ctx-handoff plugin
The ctx-handoff plugin for Claude Code: hands a long session to a fresh one, keeps cache warm and learns your corrections.
- 127 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
- MIT
Broad access
Why this level
- Hooks intervene in the conversation: they clear context, send background requests and may block tool calls after you agree.
- Reads your conversations and writes project notes to `~/.claude/projects/`, with requests to Sonnet 5.5 spending your subscription.
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add plugins/ctx-handoffDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewBroad accessThe tool can change data, run commands or handle secrets.
- Hooks intervene in the conversation: they clear context, send background requests and may block tool calls after you agree.
- Reads your conversations and writes project notes to `~/.claude/projects/`, with requests to Sonnet 5.5 spending your subscription.
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
ctx-handoff takes over the chores of long Claude Code sessions in the background, and normally you type no commands. Auto-handoff is off by default. Turned on in the settings panel, at 600k tokens it waits for Claude and its subagents, writes a summary of verified work, failed attempts, your limits and one next step, clears the conversation and continues in a fresh one. While you are away, about 50 minutes in the plugin sends a tiny request so the conversation cache does not expire. This happens up to three times (about 3.5 hours), then the plugin saves a summary without clearing: on return you choose `/handoff resume` or stay where you were. Preferences, corrections and facts go into one Markdown notes file per project, and routines you repeat become project skills. If a rule is written down but keeps getting broken, the plugin drafts a guard that applies only after you agree.
Who it is for. Claude Code users on a subscription whose sessions run for hours and hit a full context and a cold cache.
Good fit when
- The conversation is nearly full and you do not want to write a summary by hand, clear and paste it back.
- You step away for an hour and the next message should not reread the whole context.
- You repeat one instruction in every new conversation and want it turned into a project note.
- Claude retries a failing command or says done without testing, and you want a quick nudge right away.
Not a fit when
- You work through an API key, Bedrock or Vertex: the cache lasts only 5 minutes, so turn refresh off with `/handoff refresh off`.
- You need a stable product: the author calls the plugin experimental because Claude Code mods are in early access.
- Your Claude Code is older than 2.1.287: the plugin is not built for it.
Example request
Show ctx-handoff status: the context threshold and cache refresh. Then open the settings panel with /handoff panel.Limitations
The plugin needs Claude Code 2.1.287 or newer and is tested up to 2.1.302. It is built for Claude subscriptions and long sessions, for example on a model with a million-token context. Claude Code mods are in early access, so the author calls the plugin experimental. A notes update reads only the new part of the conversation with the Sonnet 5.5 model at low effort. A cache refresh costs about a tenth of the input price, a handoff costs one request and nudges are free. Summaries and notes are Markdown files in `~/.claude/projects/`. `claude plugin validate` checks what the mod may do.
How to disable. Run `claude plugin uninstall ctx-handoff@ctx-handoff-mod`. The notes in `~/.claude/projects/` remain plain Markdown files and can be deleted by hand. Details are in `docs/guide.md`.
FAQ
How do I install ctx-handoff?
Run `claude plugin marketplace add cablate/ctx-handoff-mod` and `claude plugin install ctx-handoff@ctx-handoff-mod`, then type `/handoff` in a new session. `claude plugin update ctx-handoff@ctx-handoff-mod` updates it.
How does cache refresh work?
After about 50 idle minutes the plugin sends a tiny request so the conversation cache does not expire, up to three times per idle period. Then it saves a summary without clearing. `/handoff away pause` pauses it for one conversation.
What if I work through an API key?
Turn refresh off with `/handoff refresh off`, because with an API key, Bedrock or Vertex the cache lasts only 5 minutes. Everything else keeps working.
Does the plugin send data to its own servers?
No, it has no servers of its own. It runs on your Claude Code sign-in and sends data only to Anthropic, like the conversation itself.
What is a guard?
It is a check on tool calls that reminds or blocks Claude. The plugin drafts one for a rule that is written down but keeps getting broken, and it applies only after you agree. Guards, notes and settings are visible in `/handoff panel`.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
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Comparison with similar tools
Cards that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Tool | Official | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ctx-handoff (this card) | no | 127 | |
| claude-auto-handoff | no | 125 | a plugin that swaps auto-compaction for a handoff note and a cleared session; here cache refresh, project notes, nudges and guards are added |
| Token Optimizer | no | 2,964 | a plugin that trims extra tokens and keeps work across sessions; here the focus is session handoff, cache refresh and learning from corrections |
README in short
The README frames the long-session problem with a when, without and with table and gives a two-command install. It then describes handoff before the context fills, cache refresh, project learning, returning to where you stopped, nudges, guards and a section on cost and privacy.