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Use a supported session handoff when the platform can carry conversation history, and keep durable project instructions and task status in files the next agent can read. These methods solve different problems: a handoff may preserve the discussion, while repository notes help a fresh session understand the project. Neither guarantees that the next agent has the same tools, permissions, model, or view of the working tree.
What carries over when you switch coding agents?
There are three kinds of context to account for: the conversation, durable project guidance, and the task’s current state. A platform handoff may carry conversation history; repository instruction files preserve stable conventions; a task note records what is in progress and what should happen next. Do not assume one substitutes for the others.
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- Conversation continuity: Is the previous transcript carried, summarized, or absent?
- Project durability: Can a new session find the repository’s conventions and architecture guidance?
- Task state: Can the receiving agent tell what changed, what was verified, and what remains?
- Execution and code state: Are the tools, permissions, model, runtime, and working tree the same?
Choose a handoff method
| Method | Conversation continuity | Project durability | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native session handoff | Can carry history and context when the host explicitly supports it. | Depends on the receiving agent’s access to project instructions and files. | Less re-explanation, but the receiving configuration may have different capabilities. |
| File-based handoff to a fresh session | The old transcript is not automatically present; provide relevant excerpts if needed. | A repository handoff note and compatible instruction files remain available in the checkout. | Requires a little preparation and reconciliation, but makes task state explicit. |
In VS Code, Microsoft documents handoff from a Local session to an available agent configuration: “Handoff continues ongoing work with a different agent configuration and carries the conversation history and context with it.” The available targets depend on the current window and configuration. Microsoft also cautions that “The tools, permissions, and models might change because each harness, execution environment, or agent role provides different capabilities.” See Choose and use an agent harness.
A new chat is different from a handoff: VS Code says a new chat starts without the other chats’ history, while handoff carries history and context. Separate conversations also do not guarantee separate files if they use the same folder or worktree. See Understand sessions and chats.
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Prepare a file-based handoff
Before opening a fresh agent session, write a concise note in a repository-chosen location, such as HANDOFF.md. Keep it factual and update it when the task changes materially.
- Record the requested outcome. State the task and any constraints, such as files not to touch or behavior that must remain compatible.
- Describe the current state. Name relevant files or modules and explain what is complete, in progress, or blocked.
- Capture decisions and reasons. Include choices that would otherwise be easy to revisit, plus the rationale.
- List validation actually performed. Give the exact commands run and their results. Mark checks not run, failures, and uncertain claims explicitly; never imply code was tested if it was not.
- State open questions and the next action. Make the next step concrete enough for the receiving agent to begin, while preserving decisions that still need your approval.
Keep stable, project-wide conventions in instruction files, not only in a task note. A handoff note describes this task’s state; an instruction file explains recurring rules such as architecture boundaries, formatting, and test expectations. Neither file transfers a conversation transcript.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Check instruction-file compatibility
Instruction filenames and precedence differ by agent, so confirm what the destination actually loads rather than copying one tool’s setup and assuming it is universal. The Claude Code documentation describes project instructions in CLAUDE.md and auto memory as ways to carry knowledge into conversations. It also documents direct AGENTS.md reading from version 2.1.277 onward under supported conditions. However, a CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or above can cause Claude Code to read CLAUDE.md files instead of AGENTS.md by default; settings can allow both, or CLAUDE.md can import AGENTS.md. Check the current version and settings before relying on this behavior. Details are in How Claude remembers your project.
This documented behavior is specific to Claude Code; it does not establish that Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, or every other coding agent loads the same files or follows the same precedence rules. Verify discovery and precedence for each destination.
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Switch without losing code state
- Inspect the repository before switching. Review Git status and the diff. Save or commit work according to the project’s normal process, and note any uncommitted changes in the handoff.
- Start the receiving agent with the right inputs. Use native handoff if supported. Otherwise open the intended repository and provide the handoff note, task or issue details, and only the conversation excerpts needed to explain decisions.
- Ask it to reconcile before editing. Have the agent inspect the checkout, Git state, and relevant files, then summarize its understanding against the note. Correct discrepancies before it changes code.
- Confirm its operating conditions. Check the selected model, tools, permissions, and local or remote environment if they matter to the task.
- Choose an appropriate worktree arrangement. If agents need to make separate edits, use an isolated worktree where supported. If they share a folder or worktree, assume changes can affect each other and inspect the diff before continuing or accepting work.
A practical switching checklist
- Is the previous conversation being handed off, or is this a fresh chat?
- Does the receiving agent load the repository’s instruction files, and are precedence rules clear?
- Does the handoff note distinguish verified results from assumptions and unrun checks?
- Do the note, Git status, and actual files agree?
- Are the destination’s tools, permissions, model, runtime, and worktree suitable for the next step?
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