# Handoff

> A controlled transfer of a task or conversation from one agent to another.

- Category: Agents & Autonomy
- Stage: Rising
- Also called: Transfer, Agent transfer
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/handoff

## Plain English

The AI equivalent of routing a case from support to billing, with context carried along.

## Example

A triage agent hands a refund request to a billing specialist after collecting the order ID.

## Why it matters

Good handoffs prevent lost context, repeated questions, and specialists acting without the right permissions.

## Related

- [Sub-Agent](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/sub-agent)
- [A2A](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/agent2agent)
- [Context Window](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/context-window)

## Mentioned in

- [Next.js 16: Turbopack, React Compiler, and the Future of Fast](https://www.joelcsaji.com/blog/nextjs-16-turbopack-react-compiler-future-of-fast)

## Sources

- [LangChain: Multi-Agent](https://docs.langchain.com/oss/python/langchain/multi-agent)
- [OpenAI: Function Calling](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/function-calling)