Handoff
Preserve and restore context between Claude Code sessions.
The Problem
When working with Claude Code across multiple sessions, switching agents, or hitting context limits (auto-compaction), valuable context is lost:
- What task was being worked on
- Key decisions and their rationale
- Blockers and open questions
- Next steps to continue
The Solution
Handoff captures "necessary and sufficient" context to a docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md file, enabling seamless continuation across sessions.
Installation
# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add thepushkarp/handoff
# Install the plugin
/plugin install handoff@handoff
Commands
/handoff:create
Capture current session context to docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md.
What it captures:
- Current task state (what's in progress)
- Key decisions and rationale
- Modified files
- Blockers and open questions
- Next steps
- Critical context (gotchas, patterns, etc.)
- Model summary (8–12 bullets)
- Handoff context (pasteable resume instructions)
Usage:
/handoff:create
The handoff is appended with a timestamp, creating a history log.
/handoff:resume
Load existing handoff context to continue work.
Default mode: Displays handoff summary and asks how to proceed.
/handoff:resume
Auto mode: Automatically loads context and starts working on next steps.
/handoff:resume --auto
Automatic Handoff Prompt
The plugin includes always-on hooks that make compaction safe:
- Before compaction (
PreCompact): appends a new entry to docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md with deterministic snapshot data and placeholders for a model-written summary/context.
- After compaction (
SessionStart matcher compact): auto-injects the latest handoff entry back into Claude's context (stdout injection).
- Enforcement (
Stop): if the latest entry still has TODO placeholders for Model Summary and Handoff Context, Claude is blocked from stopping (up to 3 attempts) until it fills them in.
This ensures you never lose important context to auto-compaction.
Note: These scripts use jq when available to parse hook input and transcripts. Without jq, the plugin degrades gracefully but will capture less detail.
Handoff File Format
Handoffs are stored in docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md with timestamped entries:
---
## Handoff: 2025-01-05 14:32:00
### Current Task State
Implementing user authentication feature. Login flow is complete, working on password reset.
### Key Decisions
- Using JWT for session tokens: Better for stateless scaling
- Email verification required: Security requirement from product
### Modified Files
- `src/auth/login.ts` - Added JWT generation
- `src/auth/middleware.ts` - Token validation middleware
- `tests/auth.test.ts` - Login flow tests
### Blockers / Open Questions
- Need to decide on password reset token expiry (1hr vs 24hr?)
### Next Steps
1. Implement password reset endpoint
2. Add email sending for reset tokens
3. Write tests for reset flow
### Critical Context
- The `AUTH_SECRET` env var must be set or tests fail silently
- Rate limiting is handled in nginx, not in code
### Model Summary
- Login flow is complete; password reset in progress
- Using JWT sessions for stateless scaling
- Blocker: decide reset token expiry (1h vs 24h)
### Handoff Context (paste into next session)
1. Open `docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md` and focus on the most recent entry.
2. Implement password reset endpoint and tests first.
3. Confirm `AUTH_SECRET` is set before running tests.
---
Use Cases
- Ending a session: Run
/handoff:create before closing Claude Code
- Switching contexts: Create a handoff before switching to a different task
- Context limits: Compaction auto-saves and re-injects a handoff entry
- Team handoffs: Share
docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md for async collaboration
- Resuming work: Run
/handoff:resume when starting a new session
Tips
- Be explicit about blockers: Include specific questions or decisions needed
- Include file paths: Helps the next session navigate quickly
- Note gotchas: Things that weren't obvious save time later
- Use auto mode carefully: Good for continuing known tasks, but review mode helps verify context is correct
Optional: Compaction instructions in CLAUDE.md
Claude Code supports project-level compaction guidance via a CLAUDE.md section named # Compact instructions:
# Compact instructions
When compacting, preserve:
- the latest handoff entry in docs/handoff/HANDOFF.md
- current task state, blockers, and next steps
- key decisions and constraints
Plugin maintenance notes
Claude Code caches plugin content by version. When you change plugin code, bump the version in plugins/handoff/.claude-plugin/plugin.json so existing users receive the update.
Useful commands when developing:
# Validate manifests and marketplace structure
/plugin validate
thepushkarp