Workflow
AI Agent Project Status Handoff
Keep project status usable for the next AI session without bloating memory with transient todos.
Article packet
Workflows
Users who want AI sessions to resume work cleanly
5 min read
01
Project status is the live ledger that /brief reads before memory context.
02
Active and Backlog keep next moves separate from parked work.
03
Session logs, status files, and durable captures each do different jobs.
01
Quick answer
A project status handoff is the per-project status file maintained by /handoff: Last session, Active work, Backlog, blockers, open questions, and the next useful action.
Origin's handoff loop writes a session log, updates the per-project status md/json files, and stores durable captures. /brief reads the status file first as the authoritative what-next ledger before loading MCP context.
02
When this problem appears
Without a status handoff, the next AI session spends its first minutes asking what happened, scanning files, or repeating old checks.
03
Write status for the next agent
Focus on resumption, not narration.
- State the current goal.
- List completed changes, decisions made, and verified outcomes.
- Name blockers or unresolved questions.
- Keep fresh next-move candidates in Active and older parked work in Backlog.
- Demote stale Active items when they have not been touched recently; promote Backlog items only when work resumes.
- Point to relevant files, commands, or docs only when useful.
- Flag stale memory drift; capture the durable correction only when it should survive future sessions.
Status file shape
# <Project> - Current Status
## Last session (<date>)
- <accomplished bullet>
## Active
- <fresh next-move candidate> (added <YYYY-MM-DD>)
- <blocked item> (added <YYYY-MM-DD>) (gated: <trigger>)
## Backlog
- <older parked item> (added <YYYY-MM-DD>)04
What to check next
Temporary todos belong in task tools. Origin should keep the durable status that matters when the chat is gone.
Try the local memory loop
Install Origin, connect your AI client, and verify that capture, recall, and handoff work on your machine.
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