Guides/Sessions
Session Handoffs: Resume AI Agent Work Exactly Where You Left Off
Close a session with a structured handoff of accomplishments, pending work, blockers and decisions, then type "resume" in a new chat and continue without re-explaining.
Jose R. Gonzalez, CPA · Founder of ContxOS
Updated · 2 min read
In short
A ContxOS handoff is a structured snapshot of a working session: what was accomplished, what is pending (with priority), what is blocked (with severity), the decisions made, and the documents that matter. It names the next action. In a new chat, typing "resume" lists your open handoffs and restores the one you pick in a single step, so the next session starts working instead of catching up.
The context window always runs out
Long agent sessions end in one of two ways. The context window fills up, or you stop for the day. Either way the next session starts cold, and you spend the first twenty minutes re-explaining. Summaries pasted into a new chat lose the details that mattered, such as the exact decision, the half-finished step and the thing that was blocked.
What a handoff captures
- A narrative of the session, its main focus and the next action.
- Accomplishments: what was completed and how.
- Pending work, with high, medium or low priority.
- Blockers, with severity.
- Decisions, with rationale.
- Documents worth carrying forward.
Each item is a real entry in the knowledge base, searchable on its own later, not just a paragraph in a summary.
Resuming
- Type "resume" (or "continue") in a new chat.
- The agent lists open handoffs with their focus, age and counts of pending items and blockers.
- Pick one. The whole session comes back in one step, with the current version of every item. Anything retired or superseded since is left out and pointed to its replacement.
- If a workflow was mid-run, the agent reads its current position first, before doing anything else.
With five or more open handoffs, the agent recommends synthesizing them. It loads them all, checks them against what has happened since, and writes consolidated handoffs that replace the old ones.
Closing a session without a handoff
Not every session needs a handoff. "finish session" records what happened, including results, decisions and open TODOs, directly into the knowledge base, so it can be found later even if nobody resumes it.
What to ask your agent
With ContxOS connected to Claude or another MCP client, requests like these work as written:
new handoff
resume
select handoff
finish session
Limits and requirements
- A handoff is as good as the session it describes. The agent drafts it, and you should skim it before you close the session.
- Very large handoffs are delivered as the full current items plus pointers to the rest, which the agent opens when the work reaches them.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from Claude Code’s automatic compaction?
Compaction summarizes the current conversation so it can keep going. A handoff is a durable, structured record in the knowledge base. It survives the conversation, any agent can resume it, and each item remains searchable on its own.
Can a teammate resume my handoff?
Yes, if they are a member of the project. Handoffs live in the project, not in your chat.
Give your agent a memory that lasts
Connect ContxOS to Claude in about a minute. The free plan includes one project.