Handback
Terminal-message contract for an autonomous arc that has run out of agent-executable work and genuinely needs a human. Produces a WORK ORDER — asks first, each one an imperative addressed to the reader, carrying a default so silence is never fatal (the exception is narrow and must be named: irreversible, externally visible, or spends money) — followed by the unchanged nine-item receipt. Distinct from `handoff` (same arc, different reader: `handoff` writes `docs/handoffs/` for the NEXT AGENT; `handback` writes the chat message for the HUMAN AS DECISION-MAKER). Asking is the last resort, not the interface: no ask may exist until the seven-rung autonomy ladder has been climbed and recorded. Use when: (1) an autonomous arc is stopping and at least one ask is open, (2) the user asks "what do you need from me" / "what's blocking", (3) a lane has parked on a human dependency and the arc is notifying, (4) writing any message whose purpose is to obtain a decision. Triggers on "handback", "hand back", "what do you need from me", "what is blocking", "blocked on you", "what should I decide", "unblock", "your call".
Security AStatic scan found no risk patternsHow grading works ›
From the source SKILL.md
Spec: broomva/workspace → docs/specs/2026-08-18-agent-handback-contract.html (BRO-2179).
What this skill does
Handback is a community-contributed Claude Code skill in the ai-tooling sub-category. It ships as a SKILL.md file that Claude Code auto-discovers under ~/.claude/skills/handback/ and loads when your prompt matches the skill's trigger.
When to invoke it: Use when: (1) an autonomous arc is stopping and at least one ask is open, (2) the user asks "what do you need from me" / "what's blocking", (3) a lane has parked on a human dependency and the arc is notifying, (4) writing any message whose purpose is to obtain a decision. Triggers on "handback", "hand back", "what do you need from me", "what is blocking", "blocked on you", "what should I decide", "unblock", "your call".
Who uses this skill
The Handback Claude Code skill is built for Claude Code users and developers across all disciplines looking for general-purpose AI assistance. It's part of ClaudSkills (also referred to as Claude Skills or Claude Code Skills) — the open community-curated registry of 196,000+ SKILL.md files for Anthropic's Claude Code agent and the wider Claude ecosystem (Claude API, Claude Agent SDK).
How to install
Free
Manual install (2 steps)
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/handback
curl -L https://claudskills.com/skills/handback/SKILL.md \
-o ~/.claude/skills/handback/SKILL.md
Or just download SKILL.md directly and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/handback/. Claude Code auto-discovers it on next session.
Skills live at ~/.claude/skills/handback/SKILL.md on macOS/Linux, or %USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\handback\SKILL.md on Windows. See the full install guide for step-by-step instructions.
Telegram
📱 Install from your phone or desktop Telegram
Open @claudskills_bot on Telegram, tap Open Desktop App, and the desktop app installs this skill for you. Or share the bot link with a colleague — they get the same one-tap install. Learn more →
Pro
One-click install via the desktop app
The ClaudSkills desktop app installs any skill directly into ~/.claude/skills/ with one click — no terminal required. Pro starts at $9/mo or $149 lifetime.
Pro
For the full experience including quality scoring and one-click install features for each skill — upgrade to Pro.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Handback Claude Code skill?
Install via the ClaudSkills desktop app (one click) or copy
SKILL.md from the source repository to
~/.claude/skills/handback/SKILL.md and restart Claude Code. Both flows are detailed at
claudskills.com/install/.
What does the Handback skill do?
Terminal-message contract for an autonomous arc that has run out of agent-executable work and genuinely needs a human. Produces a WORK ORDER — asks first, each one an imperative addressed to the reader, carrying a default so silence is never fatal (the exception is narrow and must be named: irreversible, externally visible, or spends money) — followed by the unchanged nine-item receipt. Distinct from `handoff` (same arc, different reader: `handoff` writes `docs/handoffs/` for the NEXT AGENT; `handback` writes the chat message for the HUMAN AS DECISION-MAKER). Asking is the last resort, not the interface: no ask may exist until the seven-rung autonomy ladder has been climbed and recorded. Use when: (1) an autonomous arc is stopping and at least one ask is open, (2) the user asks "what do you need from me" / "what's blocking", (3) a lane has parked on a human dependency and the arc is notifying, (4) writing any message whose purpose is to obtain a decision. Triggers on "handback", "hand back", "what do you need from me", "what is blocking", "blocked on you", "what should I decide", "unblock", "your call".
Is this skill free to install?
Yes. ClaudSkills is an open registry — every skill keeps its source repository's license, and manual install via copy is free. ClaudSkills Pro ($9/mo, $79/yr, or $149 one-time) adds one-click install via the desktop app and a multi-signal Quality Score.
When should I use the Handback skill?
Use Handback when your Claude Code task falls under the General category — specifically in the ai tooling area. Claude Code auto-discovers installed skills and invokes the right one based on the task description, so you can also ask Claude directly (e.g. "use Handback" or describe the task and let Claude pick). Browse related skills at
/category/general/.
What is a Claude Code skill and how does the Handback skill fit in?
A Claude Code skill is a
SKILL.md file that lives under
~/.claude/skills/<name>/ and tells the Claude Code CLI agent how to perform a specific task (instructions, prompts, allowed tools). Skills are auto-discovered at session start. Handback is one of 67,000+ skills indexed in the open ClaudSkills catalog, classified under the General category. Learn more at
/learn/what-is-a-claude-skill/.
Attribution & license
Cite this skill
If you reference this skill in a blog post, paper, or documentation, you can cite it as:
APA
broomva. (2026). Handback [Claude Code skill]. ClaudSkills. https://claudskills.com/skills/handback/
BibTeX
@misc{handback-2026,
author = {broomva},
title = {Handback [Claude Code skill]},
year = {2026},
publisher = {ClaudSkills},
url = {https://claudskills.com/skills/handback/}
}Embed this skill
Promote, attribute, or link this skill from your own README, blog post, or documentation. All three snippets are free to use — no sign-up, no API key. More distribution surfaces →
Badge
[](https://claudskills.com/skills/handback/?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=readme&utm_campaign=skill_badge)
<script>
<script src="https://claudskills.com/embed/handback.js" async></script>
<iframe>
<iframe src="https://claudskills.com/embed/handback.html" width="100%" height="160" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="ClaudSkills: Handback"></iframe>
Security scan
Grade A · scanned 2026-09-28 — free static scan against the OWASP Agentic Skills Top 10.
No risk patterns were found in any of the ten OWASP-aligned categories. How grading works ›
- ✓ Prompt injection
- ✓ Data exfiltration
- ✓ Supply chain
- ✓ Reverse shell
- ✓ Credentials
- ✓ Execution
- ✓ Filesystem
- ✓ Persistence
- ✓ Obfuscation
- ✓ Network
Show this grade on your repo (click to copy):
[](https://claudskills.com/skills/handback/#security)
More General skills
Browse all General skills in the ClaudSkills registry, or explore these other picks from the same category:
Part of Acreator Store — Adam Lankamer's AI tools:
PerfectStudio ·
Ucaption ·
UTagger ·
AutoXPoster ·
TestYourSkills ·
AutomationFlows ·
Au Naturel ·
Telegram @acreatorstore