# Multi-Agent Squads: Choosing a Context Strategy for Handoffs (2026)

> Full history, summary, variables only or custom: how to choose what context passes between AI voice agents in a squad, with a decision table and examples.

Source: https://edesy.in/blog/multi-agent-squads-context-strategies-2026

**A context strategy decides what one AI agent passes to the next during a squad handoff.** Edesy
offers four: full history, summary, variables only and custom instructions. Use full history for short
calls, summary for long ones, variables only when the next agent needs a few facts, and custom when you
want to control exactly what carries over.

> **Build a two-agent squad:** [Try Edesy free](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=multi-agent-squads-context-strategies-2026) — ₹50 free credit, no card needed.

## Why context is the hard part of multi-agent calls

Splitting one big agent into specialists is easy. A receptionist agent routes, a support agent fixes,
a booking agent books. The hard part is the moment of handoff. Pass too little and the caller repeats
themselves ("I already told you my order number"). Pass too much and the next agent gets confused by a
long transcript that has nothing to do with its job, or follows instructions that were meant for the
previous agent.

We covered *when* to split into specialists in
[specialist agent handoff for sales and support](https://edesy.in/blog/specialist-agent-handoff-sales-support-ai-2026).
This post is about the next decision: *what* each specialist should receive.

## The four strategies

| Strategy | What the next agent gets | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Full history** | The whole conversation so far | Short calls; support where every detail may matter | Long calls bloat the context; old instructions can leak |
| **Summary** | An AI-written summary of the conversation | Long calls; calls with small talk or several topics | A summary can drop a detail; test it |
| **Variables only** | Just the collected variables (name, order ID, slot) | Narrow jobs: booking, payment, confirmation | The agent knows nothing that was not captured as a variable |
| **Custom** | Your own handoff instructions | Mixed needs; strict rules about what carries over | You have to write and maintain the instructions |

Variables only is also the lightest option, because the next agent starts with a small, focused
context.

## How a squad is set up on Edesy

A squad on Edesy has a few settings that interact with context:

- **Routing mode:** handoff, where the model decides when to pass the call, or deterministic order,
  where members run in a fixed sequence.
- **Default context strategy** for the whole squad, plus an **override per member**.
- **Who can hand off to whom**, so a booking agent cannot bounce the caller back to sales by accident.
- **Handoff instructions** per member, used by the custom strategy.
- **Shared variables** that persist across members.
- **Per-member voice, prompt, tools and model.**

Full details are on the [multi-agent squads feature page](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-agent/features/multi-agent-squads).

## Choosing a strategy, member by member

Think about each handoff separately, not the squad as a whole. Ask one question: *what does the
receiving agent need to do its job without asking again?*

**Receptionist to support specialist: full history.** The caller has just explained the problem in
their own words. The specialist needs those words, including the parts the receptionist did not
understand. Calls at this stage are usually short, so the cost of passing everything is small.

**Support specialist to booking agent: variables only.** The booking agent needs the name, the service
and maybe a preferred day. It does not need ten minutes of troubleshooting. Capture those values as
variables before the handoff, and set this member to variables only.

**Sales qualifier to closer, after a long call: summary.** A qualification call can run long and wander.
A summary keeps the budget, timeline and objections without the noise.

**Anything regulated or sensitive: custom.** If some details must not carry over, or the next agent must
open with a specific line, write custom handoff instructions so you control the transfer.

## A worked example: support triage

A support triage squad usually looks like this (the support triage template is a good starting point):

1. **Triage agent** greets, identifies the caller and the reason for the call, and captures
   `customer_name`, `order_id` and `issue_type` as variables.
2. **Handoff to the specialist** for that issue type. Strategy: full history, because the description of
   the problem matters.
3. **Specialist** looks up the order with a custom function, resolves or escalates, and if a visit is
   needed captures `preferred_date`.
4. **Handoff to the booking agent.** Strategy: variables only. The booking agent checks calendar
   availability and books the slot.
5. **Call ends** with a disposition, and [post-call extraction](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-agent/features/post-call-extraction)
   writes the structured result to your CRM through workflows.

The caller hears one continuous conversation. If each member has its own voice, they also hear that a
specialist has joined, which is a useful cue.

## Rules that keep handoffs clean

- **Capture before you hand off.** Variables only works only if the variables exist. Tell the sending
  agent to confirm key values before passing the call.
- **Give every member a one-line opening** that acknowledges what it already knows: "I can see you
  want to reschedule your Tuesday appointment." This proves to the caller that nothing was lost.
- **Limit who can hand off to whom.** Fewer allowed paths mean fewer loops.
- **Keep instructions scoped.** With full history, the receiving agent sees what the previous agent was
  told to do. Write each prompt so it is clear which rules apply to which member.
- **Prefer deterministic order for fixed processes** like verification then payment. Use model-decided
  handoff when the caller's intent decides the route.

## Test the handoffs, not just the agents

Every member can work on its own and the squad can still fail at the seams. Before launch:

1. Run squad simulation with a handful of realistic scenarios: the easy path, a caller who changes
   their mind, a caller who gives details out of order.
2. Read each transcript at the handoff points. The second agent should never ask for something the first
   already collected.
3. Turn the failures into eval cases so you catch regressions when you edit a prompt. See
   [testing and evals](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-agent/features/testing-and-evals).

## Cost

A squad call is billed as one call. The minutes cost the same as any other call, from ₹4/min on plans and
credit packs or ₹6/min pay as you go, and there is no extra charge per handoff. Members that use premium
voices add that voice's per-minute add-on while they speak. See [pricing](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-agent/pricing).

## Start small

Begin with two members and one handoff. Pick the strategy using the table above, test it until the
second agent never repeats a question, then add the next member. Squad templates for support triage and
sales qualification are offered when you create a squad, single-agent starting points are in the
[template gallery](https://edesy.in/ai-voice-agent/templates), and the agent setup docs are in
[agent setup](https://edesy.in/docs/voice-agent/agent-setup).

> **Try a squad template:** [Start on Edesy](https://voice-agent.edesy.in/?utm_source=edesy.in&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=multi-agent-squads-context-strategies-2026) — ₹50 free credit, no card needed.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is a context strategy in a voice agent squad?

It decides what the next agent receives when a call is handed from one squad member to another. On Edesy the options are full history (the whole conversation), summary (an AI-written summary), variables only (just the fields collected so far) and custom (your own handoff instructions).

### Which context strategy should I use by default?

Full history is the safest default for short calls, because nothing is lost. Switch to summary when calls get long, and to variables only when the next agent only needs a few facts, such as a booking agent that needs name, date and service.

### Can different squad members use different strategies?

Yes. The squad has a default strategy, and each member can override it. A common pattern is full history into a support specialist and variables only into a booking or payment agent.

### Does the caller hear a transfer when agents hand off?

No. A squad handoff happens inside the same call. Nothing is redialled. Each member can have its own voice, so the caller can hear that a different specialist has joined.

### How do I test a squad before going live?

Use squad simulation and the Test Center to run conversations through the handoffs, then read the transcript of each step. Check that the second agent never asks for something the first agent already collected.

### Is there a ready-made squad to start from?

Yes. Edesy has squad templates for support triage and sales qualification. Start from one, rename the members and edit their prompts and tools.