/parked state: Include the block reason and the recommended next action in the handoff so the next session can resume immediately.
Contextual Gates
Reversibility: Green — this skill writes nothing to disk; the HANDOFF block is display-only.
Cost: No cost actions — synthesis only; no agents spawned, no confirmation needed.
Trust: No gates — safe at all trust levels.
Exit Protocol
Output the HANDOFF block and then wait for the next command. This skill does not write to disk — the HANDOFF block is the deliverable, for the user to copy into the next session or save manually.
