CLAUDE.md + handoff.md + Start/Stop Hooks: Claude Code Always Knows What to Work On Next

@joey_systemsCapturedClaude Code / Skills

Exact instruction

Run /init in terminal to create CLAUDE.md.
Prompt: 'Create a handoff.md file as a session handoff. Include: what was worked on last session, what needs to be worked on immediately next session.'
Create start hook: tells Claude to read handoff.md alongside CLAUDE.md at session start (see @joey_systems for exact terminal command).
Create stop hook: tells Claude to update CLAUDE.md with big changes and update handoff.md with work summary + next steps.
Both hooks run automatically — no manual action needed between sessions.

Suggested prompt

Create a handoff.md file. Include: (1) Summary of what was worked on this session, (2) Current state of the codebase (what's working, what's broken), (3) The next 3 specific tasks to work on immediately in the next session, in priority order.

Adopt?

Yes: This is the most complete session-continuity pattern shown so far. The dual-hook approach (auto-read on start + auto-write on stop) requires zero manual effort and solves session amnesia permanently. Especially valuable for long-running projects in Claude Code / GitHub Codespaces.

Find the resource

@joey_systems posted the exact terminal commands for the start and stop hooks in the video — check the original post for the precise hook syntax.

show original caption

set this up on every Claude Code project so it always knows exactly what to work on next#claudecode #tips #saas #vibecode