Markdown template
AI agent handoff checklist and template
A model-neutral checklist and Markdown record for transferring work between agents, tools, or people without losing evidence, constraints, or ownership.
An AI agent handoff checklist verifies that the next person or agent can identify the objective, inspect the current state and evidence, understand decisions and constraints, reproduce one meaningful result, and execute one bounded next action with clear ownership.
Best for: Model changes, agent delegation, interrupted work, and team review
Updated August 4, 2026
Download MarkdownVerification workflow
AI agent handoff checklist
Complete these checks before responsibility moves to the next actor.
- 01
Confirm the objective and acceptance criteria
State the intended outcome and the observable condition that will show the work is complete.
- 02
Separate completed, active, blocked, and unverified work
Do not make the receiving actor infer current state from a narrative or an old chat transcript.
- 03
Record decisions and rejected alternatives
Preserve the reasons behind material choices so the next actor does not reopen settled work without evidence.
- 04
Attach evidence and reproducible commands
Include files, queries, outputs, links, hashes, or observations that let the receiver verify important claims.
- 05
State permissions, safety, budget, and deadline constraints
Name the boundaries the next actor must preserve, including actions that remain explicitly denied.
- 06
Name one bounded next action
Give the smallest concrete step that advances the objective, including its expected result.
- 07
Assign ownership and verify receipt
Identify the next person or agent, then require a read-back of the revision, artifacts, and next action.
A handoff is not complete when...
- The record is only a chat summary and does not link to canonical evidence.
- It includes raw credentials, tokens, secrets, or sensitive values that belong in a secret manager.
- The next step is vague, unbounded, or missing an expected result.
- The receiver cannot identify the current revision or determine whether the handoff is stale.
- No receiving person or agent has read the record and reproduced a meaningful claim or result.
Included fields
What this template preserves
- Objective
- Current state
- Decisions
- Evidence
- Constraints
- Next action
- Ownership
# AI agent handoff
Use this record to transfer work between models, tools, agents, or people. Do not include credentials, tokens, secrets, or sensitive values that belong in a secret manager.
## Handoff checklist
- [ ] The objective and acceptance criteria are explicit.
- [ ] Completed, active, blocked, and unverified work are separated.
- [ ] Material decisions and rejected alternatives are recorded.
- [ ] Evidence and reproducible commands are attached or linked.
- [ ] Permissions, safety, budget, deadline, and exclusion constraints are stated.
- [ ] One bounded next action and its expected result are named.
- [ ] The next owner is identified and has verified receipt.
## Objective
<!-- State the intended outcome and acceptance criteria. -->
## Current state
<!-- Separate completed, in-progress, blocked, and unverified work. -->
## Decisions
<!-- Record each material decision and why it was made. -->
## Evidence
<!-- Link or attach files, queries, outputs, observations, and source material. -->
## Constraints
<!-- Include permissions, safety rules, deadlines, budgets, and exclusions. -->
## Next action
<!-- Name the smallest concrete step that moves the work forward. -->
## Ownership
<!-- Name the person or agent responsible for the next action. -->
## Receiver verification
- [ ] Identity, workspace, and access were verified.
- [ ] The current revision was read.
- [ ] Required artifacts and evidence were opened.
- [ ] One meaningful claim or result was reproduced.
- [ ] The next action and expected result were restated.
- [ ] Denied paths and safety constraints remain denied.
## Handoff result
**Status:** Pass / Blocked
**Receiver:** <!-- Name the person or agent that verified the handoff. -->
**Blocker or acknowledgement:** <!-- Record why continuation is blocked or confirm the next action. -->
Questions
AI agent handoff FAQ
What is an AI agent handoff checklist?
It is a verification list for transferring work from one agent or person to another. It checks that objective, state, decisions, evidence, constraints, next action, and ownership are explicit and usable.
What belongs in an AI agent handoff?
Include the objective and acceptance criteria, current state, material decisions, source evidence, operating constraints, one bounded next action, and the identity responsible for continuing.
Is a HANDOFF.md file enough?
A Markdown file can be sufficient for a small local workflow when it is current, complete, and accessible. A shared system becomes useful when multiple actors need authenticated access, immutable revisions, search, annotations, or auditable ownership.
How do two agents verify a handoff?
The receiving agent reads the current revision and every required artifact, confirms its identity and access, reproduces one important claim or result, restates the next action, and records whether the handoff passed or is blocked.