OpenClaw automations

Sessions, subagents, and handoffs explained

This page tells you how to choose the right delegation shape instead of mixing timing, routing, and ownership into one fuzzy idea.

Short ruleSessions shape context, subagents shape bounded delegated work, and handoffs shape what the next owner should receive.

Choose the shape

Which tool fits which kind of work?

Isolated sessionBest for clean one-shot work where a bounded result matters more than inherited context.

SubagentBest for side investigations, code/test branches, or bounded production steps.

HandoffBest when the next owner needs a precise artifact, status, and expected next action.

Useful examples

Need a side research sweepSpawn a subagent with a bounded task and bring back a result.

Need a fresh isolated build stepUse a clean session when current transcript noise would only confuse the child.

Need the next role to continue a pipelineWrite an artifact-first handoff that says what should exist next and how success will be checked.

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