How do I resume a Claude Code session?
You resume a session by telling Claude Code to reopen a past conversation instead of starting a new one. When you do, the agent brings back the full thread: what you were building, the files it had read, and the decisions you made together. You pick up mid-task rather than re-explaining the whole project from scratch. There are two ways to get there - continue your most recent session in a single step, or open the list of your past sessions and choose the exact one you want.
This works the same way whether you build in the desktop app or the terminal. The desktop app is the easiest place to start - your recent sessions are listed for you to reopen with a click. The terminal offers the same thing through a continue option for your latest session and a resume option that shows the full list.
Continue your most recent session (the fast path)
Most of the time you want the session you were just in - you closed the laptop, made coffee, and now you want to keep going on the same feature. This is the one-step path: continue the latest session. The agent reopens the conversation you had going most recently, with all of its context intact, and you carry on from your next prompt as if you never stepped away.
Pick an older session from the list
When you have several projects going, the most recent session is not always the one you want. Opening the list of past sessions lets you scan your previous conversations and choose the exact one to reopen - the client dashboard from Tuesday, not the personal script you touched an hour ago. Each entry represents a distinct conversation thread you can bring back in full.
This is the difference between resuming and merely reopening a project folder. Reopening the folder gives you the files. Resuming the session gives you the files AND the conversation - the reasoning, the half-finished plan, the thing the agent already figured out - so you are not paying twice to rebuild context you already had.
The mistake that loses your context
The most common way people lose a session is simple: they open a brand new one out of habit. You come back to the desk, launch Claude Code, and start typing - and now you are in a fresh conversation that knows nothing about yesterday's work. The old session still exists, but you talked past it. The fix is to pause for one second when you sit down and ask whether you are continuing something or starting something new.
- Continuing yesterday's work? Resume the session first, then type. Do not start prompting in a fresh window and expect the agent to remember.
- Starting something genuinely new and unrelated? A new session is correct - a clean slate is what you want, the same logic behind clearing context between tasks.
- Not sure which session was the right one? Open the list and read the recent conversations rather than guessing; picking the wrong one wastes the reload.
When to resume, when to start fresh
Resuming is the right move whenever the old context still helps. Starting fresh is right when it would only get in the way. The two decisions are mirror images of managing context inside a single session.
Resume or start new?
| Situation | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Picking up the same task after a break | Resume the latest session | The agent keeps the thread; no re-explaining |
| Juggling several projects | Open the list, pick the right one | The most recent is not always the one you want |
| Starting an unrelated new task | Start a new session | A clean slate avoids leftover context confusing it |
| Context should live across all sessions | Put it in CLAUDE.md | Session resume is short-term; CLAUDE.md is durable |
Build the resume habit into how you work
Make resuming the default when you return to unfinished work, and starting new the deliberate exception. That one habit removes the daily tax of re-explaining a project the agent already understood an hour ago. Pair it with a solid CLAUDE.md for the context that should never be lost, and you rarely start cold again.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I resume a Claude Code session?
Tell Claude Code to reopen a past conversation instead of starting a new one. You can continue your most recent session in one step, or open the list of past sessions and pick the exact one you want. Either way the agent brings back the full thread - what you were building, the files it read, and the decisions you made.
What is the difference between resuming a session and reopening a project?
Reopening a project folder gives you the files. Resuming a session gives you the files AND the conversation - the reasoning, the half-finished plan, and the context the agent already worked out. Resuming means you do not pay twice to rebuild context you already had.
Why did Claude Code forget my previous conversation?
Almost always because a brand new session was started by habit. Launching Claude Code and typing straight away opens a fresh conversation that knows nothing about earlier work. The old session still exists - resume it on purpose before you start prompting instead of opening a new window.
Should I use resume or my CLAUDE.md file for keeping context?
Both, for different jobs. Resume restores one specific conversation so you can continue a task. CLAUDE.md holds durable context you want reloaded automatically in every session. Use resume for short-term continuity and CLAUDE.md for the facts and rules that should never be lost.
Last reviewed by Duncan Rogoff on September 14, 2026
