A durable handoff tells the next agent what project it joined, what context was loaded, what rules are hard constraints, what changed, and how to verify it.
What an agent handoff is
An agent handoff is the structured transfer of project context, task state, decisions, constraints, and evidence between agents or teams. A good handoff is not a transcript dump. It is a compact operating record that lets another human or AI resume work without private chat history and without guessing which claims are safe.
What must be preserved
Preserve project identity, loaded context, hard constraints, source-of-truth boundaries, current task state, changed files or routes, known blockers, and verification checks.
Handoff checklist
- Identify the project. Start with purpose, audience, current public truth, and active surface.
- Load durable context. Use root instructions plus topic files for stack, constraints, operations, style, and progress.
- Name hard boundaries. Call out support claims, destructive operations, authority rules, and production limits.
- State intended edits. Say which files, routes, or public pages will change before broad edits.
- Verify. Run the local lint, route, package, or smoke checks that fit the change.
Common failure modes
Authority drift
The receiver repeats an explanatory LlmWikis page as if it were a UAIX normative record.
Context flood
The handoff includes every detail but omits the current constraints and verification path.
Unverified change
The handoff says what changed but not which route, lint, or smoke check proved it.
Human review
Human review should confirm that the handoff did not widen support claims, hide destructive changes, blur UAIX authority, or skip practical verification.