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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →An agent handoff transfers control from one AI agent to a specialist that owns the next response. In the OpenAI Agents SDK, the handoff appears to the model as a callable tool: it routes work to a specific agent, can pass a small structured payload, and ordinarily gives the receiving agent conversation history. That is an in-run SDK mechanism—not, by itself, a protocol for agents built on different systems to communicate.
What an agent handoff means
OpenAI’s Agents SDK documentation describes the pattern simply: “Handoffs allow an agent to delegate tasks to another agent.” In practical terms, the original agent yields its conversation branch to a specialist. The specialist, rather than the original agent, is responsible for the next response in that branch. OpenAI Agents SDK handoff documentation
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The handoff is represented to the model as a tool. A destination might be exposed under a generated name such as transfer_to_refund_agent. The model can call that tool when the user’s request belongs with the refund specialist; the handoff then routes control to the agent associated with that tool.
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Handoff or specialist-as-a-tool?
Choose between these patterns based on who should produce the next user-facing answer—not merely on whether a specialist is involved. OpenAI’s orchestration guidance distinguishes handing control to a specialist from asking a specialist for bounded assistance while a manager remains responsible for the result. OpenAI Agents SDK orchestration guidance
#1 Best Overall
| Question | Handoff | Specialist called as a tool |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the next response? | The specialist takes over the conversation branch. | The manager remains responsible for the user-facing response. |
| What happens to control? | Control transfers to the specialist. | The specialist returns bounded work to the manager, which can synthesize the final answer. |
| When does it fit? | When the specialist should handle the next part of the conversation. | When the manager needs an answer, analysis, or other limited contribution from a specialist. |
For example, route a refund-specific conversation to a refund agent when it should handle the next response. Call that agent as a tool instead when a general-purpose manager should consult it and then deliver a combined answer. Split agents when differences in instructions, tools, or policies materially justify having separate agents; keep each agent’s role and handoff description concrete.
What the receiving agent gets
Conversation history and handoff metadata serve different purposes. The SDK forwards conversation history by default, so the receiving agent can use prior context. A handoff may also carry a structured payload with small model-generated details—for example, a reason for routing, language, priority, or a summary. That payload does not replace the receiving agent’s main input or change which destination the handoff targets. OpenAI Agents SDK handoff documentation
Register a distinct handoff for each destination the model may select. The helper for a handoff wraps a particular agent; adding structured input supplies metadata for that transfer, not a way to redirect the helper to a different agent.
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Keep application state separate from model-generated fields
Use application context for existing state your system maintains. Treat structured handoff fields as values the model chooses at transfer time, not as trusted application state. If authorization depends on parsed fields, validate them at the start of the handoff callback, before performing side effects. The SDK documentation says function-tool input guardrails do not apply to handoffs, so do not assume those guardrails validate handoff inputs for you. OpenAI Agents SDK handoff documentation
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Control what history crosses the boundary
Forwarded history may include more than user messages: it can contain tool calls and tool outputs. Input filters or history mapping can change what the next agent sees, but nested history changes how history is represented; nesting alone does not redact sensitive information. If the receiving agent must not see the full transcript, explicitly select and sanitize the content you pass to it. OpenAI Agents SDK handoff documentation
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.SDK handoffs are not cross-system interoperability
The Agents SDK documentation describes handoffs as transfers within a single run. A transfer between agents built in different frameworks or by different vendors is a separate interoperability problem. The Agent2Agent (A2A) project describes an open standard for communication among such agents; consult its versioned v1.0.0 specification for implementation details. It is more precise to call an SDK transfer a handoff and reserve A2A for the cross-system protocol category. OpenAI Agents SDK handoff documentation · A2A v1.0.0 specification
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A practical design checklist
- Use a handoff when a specialist should own the next response; use a tool call when the manager should retain responsibility and synthesize the result.
- Give each specialist a narrow, concrete role and a handoff description that helps the model choose the right destination.
- Register a separate handoff for each selectable destination.
- Keep model-generated structured metadata small, and store trusted application state in application context.
- Validate fields that affect authorization before the callback performs side effects.
- Review what history is forwarded, including tool calls and outputs; explicitly filter or sanitize it when needed.
- Use A2A as the relevant protocol category when the agents communicate across systems rather than within one SDK run.
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