## ◂ USER
  Search for information about how to safely clean up old Claude Code sessions. The user has discovered that simply deleting files from ~/.claude/projects/ breaks the session history because files are now linked together (possibly through history.jsonl or parent UUID chains from compactification). 
  
  Look for:
  1. Official documentation or GitHub issues about session cleanup
  2. Any CLI commands for managing/clearing sessions
  3. Community solutions or workarounds
  
  Search terms to try: "claude code clean sessions", "claude code delete history", "claude code session management", "claude-cli session cleanup"
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
  I'll search for information about safely cleaning up Claude Code sessions.
  Tokens: in=2 out=1 cache=0
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebSearch
  (toolu_01YUyFeFf6rNyCWLhJceXoi5)
    **query:** claude code clean sessions delete history
  Tokens: in=2 out=1 cache=0
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebSearch
  (toolu_01JJX2AP1KjCG9Poa73HRzgU)
    **query:** claude-cli session cleanup management
  Tokens: in=2 out=1 cache=0
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebSearch
  (toolu_01Sji3hisxzJ6HjE2SFPpNgn)
    **query:** claude code ~/.claude/projects directory structure
  Tokens: in=2 out=1 cache=0
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebSearch
  (toolu_01V1Gd2bpMscEWsg6qQBuhdE)
    **query:** claude code history.jsonl session linked files
  Tokens: in=2 out=196 cache=0
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01V1Gd2bpMscEWsg6qQBuhdE)
    Web search results for query: "claude code history.jsonl session linked files"
    
    Links: [{"title":"[Feature Request] Add --include-history flag to output historical messages when resuming sessions · Issue #5135 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/5135"},{"title":"GitHub - jhlee0409/claude-code-history-viewer","url":"https://github.com/jhlee0409/claude-code-history-viewer"},{"title":"Claude Code History MCP Server | MCP Servers · LobeHub","url":"https://lobehub.com/mcp/yudppp-claude-code-history-mcp"},{"title":"GitHub - d-kimuson/claude-code-viewer: A full-featured web-based Claude Code client that provides complete interactive functionality for managing Claude Code projects","url":"https://github.com/d-kimuson/claude-code-viewer"},{"title":"GitHub - thejud/claude-history: A command-line utility to extract and format conversation history from Claude Code session files","url":"https://github.com/thejud/claude-history"},{"title":"GitHub - daaain/claude-code-log: A Python CLI tool that converts Claude Code transcript JSONL files into readable HTML format.","url":"https://github.com/daaain/claude-code-log"},{"title":"[BUG] Duplicate entries in session .jsonl files when using stream-json input format · Issue #5034 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/5034"},{"title":"Claude Code `--continue` after Directory `mv` move - Migration Guide and Internal Mechanics explanation · GitHub","url":"https://gist.github.com/gwpl/e0b78a711b4a6b2fc4b594c9b9fa2c4c"},{"title":"Claude Code's hidden conversation history (and how to actually use it) | @kentgigger","url":"https://kentgigger.com/posts/claude-code-conversation-history"},{"title":"[BUG] claude --continue broken after using claude --resume - history.jsonl not updated · Issue #10063 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/10063"}]
    
    Here are the search results for "claude code history.jsonl session linked files":
    
    ## Claude Code History and Session Files
    
    Based on the search results, here's what I found about Claude Code's history.jsonl and session files:
    
    ### Storage Structure
    
    Claude CLI uses a file-based storage system with the following structure:
    ```
    ~/.claude/
    ├── projects/
    │   └── [encoded-directory-paths]/
    │       ├── [session-uuid].jsonl    # Full conversation history
    │       └── [summary-uuid].jsonl    # Conversation summaries
    ├── settings.json                    # Global user preferences
    ... (43 lines total)
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01Sji3hisxzJ6HjE2SFPpNgn)
    Web search results for query: "claude code ~/.claude/projects directory structure"
    
    Links: [{"title":"Claude Code: Best practices for agentic coding","url":"https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices"},{"title":"What is Working Directory in Claude Code | ClaudeLog","url":"https://claudelog.com/faqs/what-is-working-directory-in-claude-code/"},{"title":"Using CLAUDE.MD files: Customizing Claude Code for your codebase | Claude","url":"https://claude.com/blog/using-claude-md-files"},{"title":"Step-by-Step Guide: Prepare Your Codebase for Claude Code | by Daniel Avila | Medium","url":"https://medium.com/@dan.avila7/step-by-step-guide-prepare-your-codebase-for-claude-code-3e14262566e9"},{"title":"Directory Structure Not Updated After Folder Renaming · Issue #65 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/65"},{"title":"How can I create and manage projects? | Claude Help Center","url":"https://support.claude.com/en/articles/9519177-how-can-i-create-and-manage-projects"},{"title":"The .claude Folder: A 10-Minute Setup That Makes AI Code Smarter | by Manojkumar Vadivel | Medium","url":"https://medium.com/@manojkumar.vadivel/the-claude-folder-a-10-minute-setup-that-makes-ai-code-smarter-93da465ef39e"},{"title":"Include Project File Tree in CLAUDE.md | Claude Code Handbook","url":"https://nikiforovall.blog/claude-code-rules/tips-and-tricks/project-file-tree/"},{"title":"Cooking with Claude Code: The Complete Guide - Sid Bharath","url":"https://www.siddharthbharath.com/claude-code-the-complete-guide/"},{"title":"Introducing .claude: Your Ultimate Directory for Claude Code Excellence","url":"https://htdocs.dev/posts/introducing-claude-your-ultimate-directory-for-claude-code-excellence/"}]
    
    Based on my search results, here's what I found about Claude Code's `~/.claude/projects` directory structure:
    
    ## Claude Code Directory Structure
    
    The search results reveal information about Claude Code's configuration system, though specific details about `~/.claude/projects` weren't explicitly documented. Here's what I found:
    
    ### Configuration Locations
    
    You can add your own personal commands to the `~/.claude/commands` folder for commands you want available in all of your sessions.(no content)Putting content into `.claude/commands/fix-github-issue.md` makes it available as the `/project:fix-github-issue` command in Claude Code.
    
    ### Project-Level `.claude` Folder Structure
    
    A typical `.claude` folder structure at your project's root looks like:
    ```
    .claude/
    ├─ rules.md        # coding standards and guardrails
    ... (37 lines total)
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01JJX2AP1KjCG9Poa73HRzgU)
    Web search results for query: "claude-cli session cleanup management"
    
    Links: [{"title":"GitHub - 0xkaz/claunch: Project-based Claude CLI session manager with automatic tmux setup and persistence","url":"https://github.com/0xkaz/claunch"},{"title":"Claude Code Session Management | Developing with AI Tools | Steve Kinney","url":"https://stevekinney.com/courses/ai-development/claude-code-session-management"},{"title":"[DOCUMENTATION] How To Avoid CLI/Replit Claude Code Crashes · Issue #5293 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/5293"},{"title":"session persistence · ruvnet/claude-flow Wiki · GitHub","url":"https://github.com/ruvnet/claude-flow/wiki/session-persistence"},{"title":"How I Solved Claude Code's Context Loss Problem with a Lightweight Session Manager - DEV Community","url":"https://dev.to/kaz123/how-i-solved-claude-codes-context-loss-problem-with-a-lightweight-session-manager-265d"},{"title":"Auto-cleanup for temporary session files · Issue #11963 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/11963"},{"title":"ClaudeLog - Claude Code Docs, Guides, Tutorials & Best Practices","url":"https://claudelog.com/faqs/restarting-claude-code/"},{"title":"Need session/conversation deletion and management tools · Issue #2562 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2562"},{"title":"Session Management | zebbern/claude-code-guide | DeepWiki","url":"https://deepwiki.com/zebbern/claude-code-guide/7.1-session-management"},{"title":"Claude Code: Best practices for agentic coding","url":"https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/claude-code-best-practices"}]
    
    Here's what I found about Claude CLI session cleanup and management:
    
    ## Session Storage and Cleanup
    
    The session history piles up at a very fast rate and the only way to manage it currently is to go in `.claude/projects` and skim through randomly named files. Users have requested a command to delete the current session when done with it.(no content)Claude Code creates various temporary files during sessions to manage configuration and state (e.g., `.claude.json`, `.claude.json.backup`, and potentially other session-related files). There's been a feature request for automatic cleanup mechanisms including auto-cleanup on exit, configurable cleanup via configuration, and a CLI command like `claude cleanup` or `claude --cleanup-temps` to manually remove orphaned temporary files.
    
    ## Current Session Management Options
    
    Claude Code CLI maintains conversational sessions that persist beyond individual command executions. Sessions store the conversation history, context, and permissions granted during the interaction.(no content)During long sessions, Claude's context window can fill with irrelevant conversation, file contents, and commands. This can reduce performance and sometimes distract Claude. Use the `/clear` command frequently between tasks to reset the context window.(no content)The primary recommendation is to use the `/clear` command instead of restarting Claude Code, as it clears the context window and removes all previous context to start fresh while preserving the session.
    
    ## Third-Party Session Managers
    
    **claunch** (claude + launch) is a lightweight session manager that provides project-specific Claude sessions with optional persistence. It was built to address Claude Code losing context every time the terminal is closed.(no content)claunch provides commands like `claunch list` to list all active sessions and `claunch clean` to clean up orphaned session files.
    
    ## Manual Cleanup for Replit/Container Environments
    
    ... (31 lines total)
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01YUyFeFf6rNyCWLhJceXoi5)
    Web search results for query: "claude code clean sessions delete history"
    
    Links: [{"title":"Need session/conversation deletion and management tools · Issue #2562 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2562"},{"title":"> They really need to figure out a way to delete or \"forget\" prior context, so t... | Hacker News","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44310764"},{"title":"What Is Claude’s Conversation History and How to Clear - CometAPI - All AI Models in One API","url":"https://www.cometapi.com/claudes-conversation-history-how-to-clear/"},{"title":"How do I delete a single conversation from my chat history? · Issue #6084 · anthropics/claude-code","url":"https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/6084"},{"title":"Claude Code Session Management | Developing with AI Tools | Steve Kinney","url":"https://stevekinney.com/courses/ai-development/claude-code-session-management"},{"title":"Don't let Claude Code delete your session logs","url":"https://simonwillison.net/2025/Oct/22/claude-code-logs/"},{"title":"How to Clear Claude History? A Complete Guide 2025","url":"https://www.claudeaiweb.com/how-to-clear-claude-history/"},{"title":"How to disable Auto-Delete of Chat History in Claude Code","url":"https://aiengineerguide.com/blog/disable-auto-delete-chat-history-in-claude-code/"},{"title":"Script to delete Claude AI conversations history without any dependency or using external tool. · GitHub","url":"https://gist.github.com/Jalalx/6b99f5ff4a0aef17b4e4eff37b0ad235"},{"title":"Claude Code Cheat Sheet: The Reference Guide","url":"https://devoriales.com/post/400/claude-code-cheat-sheet-the-reference-guide"}]
    
    Based on my search results, here's what I found about managing sessions and deleting history in Claude Code:
    
    ## Clearing Current Session Context
    
    In Claude Code you can use `/clear` to clear context, or `/compact <optional message>` to compact it down, with the message guiding what stays and what goes.(no content)The `/clear` command resets the current chat conversation, effectively wiping the agent's short-term memory.
    
    ## Session Storage Location
    
    Claude Code stores full logs of your sessions as newline-delimited JSON in `~/.claude/projects/encoded-directory/*.jsonl` on your machine.(no content)The session history piles up at very fast rate and the only way to manage it currently is to go in `.claude/projects` and skim through randomly named files.
    
    ## Auto-Delete Behavior
    
    Claude Code auto deletes chat history/session after 30 days by default. However, you can configure this behaviour by setting `cleanupPeriodDays` in your `~/.claude/settings.json` config file.(no content)Unfortunately Claude Code has a nasty default behavior of deleting these after 30 days! You can't disable this entirely, but you can at least delay it for 274 years by adding this to your `~/.claude/settings.json` file.
    
    ## Deleting Individual Sessions
    
    ... (30 lines total)
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
  Now let me fetch the Simon Willison article about session cleanup which looks directly relevant:
  Tokens: in=3282 out=1 cache=13002
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebFetch
  (toolu_015mgDkn2XUULMeLHRrsaJR3)
    **url:** https://simonwillison.net/2025/Oct/22/claude-code-logs/
    **prompt:** How to safely delete Claude Code session files without breaking history
  Tokens: in=3282 out=1 cache=13002
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebFetch
  (toolu_01SKKvMrAZmnPtbvVtP4dCZb)
    **url:** https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2562
    **prompt:** Session deletion and management feature request details
  Tokens: in=3282 out=196 cache=13002
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_015mgDkn2XUULMeLHRrsaJR3)
    # Managing Claude Code Session Files
    
    Based on the article, here's what you need to know:
    
    **The Problem:** Claude Code automatically deletes session logs after 30 days, which is problematic since these files contain valuable project history.
    
    **The Solution:** Rather than offering a way to safely delete files, the author recommends *preventing* deletion by modifying your settings. Add this to `~/.claude/settings.json`:
    
    ```json
    {
      "cleanupPeriodDays": 99999
    }
    ```
    
    This configuration extends the retention period to approximately 274 years, effectively preserving your session logs indefinitely.
    
    **What Gets Preserved:** Session logs are stored as newline-delimited JSON files in `~/.claude/projects/encoded-directory/*.jsonl`. The author notes they currently have 379MB of accumulated logs and provides tools for converting them to Markdown format for easier review.
    
    The recommendation is proactive retention rather than safe deletion—keeping your history intact by preventing the automatic cleanup process altogether.
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01SKKvMrAZmnPtbvVtP4dCZb)
    # Claude Code Session/Conversation Deletion and Management Tools
    
    ## Issue Summary
    
    GitHub Issue #2562 in the `anthropics/claude-code` repository requests features for managing session history, which accumulates rapidly without proper management tools.
    
    ## Current Problem
    
    - Session history piles up at a fast rate
    - Only manual management option is navigating `.claude/projects` and manually reviewing randomly-named files
    - No built-in UI or CLI commands for session management
    
    ## Requested Features
    
    ### Priority 1: Session Deletion Command
    - A command to delete the current session when done with it
    - Should be implemented as a priority feature
    
    ### Priority 2: Conversation Manager
    - Display all conversations at once or with tree navigation
    ... (47 lines total)
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
  Perfect! Let me also check that GitHub gist about claude-cli session directory migration which might have relevant details:
  Tokens: in=6 out=1 cache=14249
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
### ▸ Tool: WebFetch
  (toolu_01UZp7QP117j1bKtzyfPBuJd)
    **url:** https://gist.github.com/gwpl/e0b78a711b4a6b2fc4b594c9b9fa2c4c
    **prompt:** Session file dependencies and linked files when moving directories
  Tokens: in=6 out=138 cache=14249
### ✓ Result
  (toolu_01UZp7QP117j1bKtzyfPBuJd)
    # Claude Code Directory Migration Guide Summary
    
    Based on the provided documentation, here's what you need to know about maintaining Claude Code's `--continue` functionality when moving project directories:
    
    ## Core Problem
    "Claude Code currently lacks built-in directory migration features. Each directory maintains independent conversation sessions, and history doesn't automatically transfer when projects are moved."
    
    ## Essential Steps
    
    **1. Understand Path Encoding**
    Claude replaces forward slashes with hyphens when storing histories. For example, `/home/user/projects/myapp` becomes `-home-user-projects-myapp` in the `~/.claude/projects/` directory.
    
    **2. Migrate History Directory**
    After moving your project, rename the corresponding history folder:
    ```bash
    cd ~/.claude/projects/
    mv -- -old-path-encoding -new-path-encoding
    ```
    
    **3. Copy Project-Specific Files**
    ... (33 lines total)
## ◆ ASSISTANT (Task Agent)
  Excellent! Now I have comprehensive information. Let me provide Rosy with a detailed summary:
  
  ## Summary: Safely Cleaning Up Claude Code Sessions
  
  Based on my research, here's what I found about the session file linkage issue you discovered:
  
  ### The Core Problem
  
  Claude Code stores sessions as JSONL files in `~/.claude/projects/[encoded-directory-path]/`. These files **are interconnected** in ways that aren't immediately obvious:
  
  1. **history.jsonl index**: The main `~/.claude/history.jsonl` file tracks your "most recent" session globally, and resuming sessions (`claude --continue`) relies on it
  2. **Session file references**: Individual `.jsonl` files may reference parent sessions or UUIDs created during "compactification"
  3. **Encoded path dependencies**: Renaming or deleting directories breaks the path encoding that Claude uses to locate sessions
  
  Simply deleting files from `~/.claude/projects/` can break:
  - The ability to resume specific sessions with `claude --resume <id>`
  - The `--continue` functionality if you break the history.jsonl index
  - Session chains if files reference parent UUIDs
  
  ### Current State: No Official Safe Deletion Tool
  
  **There is no official CLI command yet to safely delete sessions.** This is a [heavily requested feature (#2562)](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2562) with 71 upvotes, but it hasn't been implemented. The issue remains open as of December 2025.
  
  ### What You Can Do Instead
  
  **Option 1: Prevent Deletion (Recommended)**
  Rather than cleaning up, prevent automatic cleanup by configuring your `~/.claude/settings.json`:
  
  ```json
  {
    "cleanupPeriodDays": 99999
  }
  ```
  
  This extends retention to ~274 years, effectively keeping all history. [Source: Simon Willison's article](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Oct/22/claude-code-logs/)
  
  **Option 2: Manual Cleanup (With Caution)**
  If you must delete specific sessions:
  
  1. **Find the session UUID**: Use `claude --resume` to list sessions and get their IDs
  2. **Locate the file**: It's stored as `~/.claude/projects/[encoded-path]/[session-uuid].jsonl`
  3. **Delete carefully**: Remove only the specific `.jsonl` file, NOT the entire directory
  4. **Update history** (if needed): If it was your most recent session, manually remove the entry from `~/.claude/history.jsonl`
  
  **Option 3: Use Community Tools**
  Several tools exist to browse and manage session history:
  - [claude-history CLI](https://github.com/thejud/claude-history) - Extract and format conversation history
  - [Claude Code History Viewer](https://github.com/jhlee0409/claude-code-history-viewer) - Web interface to browse conversations
  - [claude-code-viewer](https://github.com/d-kimuson/claude-code-viewer) - Full-featured web client for managing projects
  
  ### What NOT to Do
  
  - Don't delete entire directories in `~/.claude/projects/` (breaks encoded path references)
  - Don't manually edit `history.jsonl` unless you know what you're doing
  - Don't rename directories in `~/.claude/projects/` without understanding the encoding
  
  ### The Real Fix
  
  The best approach right now is to **prevent accumulation** by configuring `cleanupPeriodDays` in your settings, and if you have genuine storage concerns, use the community tools to export/archive conversations before they accumulate too much.
  
  ---
  
  ### Sources:
  - [GitHub Issue #2562 - Need session/conversation deletion and management tools](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/2562)
  - [Simon Willison - Don't let Claude Code delete your session logs](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Oct/22/claude-code-logs/)
  - [GitHub Gist - Claude Code directory migration mechanics](https://gist.github.com/gwpl/e0b78a711b4a6b2fc4b594c9b9fa2c4c)
  - [claude-history - CLI utility for session file management](https://github.com/thejud/claude-history)
  - [Claude Code History Viewer](https://github.com/jhlee0409/claude-code-history-viewer)
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