Project Spawn

Overview

Transfer context from the current conversation to a new session in a different project directory. This enables seamless context handoff when pivoting from a general session to focused project work.

Platform Support

• Claude Code: claude CLI
• Codex: codex CLI

The handoff workflow is identical on both platforms.

Workflow

Step 1: Resolve Target Project

Determine the target project directory:

1. If explicit path/name provided: Use directly
2. If project name provided: Search for matching directories in common locations (~/repos/, ~/projects/, etc.)
3. If no target specified: Detect from recent conversation context or ask the user

Step 1b: Handle Non-Existent Directory

If target directory doesn't exist, ask user:

"Directory <path> doesn't exist. Want me to create it?"

• Create folder only
• Create folder + init git repo
• Create folder + init git + create GitHub repo (public)
• Create folder + init git + create GitHub repo (private)
• Cancel

Create as requested before proceeding to Step 2.

Step 2: Extract Relevant Context

Analyze the last 5-10 messages for content relevant to the target project:

• Tasks or work items discussed
• Specific files, scripts, or features mentioned
• Decisions made or questions raised
• Any errors or issues identified
• Uncommitted changes noted

Focus only on information relevant to the target project, not the entire conversation.

Step 3: Create Handoff Document

Write PROJECT_HANDOFF.md to the target project directory:

# Project Handoff - [DATE] [TIME]

## Context
[Why this handoff is happening - what triggered the pivot]

## Discussion Summary
[Relevant context extracted from conversation]

## Specific Tasks/Questions
- [Actionable items identified]

## Files/Areas Mentioned
- [Specific files or code areas referenced]

## Suggested Starting Point
[What to do first in this session]

Step 4: Launch Session

~/.claude/skills/project-spawn/scripts/spawn_session.sh "<project-path>" "<session-name>" [--agent claude|codex]

Options:

The script will:

1. Create a new tmux session named after the project
2. Change to the project directory
3. Start the AI agent with initial prompt to read the handoff

Platform-specific launch commands:

• Claude Code: claude
• Codex: codex

Step 5: Confirm to User

Report:

Spawned: <session-name>
Directory: <project-path>
Handoff: PROJECT_HANDOFF.md created

To attach: tmux attach -t <session-name>

Quick Reference

Invocation: /spawn <project-name-or-path> or /spawn (auto-detect)

Session naming: Uses repo folder name (e.g., my-project)

Handoff location: <project-dir>/PROJECT_HANDOFF.md

Examples:

# Spawn with auto-detected agent
/spawn my-project

# Use Codex instead of Claude
/spawn my-project --agent codex

Setup

chmod +x ~/.claude/skills/project-spawn/scripts/*.sh

Resources

scripts/

• spawn_session.sh - Creates tmux session and launches AI agent with handoff context