# Compaction and Handoff Notes — Advanced Agent Workflows and Skills

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/agent-workflows/ctx-compaction-handoff

> Carry long tasks across context resets with summaries and a progress file.

## Plan for the reset

Long tasks outgrow one context window. **Compaction** summarises the conversation so work can continue. For multi-hour work, have the agent keep a **progress file** in the repo (what is done, what is next, decisions made) so a fresh session can resume from facts, not memory.

## A progress file

Short, factual and current. Ask the agent to update it after each completed step.

```markdown
# PROGRESS.md

## Done
- Migrated users table to new schema (PR #41)
- Added tests for login

## Next
- Migrate orders table

## Decisions
- Keep old column for one release; drop in next.
```

**Quiz:** Why keep a progress file for a long task?

- [x] So a fresh session can resume from recorded facts
- [ ] To make the repo larger
- [ ] Because Git requires it
- [ ] To avoid writing tests

*Answer:* So a fresh session can resume from recorded facts. Written state survives context resets; memory inside a conversation does not.