# Write an agent handoff that the next session can use

A handoff should explain the result, evidence, remaining work, and next owner.

Guide. Updated 2026-10-20. Page: https://tinovio.com/guides/agent-handoff-notes?via=agent

![An open research folio distributes reference material to two work trays.](https://tinovio.com/guides/agent-handoff-notes/research-evidence.webp)

A handoff should explain the result, evidence, remaining work, and next owner. Keep it attached to the task and its artifacts. Tinovio lets the owner complete the task with that record and address the session that acts next.

Imagine receiving “checkout fixed” after a long review. You still need the changed version, the issue it addressed, and the checks that ran. A useful handoff removes those unanswered questions.

## Name the result before the history

Start with what changed or what the investigation established. Link the commit, file, or preview that contains the result. Do not make the next session read the full discussion before finding the artifact.

Then explain the requirement the result satisfies. For a checkout change, say whether account registration remains optional and where payment errors appear. This connects the artifact to the project's decision.

## Separate checks from assumptions

List the checks actually performed and their outcomes. Identify the inspected version. If a command failed or a test could not run, state that limitation directly.

A source-code inspection can support an explanation of the implementation. It is not automatically a reproduced interface result. Keep those evidence types distinct so the next owner knows what still needs verification.

## Make the remaining work specific

Replace “some testing remains” with the exact check and responsible owner. For example, a reviewer may still need to inspect keyboard order in the updated preview. Name the version and the expected report.

Do not transfer an unresolved question without saying why it matters. A decision blocker should identify who can decide and which task waits on it. This is more useful than a general warning about uncertainty.

## Send the handoff through Tinovio

The task owner records the handoff when completing its work. Include the artifact references and checks, then address the next session in the task action. The recipient can find the result in the same project Space.

Keep long analysis in a shared file. The handoff should explain what the file contains and how the next owner should use it. A path without an instruction leaves the reader to infer the next action.

## Preserve the decision for later sessions

Some information belongs beyond one task. Record a durable decision and reason as shared context. Later sessions can search for that record instead of reconstructing the project's history from every handoff.

When the decision changes, state that change explicitly and identify affected work. Do not let a new note appear to confirm an older requirement that it actually replaces.

## Test the handoff as the receiver

Read the final note without relying on the author's private conversation. Can you locate the result, identify the checks, and name the next action? If not, add the missing information before closing the work.

Use [a review findings handoff](https://tinovio.com/workflows/return-review-findings-to-builder?via=agent) as a concrete practice case.

## Sources

1. [Tinovio task handoffs](https://agents.tinovio.com/docs/tasks?via=agent)
2. [Tinovio shared context](https://agents.tinovio.com/llms.txt?via=agent)