handoff-engineering — Claude Code plugin: session handoff
Compacts the current session into a markdown handoff so a fresh agent can continue. References artifacts by path or URL instead of copying them.
/plugin marketplace add alirezarezvani/claude-skills
/plugin install handoff-engineering@claude-code-skillsWhat handoff-engineering does
The plugin writes down where the conversation stands: what got done, what comes next, which skills the next session needs. Three stdlib Python scripts ship inside. handoff_template_generator.py builds a scaffold around a given next-session focus, artifact_deduplicator.py flags draft passages that a reference should replace, and skill_recommender.py matches handoff content to skills.
A cs-handoff-author persona agent and a /cs-handoff slash command handle one-shot generation. The no-duplication rule comes from Matt Pocock's MIT-licensed handoff and is kept verbatim: PRDs, plans, ADRs, issues and commits appear as paths or URLs. That keeps the document short and stops it drifting from the sources.
Scripts run through python, and no extra dependencies are installed. The file goes to a path from mktemp -t handoff-XXXXXX.md, which you read before writing. Pass arguments and they are treated as a description of what the next session will focus on.
What it helps with
- hand work to a fresh agent without retelling the whole history
- scaffold a handoff document around a specific next task
- spot draft passages that duplicate a PRD or plan
- pick skills for the next session from handoff content
- pin down the next session's focus in one command
Example prompts for the agent
- /cs-handoff ship PR 2
- Write a handoff for this session and suggest the skills the next one needs
- Run artifact_deduplicator.py on my handoff draft
How to install handoff-engineering
Plugin marketplace
/plugin marketplace add alirezarezvani/claude-skills/plugin install handoff-engineering@claude-code-skillsStep by step, with commands for each platform: Claude Code plugins: marketplaces, installing, and building your own
Questions about handoff-engineering
How do I install handoff-engineering in Claude?
From the marketplace: run /plugin marketplace add alirezarezvani/claude-skills, then /plugin install handoff-engineering@claude-code-skills.
What does handoff-engineering do?
It compacts the current conversation into a markdown document for the next agent. Artifacts such as PRDs, plans and commits are referenced by path or URL rather than copied.
How is it different from Matt Pocock's original handoff?
It adds three stdlib Python scripts, reference material, a cs-handoff-author agent and the /cs-handoff command. The no-duplication discipline is preserved as in the original.
Source text
handoff · MIT
# handoff Conversation-handoff document generator. Saves the current state of a conversation so a fresh agent can pick up the work cleanly. ## Attribution **Derived from [Matt Pocock's handoff](https://github.com/mattpocock/skills/tree/main/skills/productivity/handoff)** (MIT). Matt's no-duplication discipline preserved verbatim — handoff docs reference existing artifacts by path/URL, never duplicate them. ## What this adds on top of Matt's original | Addition | Where | Why | |---|---|---| | **3 stdlib Python tools** | `skills/handoff/scripts/` | Template generator (tailored to next-session focus), artifact deduplicator (find references that should replace inline content), skill recommender (which skills next session needs) | | **3 in-depth references** (5+ sources each) | `skills/handoff/references/` | Handoff structure · Deduplication discipline · Skill matching for next session | | **cs-handoff-author persona agent** | `agents/cs-handoff-author.md` | Continuity-focused handoff author with hard rule against duplication | | **`/cs-handoff` slash command** | `commands/cs-handoff.md` | One-shot handoff generation with argument hint | ## Matt's original (preserved) > "Write a handoff document summarising the current conversation so a fresh agent can continue the work. Save it to a path produced by `mktemp -t handoff-XXXXXX.md` (read the file before you write to it). Suggest the skills to be used, if any, by the next session. Do not duplicate content already captured in other artifacts (PRDs, plans, ADRs, issues, commits, diffs). Reference them by path or URL instead. If the user passed arguments, treat them as a description of what the next session will focus on and tailor the doc accordingly." ## Quick start ```bash # Generate a handoff template scaffold tailored to next-session focus python skills/handoff/scripts/handoff_template_generator.py --next-focus "ship PR 2" # Detect artifacts in a handoff draft that could be replaced by references python skills/handoff/scripts/artifact_deduplicator.py path/to/draft-handoff.md # Recommend skills for the next session based on handoff content python skills/handoff/scripts/skill_recommender.py path/to/handoff.md ``` ## License MIT (matching Matt's upstream).
© Alireza Rezvani · MIT · alirezarezvani/claude-skills
