Context Handoff

Generate a token-optimized brief that enables seamless conversation continuation.

When to Use

• User says "create a handoff", "context handoff", "prepare handoff"
• User needs to transfer conversation to Claude on web or future session
• User needs to pause work and resume later

Step 1: Extract Current State

Gather:

• Goal: What is the user trying to achieve?
• Position: Where are we in the workflow?
• Decisions: What choices were made and why?
• Open Threads: What's unfinished or unresolved?
• Artifacts: What was created (files, code, frameworks)?
• Context: Critical background needed to continue
• Warnings: Failed approaches, pitfalls to avoid

Step 2: Check Recent Work

# Recent file changes
git status --short
git diff --stat

# Recent commits
git log --oneline -5

# Files created this session (if tracked)
find . -type f -mmin -60 | grep -v node_modules | grep -v .git

Step 3: Generate Handoff

Use this format:

## CONTEXT HANDOFF

**Summary**: [One sentence capturing entire situation]

**Goal**: [What user is trying to achieve]

**Current state**: [Where things stand now - concrete, specific]

**Decisions made**:
- [Decision 1: choice + rationale if non-obvious]
- [Decision 2]

**Artifacts created**:
- [File/framework 1 with path]
- [File/framework 2 with path]

**Open threads**:
- [Unfinished item 1]
- [Question needing resolution]

**Next steps**:
1. [Recommended action 1 - specific, actionable]
2. [Recommended action 2]

**Context essentials**:
- [Critical background 1 - only what's needed to act]
- [Critical background 2]

**Warnings**:
- [Pitfall/failed approach to avoid]

**File paths to read**:
- [Key file 1]
- [Key file 2]

**Continuation prompt for new session**:
> [Exact text to paste - 2-3 sentences max]
> [Include: goal, current position, immediate next action]

Compression Rules

• One sentence max per bullet
• No redundancy between sections
• Omit empty sections
• Actionable over descriptive (focus on what to DO)
• Concrete over vague ("Created 6 banks in kernel/banks/" not "Made progress on banks")

Continuation Prompt Guidelines

The continuation prompt should be 2-3 sentences that:

1. State the goal
2. State current position
3. State immediate next action

Example:

We're building a knowledge bank architecture for KERNEL to provide baseline coding practices without token bloat. We've created 6 banks + 7 skills + 4 commands with ~560 token cost (vs 6000+ old way). Next: Review and improve baseline artifact design for better universal applicability.

Validation Check

Before outputting, ask:

• Could a new AI instance continue productively with ONLY this brief?
• Are there gaps that would cause confusion?
• Is the continuation prompt self-contained?

If gaps exist, add missing context or flag as [NEEDS CLARIFICATION: ...]

Output

Present the handoff in a code block for easy copy-paste, then ask:

• "Should I save this handoff to a file?"
• "Ready to continue on Claude web, or need adjustments?"