Handoff
One agent passing the task — and the context it needs — to another agent.
Think of it like
A relay runner passing the baton, except what’s passed is everything the next runner needs to know.
Example
A triage agent gathers the customer’s details, then hands off to a returns agent with the order number and reason already filled in.
How it actually works
A handoff transfers control plus enough state for the receiver to continue without re-asking. The quality of a multi-agent system lives here: pass too little and the next agent flounders; pass a giant dump and it drowns in irrelevance. Clean handoffs — the right summary at the right moment — are what separate a smooth agent chain from a game of telephone.
For product teams
The seam where multi-agent systems feel either seamless or maddeningly repetitive.
For engineers
Transfer of control and relevant state from one agent to another, typically via a structured message or shared context.
Related
- Multi-Agent — The systems where handoffs happen constantly.
- Agent State — What gets carried across the handoff.
- Orchestration — The layer that routes these transfers.
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