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# CRAFT Session Handoffs: Solving the Stateless AI Collaboration Problem
AI desktop tools like Claude Cowork are increasingly capable for multi-session projects — but they're architecturally stateless. Each session starts with an empty context window, losing all prior decisions, file states, and project context. The human becomes a manual bridge between sessions.
## Approach: Structured Handoff Protocol
CRAFT addresses this with a multi-format handoff protocol that captures complete session state in structured text files. At session end, a handoff recipe records accomplishments, decisions, file manifests, git state, active priorities, open questions, lessons learned, and persona configuration. At session start, an initialization recipe reads the latest handoff and restores full context.
The system uses four purpose-built recipes: Session Initialization (CWK-001), Direct Handoff (CWK-002), Device-Switch Handoff (CWK-002a), and Mid-Session Checkpoint (CWK-003). A two-layer initialization architecture — static CLAUDE.md bootstrap plus dynamic recipe state — provides redundancy against stale components.
A 4-layer propagation chain ensures persistent behavioral directives survive across sessions and framework updates: CLAUDE.md, project file, generator template, and enforcement recipe.
## Empirical Results
The system was validated during CRAFT's own development: 71 consecutive handoffs (H001–H071) with zero data loss. The handoff protocol survived 5+ context compaction events, multiple application crashes, and a cross-device transfer. Each session relied on the previous session's handoff for complete context restoration.
## Key Design Decisions
Handoff files are stored as structured plain text on the user's local machine — no cloud dependency, full data ownership. The handoff itself triggers an automatic git commit, providing version history of the project's session state over time.
Free public beta: [github.com/CRAFTFramework/craft-framework]
AI desktop tools like Claude Cowork are increasingly capable for multi-session projects — but they're architecturally stateless. Each session starts with an empty context window, losing all prior decisions, file states, and project context. The human becomes a manual bridge between sessions.
## Approach: Structured Handoff Protocol
CRAFT addresses this with a multi-format handoff protocol that captures complete session state in structured text files. At session end, a handoff recipe records accomplishments, decisions, file manifests, git state, active priorities, open questions, lessons learned, and persona configuration. At session start, an initialization recipe reads the latest handoff and restores full context.
The system uses four purpose-built recipes: Session Initialization (CWK-001), Direct Handoff (CWK-002), Device-Switch Handoff (CWK-002a), and Mid-Session Checkpoint (CWK-003). A two-layer initialization architecture — static CLAUDE.md bootstrap plus dynamic recipe state — provides redundancy against stale components.
A 4-layer propagation chain ensures persistent behavioral directives survive across sessions and framework updates: CLAUDE.md, project file, generator template, and enforcement recipe.
## Empirical Results
The system was validated during CRAFT's own development: 71 consecutive handoffs (H001–H071) with zero data loss. The handoff protocol survived 5+ context compaction events, multiple application crashes, and a cross-device transfer. Each session relied on the previous session's handoff for complete context restoration.
## Key Design Decisions
Handoff files are stored as structured plain text on the user's local machine — no cloud dependency, full data ownership. The handoff itself triggers an automatic git commit, providing version history of the project's session state over time.
Free public beta: [github.com/CRAFTFramework/craft-framework]
