# Handoff

> A handoff is the transfer of an ongoing task or conversation from one agent to another that specializes in it, typically implemented as a tool the first agent can call to delegate control.

- Identifier: PTL-0142
- Category: Agents & Orchestration
- Canonical URL: https://protologue.com/t/handoff/
- Also known as: agent handoff, agent transfer, delegation

## Description

Handoffs let a triage agent route users to, for example, a billing or technical support agent, each with its own instructions and tools. Unlike orchestrator-workers, where control returns to the orchestrator, a handoff passes control along. What context is passed with it decides whether the receiving agent can continue without asking again.

## Related terms

- [Routing](https://protologue.com/t/routing/)
- [Orchestrator-Workers](https://protologue.com/t/orchestrator-workers/)
- [Multi-Agent System](https://protologue.com/t/multi-agent-system/)

## Sources

- OpenAI (2025). Handoffs. https://openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/handoffs/

## Cite this entry

Protologue. (2026). Handoff. In Protologue: A Taxonomy of Prompting and LLM Techniques (v1.4.0, PTL-0142). https://protologue.com/t/handoff/

License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)