Pickup
Resume work by reading a handoff file from a previous session.
Process
1. Find the Handoff
If the handoff path was provided, use it directly.
If no specific handoff was given but continuation is needed, list unconsumed ones:
echo "## Available Handoffs" grep -l "consumed: false" agent/handoffs/*.md 2>/dev/null | while read file; do title=$(grep -m 1 "^# " "$file" | sed 's/^# //') basename=$(basename "$file" .md) echo "* \`$basename\`: $title" done echo "" echo "To continue: /task agent/handoffs/<name>.md"
2. Read the Handoff
Curated handoffs (markdown with frontmatter) have explicit sections — Purpose, Context, What's Next, Sources.
Session exports (<session-export> format) are raw conversation from a previous session. As you read, track all files mentioned (code, docs, knowledge files) — you'll read these in step 3.
3. Explore the Knowledge Base
This is non-negotiable. Before doing any work:
- • Follow wikilinks from overview — read knowledge files that relate to your work
- • Read the linked task file — understand the intent you're continuing
- • Read project context files — dev setup, conventions, things needed to work effectively in this codebase
- • Read files from the previous session — MUST READ sources from curated handoffs, or all files referenced throughout a session export
Continue until you feel confident about the codebase structure and task context.
Don't skim. The knowledge, pointers, and bigger picture help you build an accurate mental representation — the foundation for effective work. Documented gotchas help you avoid repeating past mistakes.
See the task command for what good exploration looks like — the concrete example there shows how to navigate from overview through wikilinks to the files you need.
4. Confirm Understanding
Briefly summarize:
- •What the purpose is (from handoff)
- •What you're about to do (the "What's Next")
- •Any clarifications needed
Ask the user to confirm, or clarify if something seems off.
5. Mark as Consumed
After loading successfully, update the handoff frontmatter:
consumed: true
6. Ready to Implement
When you understand the task and are ready to write code:
→ Invoke the implement skill
Do not write code without completing the implement checklist.
This applies even for seemingly trivial changes — they often have cross-cutting concerns you'll miss without the checklist.
Notes
- •The task file is the source of truth for intent
- •The handoff captures session-specific context the task file doesn't have