A completed example
This fictional example shows the level of detail to aim for. It is not a customer's work history.
Handoff notes From: Priya (out Mon 13 Oct to Fri 24 Oct, not checking email) To: Tomas Back on: Mon 27 Oct Urgent while I am away - Harbor Street newsletter goes out Thu 16 Oct at 9:00. The final draft is Oct issue v4 in the Newsletters folder. Send only after Dana approves the subject line. - Greenline Print invoice is due Tue 21 Oct. Approve it in the finance portal if the total matches quote Q-118. If it does not match, hold it and email Leo. In progress - Spring catalog copy: 8 of 12 product pages written. Pages 9-12 have notes but no copy. This can wait until I am back. - Pricing page refresh: waiting on legal review of the refund wording, sent Fri 10 Oct. If they reply, paste their wording into section 3 and leave the rest of the page alone. Not started, can wait - Q4 email calendar. Please do not start it. I want to plan it with Dana. Where things are - Files: shared drive, Marketing > Priya handoff Oct - Logins: team password manager, entry named Newsletter tool People - Dana, marketing lead: approves anything customer-facing - Leo at Greenline Print: invoice and delivery questions Decisions you can make - Typo and small copy fixes - Moving the newsletter by up to one day Check with Dana first - Anything that changes prices, dates or refund terms
Make it yours
Your draft
The example is fictional. Edits stay in this page and disappear when you leave. Copy or download your work to keep it.
How to fill it in
- Fill in your dates first, including whether you will check messages, so your colleague knows if contacting you is an option.
- List only tasks with a real deadline during your leave under Urgent, each with a date, the file location and who approves it.
- For each project in progress, write how far along it is and exactly what you are waiting on, so nobody redoes finished work.
- Point to where files and logins live instead of pasting passwords into the document.
- Spell out which decisions your colleague can make alone and which need sign-off, then walk through the notes with them before your last day.
Start from your actual work
On a Mac, Dayflow can help you remember the work behind the update. It drafts a timeline from screen activity. Export a date range as Markdown from Settings → Export. Review that record alongside your calendar and task tracker, then fill in the template above.
For a guided walkthrough, see exporting your work history or drafting a report with Claude Code. Check the assistant's draft before sending it.
Local AI keeps screenshot analysis on-device. Your own cloud provider or Dayflow Pro processes selected screenshots off-device. An assistant can receive the Dayflow data it retrieves in your conversation. Local storage does not make a cloud assistant conversation local. Read the data-flow guide before choosing a workflow.
Questions about this template
What should be included in handoff notes before leave?
Include your dates away, urgent tasks with deadlines, work in progress and what it is waiting on, tasks that can wait, where files and logins are stored, key contacts, and which decisions your colleague can make without you. Keep each item short and specific enough that someone can act on it without asking you a follow-up question.
How far in advance should I write handoff notes?
Start a few days before you leave so you can add items as they come up, then finalize them on your second-to-last day. That leaves time to walk your colleague through the notes, answer questions, and grant any access they need while you are still around to fix gaps.
Do handoff notes give my colleague the access or authority they need?
No. Handoff notes describe the work, but they do not grant system permissions, approval rights or signing authority. Ask your manager or IT to set up access before you leave, and confirm your colleague can actually log in to every tool the notes mention.
How do I remember everything I was working on before writing handoff notes?
Look back over your calendar, sent email and recent files for the past two weeks. Dayflow can draft a timeline of your work from screen activity on a Mac, which can jog your memory, but you still need to check it for accuracy and add offline work like calls, meetings and promises made in person.
Should handoff notes include passwords?
No. Write where credentials are stored, such as a team password manager entry, rather than the passwords themselves. Handoff notes often get forwarded or saved in shared folders, so anything sensitive in them can end up with people who should not have it.
Use the right format for the next step
- Weekly status report for a concise progress update.
- Daily work log for a record you can come back to.
- Daily standup template for yesterday, today, and blockers.
Download Dayflow