handoff
Handoff
Compact and transfer context when a long session (grill → plan → implement → review) must continue in a fresh chat. Every other skill assumes one continuous context window — this fills that gap.
Write handoff docs to _agent/handoffs/ only — gitignored, inside the workspace so @-reference works. Do not create files under docs/, .cursor/plans/, or anywhere git-tracked.
Why _agent/: ai-drift.md § Accumulation flags session-scoped analysis files left in tracked source after the issue is resolved. _agent/ is the repo's ephemeral agent workspace (memory hub — session artifacts; doc-system.md — outside doc perimeter). Handoffs belong there, not in docs/ or committed paths.
When to Use
- End of a long session before starting a fresh chat
- Mid fix-loop when context is exhausted but work continues (review-fix-loop.md § Cross-session handoff)
- User explicitly asks to "hand off", "compact context", or "prepare for a new session"
Not for: routing between skills mid-task (agent-routing.md · dialogue-handoffs.md), authoring a plan (references/planning/build.md), or review-fix-loop chat blocks only (review-fix-loop.md § Session handoff — use handoff when the next session needs full session context, not just fix-loop state).