Templates for the four-document handoff protocol used in The Unbroken Method.
These documents ensure perfect context transfer between sessions, whether you're handing off to yourself tomorrow or to a teammate.
When a session must end, create these four documents:
| Document | Purpose | Audience |
|---|---|---|
| CONTINUATION_PROMPT | Complete standalone context for next session (consolidates session history) | Next AI session |
| AGENT_PLAN | Remaining work breakdown with investigation steps | Next AI session |
| FEATURES | New features implemented this session | External consumers (website, marketing) |
| CHANGELOG | Detailed changes in standard format | External consumers (release notes) |
CRITICAL PREREQUISITE: Before creating handoff documents, ensure ALL technical documentation is up-to-date: - Subsystem docs if you modified a component - Flow diagrams if you changed data flows - Specifications if you completed a feature
Rule: Documentation is NOT optional. Code without docs is incomplete work.
Purpose: Everything the next session needs to continue immediately, including session history.
Critical Rule: This document must be STANDALONE. No external references. The next session should be able to start productive work with ONLY this document.
# Continuation Prompt - [Date] [Time]
## Context Summary
[2-3 sentences: What is this project? What were we working on?]
---
## Completed This Session
### [Task/Feature 1]
- What was done: [Specific description]
- Files modified: [List files]
- Testing performed: [What was tested, results]
- Commits: [Commit hashes/messages]
### [Task/Feature 2]
- What was done: [Specific description]
- Files modified: [List files]
- Testing performed: [What was tested, results]
- Commits: [Commit hashes/messages]
---
## Documentation Updated
- [List any subsystem docs, flow diagrams, or specs that were updated]
- [Or "None" if no documentation changes were needed]
---
## Current State
### Build Status
- Last build: [Success/Failure]
- Build command: `[command]`
- Known warnings: [List or "None"]
### Test Status
- Tests passing: [Yes/No/Partial]
- Test command: `[command]`
- Failing tests: [List or "None"]
### Runtime Status
- Application runs: [Yes/No]
- Known issues: [List or "None"]
---
## Pending Work
### Priority 1: [Task Name]
**Why:** [Why this is important]
**Approach:** [How to tackle it]
**Files involved:** [Key files]
**Success criteria:** [How to know it's done]
### Priority 2: [Task Name]
**Why:** [Why this is important]
**Approach:** [How to tackle it]
**Files involved:** [Key files]
**Success criteria:** [How to know it's done]
---
## Session History (Decisions & Lessons)
### Decisions Made
- **[Decision 1]:** [What was decided and why]
- **[Decision 2]:** [What was decided and why]
### What Worked
- [Successful approach or decision]
- [Successful approach or decision]
### What Didn't Work
- [Failed approach and why]
- [Failed approach and why]
### Anti-Patterns Discovered
- [New anti-pattern to avoid]
---
## Key Files Reference
project/ ├── [key-file-1] # [What it does] ├── [key-file-2] # [What it does] └── [key-dir/] # [What it contains]
---
## Starting Instructions
**First thing to do:**
1. [Specific first action]
2. [Specific second action]
**Build and verify:**
```bash
[build command]
[test command]
Then continue with: [Next task from Priority 1]
---
## 2. AGENT_PLAN Template
**Purpose:** Detailed breakdown of remaining work with investigation steps.
```markdown
# Agent Plan - [Date] [Time]
## Remaining Tasks (Priority Order)
---
### Task 1: [Name]
**Priority:** High/Medium/Low
**Estimated Time:** [X hours]
**Dependencies:** [None / Task X must complete first]
**Description:**
[What needs to be done and why]
**Investigation Steps:**
1. [ ] Read [specific file/section]
2. [ ] Search for [pattern/usage]
3. [ ] Test [specific behavior]
4. [ ] [Other investigation]
**Implementation Steps:**
1. [ ] [Specific implementation step]
2. [ ] [Specific implementation step]
3. [ ] [Specific implementation step]
**Testing:**
- [ ] [Test case 1]
- [ ] [Test case 2]
- [ ] Build passes
- [ ] Integration test
**Success Criteria:**
- [Measurable outcome 1]
- [Measurable outcome 2]
---
### Task 2: [Name]
[Same structure as Task 1]
---
## Known Blockers
### Blocker: [Name]
**Impact:** [What it blocks]
**Proposed Solution:** [How to resolve]
**Owner:** [Who can resolve this / needs user input]
---
## Questions for User
- [Question needing clarification]
- [Decision needing user input]
---
## Time Estimates
| Task | Estimate | Notes |
|------|----------|-------|
| Task 1 | X hours | [Any caveats] |
| Task 2 | X hours | [Any caveats] |
| **Total** | **X hours** | |
Purpose: New features implemented this session, for external consumers like website or marketing.
# Features - [Date]
## New Features
### [Feature Name]
**What it does:**
[User-facing description of the feature]
**How to use it:**
[Instructions or examples for end users]
**Technical details:**
[Brief technical notes if relevant]
---
### [Feature Name 2]
**What it does:**
[User-facing description]
**How to use it:**
[Instructions or examples]
---
## Improvements
- [Improvement 1]: [Brief description of what got better]
- [Improvement 2]: [Brief description of what got better]
---
## Bug Fixes (User-Facing)
- [Bug fix 1]: [What was broken and is now fixed]
- [Bug fix 2]: [What was broken and is now fixed]
---
## Documentation Updates
- [New doc 1]: [Brief description]
- [Updated doc 1]: [What changed]
Purpose: User-facing summary of changes (for release notes, website, etc.).
# Changelog - [Date]
## [Version or Date Range]
### Added
- [New feature description]
- [New feature description]
### Changed
- [Change description]
- [Change description]
### Fixed
- [Bug fix description]
- [Bug fix description]
### Removed
- [Removed feature/code description]
### Security
- [Security-related change]
### Breaking Changes
- [Breaking change with migration notes]
---
## Detailed Changes
### [Feature Name]
[Longer description for documentation/marketing purposes]
**What it does:**
[User-facing description]
**How to use it:**
[Instructions or examples]
---
## Migration Notes
[If there are breaking changes, explain how users should update]
---
## Contributors
- [Name/handle] - [Contribution]
Before finalizing handoff documents:
Recommended directory structure:
project-docs/
├── YYYY-MM-DD/
│ └── HHMM/
│ ├── CONTINUATION_PROMPT.md
│ ├── AGENT_PLAN.md
│ ├── FEATURES.md
│ └── CHANGELOG.md