A handoff packet is a compact note that lets a human, script, or AI agent resume work without guessing. It states the goal, current state, constraints, evidence already collected, and the checks that must pass before any state-changing step.

This is useful when automation pauses after an error budget, when a scheduled job needs review, or when one assistant prepares work for another assistant. The packet should be short enough to read quickly and structured enough to prevent accidental authority creep.

What the packet should contain

  • Goal: the single outcome the next worker should pursue.
  • Current state: what has already been inspected, changed, or intentionally left untouched.
  • Boundaries: actions that are allowed, actions that require approval, and actions that are forbidden.
  • Evidence: sanitized logs, command summaries, URLs, diffs, or test results that support the handoff.
  • Open questions: unknowns that should be resolved before stronger actions.
  • Verification: the exact signals that prove the next step worked.

Runbook checklist

  1. Start with one sentence describing the desired outcome.
  2. Separate read-only diagnostics from state-changing actions.
  3. Include only privacy-safe evidence; redact credentials, identifiers, private paths, and personal details.
  4. Name the stop condition that should return control to a human or higher-trust process.
  5. End with a verification command, URL check, test, or review step.

Copyable safe delegation prompt

Create a handoff packet for this automation task. Include Goal, Current State, Boundaries, Evidence, Open Questions, Next Read-Only Checks, Possible State-Changing Actions, Stop Conditions, and Verification. Do not expose secrets or private identifiers. Do not perform state-changing actions while preparing the packet.

Minimal handoff template

Goal: one desired outcome
Current state: inspected facts and completed steps
Boundaries: allowed / approval required / forbidden
Evidence: sanitized summaries and references
Open questions: unknowns blocking confidence
Next checks: read-only diagnostics first
Actions: proposed state changes after approval or gate
Stop condition: when to pause
Verification: signals that prove success

Rule of thumb: if the next agent would need to infer context from scattered logs, write a handoff packet before continuing.