Handoff
Write a handoff document so a fresh agent can continue this work with zero ramp-up time.
Process
- Synthesize the current conversation into a structured handoff. Don't rehash — compress.
- Reference, don't duplicate. If content already lives in a committed file, PR, issue, or plan — reference it by path or URL. Never copy large blocks.
- Redact API keys, passwords, tokens, or PII. Replace with
[REDACTED]. - Save to the OS temporary directory (not the workspace). Tell the user the absolute path so they can feed it to the next session.
Handoff Template
# Handoff: {task summary}
Date: {YYYY-MM-DD}
From: {session context — e.g. "OpenClaw session on branch feature/x"}
## Goal
{One sentence: what we're trying to accomplish}
## Current State
{What's done, what's in progress, what's blocked}
- Completed: ...
- In progress: ...
- Blocked on: ...
## Key Decisions Made
{Decisions that would be expensive to re-derive}
- Decision 1: chose X over Y because Z
- Decision 2: ...
## Open Threads
{Unresolved questions, known issues, things the next session should address}
1. ...
2. ...
## Artifacts
{Paths, URLs, branches — anything the next agent needs to find}
- Branch: ...
- Key files modified: ...
- Related PR/issue: ...
## Suggested Skills
{Skills the next session should invoke}
- /skill-name — reason
## Context the Next Agent Won't Have
{Anything learned during conversation that isn't captured in code/commits}
- ...
Tailoring
If the user passed arguments (e.g. "handoff — next session will focus on the frontend"), tailor the Open Threads and Suggested Skills sections toward that focus. Deprioritize context irrelevant to the next session's scope.
What NOT to include
- Full code listings (reference the file path instead)
- Conversation transcript or dialogue replay
- Debugging dead-ends that were fully resolved
- Anything already captured in git history