How to Use the Handoff System

Updated on December 9, 2025

5 min read

Doc Summary

Category: Working With CRAFT
Type: How-to Guide
Reading Time: 7 minutes
Skill Level: Beginner

The handoff system is how CRAFT maintains continuity between chat sessions. Since AI assistants don’t remember previous conversations, handoffs capture your progress, decisions, and context — allowing each new session to pick up where the last one ended.

Think of it like a chef’s prep notes at the end of a shift: what’s done, what’s in progress, and what the next cook needs to know.

What is a Handoff? #

A handoff is a structured snapshot of your work session that includes:

Component	What It Captures
Session Summary	What you accomplished and why it matters
Current State	Where things stand right now
Key Decisions	Choices made and the reasoning behind them
Next Steps	What to do when you continue
Open Questions	Unresolved items needing attention

Handoffs are stored in your Chat History file and numbered sequentially: H001, H002, H003, and so on.

When to Create a Handoff #

Always create a handoff when:

You’re ending a work session
You’ve made significant progress you don’t want to lose
You’ve made decisions that affect future work
You’re switching to a different task or project

You might skip a handoff when:

You completed a quick, self-contained task
Nothing from this session needs to carry forward
You’re using Express for varied, unrelated tasks

Rule of thumb: If you’d be frustrated re-explaining context in your next session, create a handoff.

How to Create a Handoff #

The Simple Way #

Just ask:

Create a handoff for this session.

Save where we left off.

I'm done for now. Can you capture our progress?

The AI will generate a structured handoff covering all the essential components.

The Detailed Way #

If you want to guide what gets captured:

Create a handoff that emphasizes:
- The decision we made about [topic]
- The three options we haven't explored yet
- The blocker we identified with [issue]

The Quick Way (Express) #

In Express, handoffs are streamlined:

Quick handoff.

Alice will capture the essentials without lengthy summaries.

How to Continue from a Handoff #

Starting Your Next Session #

Open a new chat with your AI assistant
Upload your CRAFT files (including the Chat History with your handoff)
Tell the AI to continue:

Continue from handoff H003.

Load the latest handoff and let's continue.

or simply

Pick up where we left off.

The AI reads your handoff and resumes with full context.

What the AI Does #

When you continue from a handoff, the AI:

Reads your session summary to understand what happened
Notes the current state so it knows where things stand
Reviews key decisions to avoid contradicting past choices
Checks next steps to suggest what to work on
Flags open questions that need resolution

You don’t need to re-explain your project. The handoff does that for you.

Handoff Best Practices #

Write Handoffs for Your Future Self #

The person reading your handoff is you — but you in the future, possibly after days or weeks away from the project. Include context that seems obvious now but won’t be later.

Instead of: “Decided on option B”
Write: “Decided on option B (the modular approach) because it allows incremental testing”

Be Specific About Next Steps #

Vague next steps lead to confused future sessions.

Instead of: “Continue working on the document”
Write: “Next: Add the methodology section, then review the introduction for tone”

Capture Decisions with Rationale #

You’ll forget why you made choices. Record the reasoning.

Instead of: “Using blue for headers”
Write: “Using blue (#3182CE) for headers — matches brand guidelines and tested well for accessibility”

Note What Didn’t Work #

Failed approaches are valuable context. Your next session shouldn’t retry them.

Attempted approaches that didn't work:
- CSV export crashed on files >10MB
- The formal tone felt too stiff for this audience

Handoff Depth by Version #

Different CRAFT versions handle handoffs differently:

Version	Handoff Style	Best For
Foundations	Guided, with learning progress tracked	New users building CRAFT skills
Express	Streamlined, essentials only	Quick tasks, minimal overhead
Studio	Comprehensive, with full project context	Multi-session projects

Managing Multiple Handoffs #

Handoff Numbering #

Handoffs are numbered sequentially within each project:

H001, H002, H003… and so on

The most recent handoff is always at the top of your Chat History file — reverse chronological order means the latest context is immediately visible.

Referencing Past Handoffs #

Sometimes you need to reference an older handoff:

What did we decide in H005 about the navigation structure?

The AI can look back through your handoff history.

When Handoffs Get Long #

If your Chat History file grows large with many handoffs, you can:

Archive older handoffs to a separate file
Summarize multiple handoffs into a “checkpoint” handoff
Keep only the most recent 5-10 handoffs active

Troubleshooting #

“The AI doesn’t remember our previous session.”
Make sure you uploaded the Chat History file containing your handoff. Each new chat starts fresh — continuity only comes from the files you attach.

“The handoff is missing important context.”
When creating handoffs, be explicit about what matters:

Create a handoff. Make sure to capture the decision about [specific topic].

“I have multiple handoffs and I’m confused.”
Always continue from the most recent handoff (highest number). If you need to go back to an earlier state, specify:

Let's restart from H003, ignoring H004 and H005.

“My handoff is too long/short.”
Request the length you need:

Create a detailed handoff with full context.

Create a brief handoff — just the essentials.

What’s Next #

Now that you understand handoffs:

How to Create Your First Project — Set up a Studio project with proper handoff structure
Understanding Projects — How projects and handoffs work together
CRAFT Naming Conventions — How handoff files are named and versioned

Last Updated: December 2025