handoff
Brief another agent session so it can continue this work — directly to a running session or pane, or as a temp file when neither is reachable. Use on 'handoff', 'hand off', 'fresh context', 'new session', 'pick this up later', or proactively when context is full and work remains.
How do I install this agent skill?
npx skills add https://github.com/steveclarke/dotfiles --skill handoffIs this agent skill safe to install?
- Gen Agent Trust Hubfail
The skill facilitates project handoffs between sessions but contains instructions to store and push potentially sensitive credentials to remote git repositories, which is a significant security risk.
- Socketpass
No alerts
- Snykpass
Risk: LOW · No issues
What does this agent skill do?
Handoff — Brief the Next Session
Pass the state of this session to the session that continues the work. A handoff is a briefing, not a record: it is delivered straight to the next session wherever possible, and it is never committed to the repo.
1. Gather State
Collect only what the next session needs:
Done:
- Tasks or phases completed
- Files created or modified (high level)
- Commits made and pushed (branch, remote status)
Not done:
- Remaining tasks or phases
- Bugs hit and fixed, so the next session doesn't repeat them
- Anything partially started
Decisions:
- Choices the user approved that constrain future work
- Patterns established
- Approaches tried that didn't work
Practical details:
- Repo path, branch, remote
- Dev environment state (running, or how to start it)
- Test credentials if relevant
- Key file paths (specs, plans, docs) — 2-4 at most
If the next task isn't obvious, ask: "What should the next session focus on?"
2. Write the Brief
Keep it under a minute to read. Self-contained — no "see above".
# [Topic] — Handoff (YYYY-MM-DD)
[1-2 sentence summary of where things stand]
## Done
- ...
## Not Done
- ...
## Decisions
- ...
## Bugs Fixed (Don't Repeat)
- ...
## Practical
- Repo: [path] (branch: [branch])
- Dev stack: [state]
## Next
[What to do first]
## Read First
- [path] — [why]
3. Deliver It
Use the first route that works:
- Another Claude Code session is running. Find it with
ListAgentsand send the brief withSendMessage. Confirm which session it is before sending. - The target runs in Herdr or tmux. Send the brief to the target pane with the
herdrskill (inside Herdr) or thetmux-orchestrationskill (plain tmux). Confirm the pane before sending. - No live target. Write the brief to
${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/handoff-YYYY-MM-DD-<topic>.md, copy a one-line resume prompt that points at it to the clipboard (pbcopyon macOS,wl-copyorxclip -selection clipboardon Linux), and give the user the path. The file is disposable; losing it on reboot is fine.
Never write the brief into the project or commit it.
What NOT to Include
- Conversation play-by-play
- Raw error logs (summarize the fix)
- File contents or implementation details readable from disk
- Anything derivable from
git logor the code
How can the creator link this skill?
Add the canonical catalog link to the repository README so users can inspect current installs and available audits. The publishing guide covers the complete discovery path.
<a href="https://skillzs.dev/skills/steveclarke/dotfiles/handoff">View handoff on skillZs</a>