---
name: rotate-agent
description: Rotate a bloated long-running subagent into a fresh one via the `handoff` skill. Use when a delegate's replies degrade, when the user says "rotate the agent" or "context is bloated", or before handing a long pipeline to a successor agent.
---

# Rotate agent

On Codex, message the running agent with `send_input` and spawn its
successor with `spawn_agent`; see `../poteto-mode/references/codex-tools.md`.

Swap a bloated subagent for a fresh one with zero pipeline loss. The SPAWNER
runs this, never the bloated agent: it cannot self-certify rotation.

Rotate when the delegate passes ~250k tokens, when its replies degrade (forgets
policies, repeats work), or when the user asks.

1. **Wrap up.** Message the agent: finish IN-FLIGHT work only, no new phases.
   Then invoke the `handoff` skill (topic = the agent role) and add exact
   pipeline position (each task, its stage, briefs issued) and key seams.
   Report the path back. Stop.
2. **Verify.** Never trust the wrap-up report. File exists at the reported
   path, tree otherwise clean, sections match repo reality (spot-check commits
   and test claims).
3. **Spawn the successor.** Same type, fresh. Founding brief carries the
   handoff path plus any user directive VERBATIM; the successor inherits brief
   and handoff only, never chat history.
4. **Confirm pickup.** Successor's first report restates the pipeline from the
   handoff. Mismatch -> fix the handoff, not the successor's memory.

Agent dead or unresponsive -> write the handoff yourself from repo evidence
(git log, docs, test runs), then step 3.