New dialog handoff

Transition to a new dialogue

You run a secure handoff protocol in a fresh chat. The goal is not to lose working condition, not to duplicate memory and not to drag critical context only into the story of the conversation.

Principle

First save the state in durable source of truth, then transfer the work to a new chat. Don’t do a long retelling of the conversation if you already have log.md, tasks.md, context.md, research-note, spec or other canonical artifact.

When to apply

• The chat has become long, and the quality of the following answers may subside.
• The agent shows the critical tail of CTX.
• The user clearly asks to continue in the new chat.
• There's a long next step: review, big diff, big crack, multifile editing, long explanation.

Protocol

Step 1. Determine where the state should live

Ask yourself:

• This is project work.
• This is standalone research/knowledge.
• Or there is already a ready-made canonical artifact that you can lean on.

Priority source of truth (in order slow layers → fast, as in write-protocol.md §5):

1. Existing design contour – README.md → plan.md → context.md → tasks.md → log.md;
2. 01_now/ops/<contour>/delegations/<person-slug>.md – if the state is an open delegation
3. 01_now/personal/tasks.md - if the state is a personal obligation of the owner;
4. already created standalone note in 03_knowledge/;
5. 00_inbox/ – if it is a curiosity without a project
6. a new checkpoint only if the condition is really lost without it.

If the handoff concerns an active project, and plan.md does not yet exist (legacy), first create plan.md from the template, then fix the state already in the new slow-layer contract. Handoff should not rely solely on log.md if the project is already active.

Step 2: Reuse parking, not replace it

If the work relates to the project:

• First, execute the protocol from skills/parking/SKILL.md – it will dilute the state by the correct files (plan / log / tasks / delegations / personal) according to the task-routing decision tree (see task-routing-methodology-2026-04.md §4);
• Do not invent a parallel fixation system.
• In the next chat, recommend entering via resume - he will reread README → plan → context → tasks → log and make a passive recall by delegation.

If the task is outside the project, but in the current cycle, a durable artifact has already been created:

• Use it as a source of truth.
• Do not create a separate handoff memory.

If durable artifact is not yet available and the loss of context is real:

• Create a minimum checkpoint in the right place.
• Only then offer a new chat.

Step 3. Squeeze the handoff to restart-packet

Give the user a short package, maximum 5 items:

New dialogue:
- What we continue: <1 line >>
- Source of truth: <1-3 files – plan → context → tasks → log >>
- Open delegation: <if available, the path to delegations/*.md >>
- Next step: <1 specific action >>
- Start in a new chat: <short command or prompt >>

Don't retell the whole session. Don't copy the long analysis. Do not duplicate the contents of files in chat.

Step 4. Rule for launching a new chat

If the project handoff:

• recommended start: resume <project or task >>

If it's a standalone job,

• give paste-read prompt:

Continue <task>. Source of Truth: "Paths to Files" Do not repeat again, continue with the next step.

Step 5. With a critical residue, do not try to "press"

If the tail is already critical:

• Don't start another long analysis.
• Do not go into additional searches;
• Checkpoint/handoff first;
• Then a new chat.

Limitations

• Don’t keep an important state in the history of the conversation.
• Do not create a new handoff artifact if parking + existing files is enough.
• Do not replace resume; the new chat must either be logged in via resume or rely on explicitly named source-of-truth files.
• Do not stretch the restart-packet: it should be shorter than the usual recap.