An architect is designing an agent handoff protocol from a Claude orchestrator to a specialized code review subagent. What information must the handoff packet include to enable the subagent to operate effectively without requiring further orchestrator interaction?
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Short Explanation and Infographic
Here's the deal — an effective agent handoff packet must include four elements: (1) task objective — what specifically the code review should accomplish; (2) relevant context — PR description, coding standards, related files, or constraints; (3) success criteria — what constitutes a complete review (e.g., security check, style compliance, logic correctness); and (4) output format — how results should be structured for the orchestrator to consume programmatically. Option A (only code diff) is insufficient — without coding standards and objectives, the subagent cannot calibrate the review appropriately.
Full explanation below image
Full Explanation
An effective agent handoff packet must include four elements: (1) task objective — what specifically the code review should accomplish; (2) relevant context — PR description, coding standards, related files, or constraints; (3) success criteria — what constitutes a complete review (e.g., security check, style compliance, logic correctness); and (4) output format — how results should be structured for the orchestrator to consume programmatically. Option A (only code diff) is insufficient — without coding standards and objectives, the subagent cannot calibrate the review appropriately. Option C (full orchestrator history) passes irrelevant context, wastes tokens, and may expose sensitive information from earlier in the orchestrator's session. Option D (orchestrator's system prompt) is incorrect — the subagent has its own specialized system prompt and should not replicate the orchestrator's behavioral constraints.