Sessions, context and memory

Module 2 · Beginner

How conversations persist, how the context window fills, and how Claude remembers your project.

5 lessons. Work through them in order — each one builds on the last.

Working with sessionsHow conversations persist on disk, and how to resume, fork and clear them. Running separate lines of work in parallel with git worktrees.

The context windowWhat actually fills the context window, measured with /context. Compaction, focused compaction, and delegating side work so noise never lands in your session.

CLAUDE.md and auto memoryWriting a CLAUDE.md your team shares, and keeping it short enough to load every session. How Claude's own auto memory accumulates project knowledge between sessions.

Checkpoints and permission modesRolling back Claude's edits with checkpoints instead of unpicking them by hand. Choosing a permission mode deliberately, and writing allow and deny rules.

Working effectivelyThe habits that make sessions productive: small verifiable tasks, plan mode before large changes, and letting Claude verify its own work.