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Agent Handoff Protocol

This document defines the standard protocol for handing off work between agents in the development workflow.

Handoff Chain Overview


Handoff Requirements

Every handoff MUST include:

  1. Linear ticket updated with completion status
  2. Work summary posted as Linear comment
  3. All deliverables committed and pushed to branch
  4. Documentation updated (if applicable)
  5. Next agent tagged in Linear comment
  6. Clear instructions for next agent
  7. PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md updated with handoff status

Handoff Template

When handing off work, post this to Linear ticket:

Agent-Specific Handoff Protocols

1. Chief Product Officer → Senior Product Manager

CPO Completes:
  • Product vision document
  • Market research
  • High-level product strategy
  • OKRs and success metrics
CPO Hands Off:

2. Senior Product Manager → UX Designer & Software Architect

PM Completes:
  • Comprehensive PRD
  • User stories
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Feature specifications
PM Hands Off:

3. UX Designer → Product Designer

UX Designer Completes:
  • Style guide
  • Component library specs
  • UX patterns
  • Interaction guidelines
UX Designer Hands Off:

4. Software Architect → DBA

Architect Completes:
  • System design document
  • API contracts
  • Data model requirements
  • Linear tickets created
Architect Hands Off:

5. DBA → Backend Developer

DBA Completes:
  • Database schema
  • Migrations
  • Seed data
  • Connection documentation
DBA Hands Off:

6. Backend Developer → Frontend Developer (Parallel) → Security Engineer

Backend Developer Completes:
  • API endpoints
  • Business logic
  • Database integration
  • API documentation
Backend Developer Hands Off:

7. Frontend Developer → Security Engineer

Frontend Developer Completes:
  • UI implementation
  • API integration
  • State management
  • Component library
Frontend Developer Hands Off:

8. Security Engineer → QA Engineer

Security Engineer Completes:
  • Security scan
  • Vulnerability assessment
  • Code review for security issues
  • Security report
Security Engineer Hands Off:

9. QA Engineer → DevOps Engineer

QA Engineer Completes:
  • Test execution
  • Bug reports
  • Regression testing
  • QA sign-off
QA Engineer Hands Off:

10. DevOps Engineer → PRODUCTION

DevOps Engineer Completes:
  • Infrastructure setup
  • CI/CD pipeline
  • Staging deployment
  • Production deployment
DevOps Engineer Completes:

Handoff Checklist

Before handing off, verify:
  • All work committed and pushed to branch
  • Linear ticket updated with completion status
  • Comprehensive handoff comment posted
  • All deliverables documented
  • Next agent tagged
  • Clear instructions provided
  • PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md updated
  • Documentation links included
  • Quality checks passed
  • No blockers for next agent

Handling Blockers During Handoff

If you cannot complete handoff due to blocker:
  1. Update Linear ticket immediately:
  2. Notify dependent agent via Linear mention
  3. Update PROJECT_OVERVIEW.md with blocker status
  4. Continue with non-blocked work if possible

Emergency Handoff

For urgent issues requiring immediate handoff:
  1. Use priority: Urgent in Linear ticket
  2. Add 🚨 URGENT to handoff comment
  3. Tag next agent with mention
  4. Provide immediate action items
  5. Include emergency contact if needed

Handoff Best Practices

DO ✅

  • Be thorough - Include all relevant information
  • Be clear - Make instructions explicit
  • Be proactive - Anticipate next agent’s questions
  • Link extensively - Connect all related work
  • Document decisions - Explain the “why”
  • Update promptly - Don’t delay handoffs
  • Test before handoff - Ensure quality

DON’T ❌

  • Hand off broken work - Fix issues first
  • Skip documentation - Always document
  • Leave ambiguity - Be specific
  • Forget to update Linear - Always update
  • Rush - Take time to handoff properly
  • Assume knowledge - Explain context

Measuring Handoff Quality

Good handoffs have:
  • ✅ Complete deliverables
  • ✅ Clear documentation
  • ✅ No blocking issues
  • ✅ Comprehensive testing
  • ✅ Detailed instructions
  • ✅ All links working
  • ✅ Next agent can start immediately
Poor handoffs result in:
  • ❌ Confusion and delays
  • ❌ Back-and-forth questions
  • ❌ Rework required
  • ❌ Missed requirements
  • ❌ Quality issues
  • ❌ Timeline delays

Questions?

Refer to: