Switching between AI coding tools without losing context

You start a task in one agent, get interrupted, then switch to another agent to finish. By the time you return to the first agent, the half-done work has vanished from its memory, and you have to explain everything again. Changed files are saved, but the assumptions, rejected approaches, and in-progress reasoning are not. The new agent starts from scratch unless you carry that context explicitly.

What must travel with the task

Not every detail matters when you switch agents. Only four things need to move: the files you changed, the approaches you tried and rejected, the assumptions you made, and the intent you had for the next steps. Everything else is noise. If you record those four items before you switch, the new agent can pick up where you left off without rehashing the past.

Changed files

These are the files you edited, added, or deleted. They already live in your working copy, so you do not need to copy them. What you do need is a concise list of what changed and why, so the next agent knows which files to focus on and what to review first.

Rejected approaches

Every attempted solution that did not work carries useful information. Recording which paths failed saves the next agent from repeating the same mistakes. A short note like "tried dynamic imports, caused circular dependencies" is enough to avoid the same dead end.

Assumptions

Assumptions are the invisible scaffolding of a task. If you assumed a library version or a data format, write it down. The new agent may have a different set of assumptions and can correct or confirm yours before proceeding.

Intent for the next steps

What were you planning to do next? A short sentence like "refactor the error handler to use the new logger" tells the next agent the immediate goal. Without it, the agent defaults to re-implementing the entire task from scratch.

How to record the context before you switch

Before you close the current agent or switch tools, spend two minutes writing down the four items above. You do not need a formal document; a single update in the task record is enough. The goal is to make the context reproducible, not literary. If you use a workspace that tracks these items automatically, even better.

Write a concise update

Start with a header that names the task and the agent you are leaving. Then list the four items in order: changed files, rejected approaches, assumptions, and next intent. Two or three sentences per item is plenty. Avoid long narratives; the point is to jog your own memory and inform the next agent, not to write documentation.

Changed files: added error-handler.js, updated logger.js. Rejected: tried dynamic imports, caused circular dependencies. Assumed logger v3.2 for structured logs. Next: refactor error handler to use new logger.

If your workspace surfaces overlap warnings when two agents touch the same files, resolve them before switching. Overlap warnings arrive when an agent claims work, which the five tools each contribute to in a different way.

Attach the update to the task

Place the update where the next agent will find it. If you use a shared workspace, append it to the task thread. If you rely on local files, drop it in a known location like a TASK.md in the root. The location must be discoverable and persistent across sessions.

How to pick up the task in the new agent

When you open the task in the new agent, the first step is to read the update you left. Pull the changed files into your working copy, review the rejected approaches to avoid dead ends, confirm the assumptions, and align on the next intent. Only then should you start editing. Skipping this step forces the agent to rediscover context that you already captured.

Load the changed files

Check out the branch or commit that contains the changed files. If your agent works in a sandbox, import the files explicitly. The goal is to start from the exact state the previous agent left, so the new agent sees the same diffs and can continue editing without conflicts.

Review the update

Open the update you left and read it line by line. If the update is too long, ask the previous agent for a summary. The summary should include the next intent and any blocked items. Without this, the new agent will either stall or redo work you already completed.

Confirm assumptions

List the assumptions in the update and verify each one in your environment. If an assumption is wrong, correct it before proceeding. A single wrong assumption can derail the entire task, so treat this as a gate, not an afterthought.

Align on the next intent

The next intent tells the new agent what to focus on first. If the intent is to refactor a module, the agent will start there. If the intent is to test a specific behavior, the agent will target that behavior. Without intent, the agent defaults to a full rewrite, which wastes time and introduces new issues.

What to do if you forget to record context before switching

If you switch agents without recording context, you can still recover it by inspecting the previous agent’s session. Look for the last prompt and reply, the changed files, and any error messages. Reconstruct the four items from those artifacts. It is slower than recording up front, but it is better than starting over.

Inspect the previous session

Open the previous agent and review its last few prompts and replies. The prompt usually states the intent, and the reply shows the changes and any rejected approaches. If the agent logs its session, use that log to reconstruct the context.

Compare file diffs

Use git to list the changed files since the last commit. Then review the diffs to see what was altered. The diffs reveal the scope of the work and any partial solutions that were already implemented. Pair this with the agent’s session log to fill in the gaps.

Ask for a summary

If the previous agent is still running or its session is accessible, ask it to summarize what it did, what it tried, and what assumptions it made. A good agent will return a concise summary you can use to rebuild the context. This is a fallback, not a primary method, but it works when you forget to record up front.

Switching agents without losing context is a matter of capturing four items before you leave and reading them when you arrive. The items are small, but they carry the weight of the work. If you treat them as mandatory overhead, you will spend more time rediscovering context than writing code. If you treat them as a natural part of the handoff, the switch becomes seamless.