# Claude Code how to resume a session: --continue, --resume and /resume > Run claude --continue for the last session or claude --resume to pick one. Plus naming, forking, what gets restored and fixes for missing sessions. URL: https://claudegpt.si/news/claude-code-how-to-resume-session Published: 2026-10-29T10:50:58.151Z Author: ClaudeGPT Si Newsroom Section: Guides Topics: Claude Code, Anthropic, Sessions, Command line Publisher: ClaudeGPT Si ## Key takeaways - claude --continue reopens the most recent session in the current directory, and claude --resume opens a picker or takes a name or session ID. - Name a session with claude -n or /rename, then resume it with claude --resume . - Pass flags such as --mcp-config, --settings and --add-dir again when resuming, because they are not restored. Claude Code how to resume session, in short: run `claude --continue` in the project folder. It reopens the most recent conversation in that directory. To pick an older one, run `claude --resume`, or type `/resume` inside a running session. This guide follows Anthropic's [Manage sessions](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sessions) and [CLI reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference) docs, as of October 29, 2026. Claude Code saves every conversation to your machine as you work, so closing the terminal or running `/clear` doesn't lose it. You can come back to the same conversation without explaining the task again. ## The commands that resume a session | Command | What it does | | --- | --- | | `claude --continue` (or `-c`) | Reopens the most recent session in the current directory | | `claude --resume` (or `-r`) | Opens the session picker | | `claude --resume ` | Resumes the named session directly | | `claude --resume ` | Resumes by ID, from any directory | | `claude --from-pr ` | Opens the picker filtered to sessions linked to that pull request | | `/resume` | Switches to a different session from inside a running one | If there is nothing to continue, `claude --continue` prints `No conversation found to continue` and exits. If a session ID matches nothing, you get `No conversation found with session ID: `. ## How to resume the last session 1. Open a terminal and `cd` to the project folder you were working in. 2. Run `claude --continue`. Sessions belong to a project directory, so `--continue` only looks at the folder you are in. The docs say it skips sessions created with `claude -p` or the Agent SDK, and sessions whose first prompt was a `/loop` command. ## How to pick an older session Run `claude --resume` with no argument, or type `/resume` in a session. The picker lists sessions with their name or generated title, time since last activity, git branch and file size. | Key | Action | | --- | --- | | Up and down arrows, or `k` and `j` | Move between sessions | | `Enter` | Resume the highlighted session | | `1` to `9` | Resume the session at that position | | `Space` | Preview the session | | `/` or any printable character | Search. Paste a pull request URL to find the session that created it | | `Ctrl+R` | Rename the highlighted session | | `Ctrl+B` | Show only the current git branch | | `Ctrl+W` | Show all worktrees of the repository | | `Ctrl+A` | Show every project on this machine | | `Esc` | Leave the picker or search | By default the picker shows sessions from the current worktree. If you can't find a session, widen the list with `Ctrl+W` or `Ctrl+A`. Pick one from an unrelated project and Claude Code copies a `cd` and resume command to your clipboard instead of opening it. ## How to name a session so you can find it You can resume by name, which beats scrolling a list. Set a name in any of these ways: - At startup: `claude -n auth-refactor` - During a session: `/rename auth-refactor` - In the picker: highlight a session and press `Ctrl+R` Then run `claude --resume auth-refactor`, or `/resume auth-refactor` inside a session. If two sessions share the name, `claude --resume ` opens the picker with the name filled in as a search. Inside a session, `/resume ` reports an error instead, so run `/resume` alone. Sessions you never name get a title generated from your first prompt, and that title works as a resume handle. The default display name, a directory name plus two characters such as `my-app-3f`, does not. ## What comes back when you resume Claude Code restores the conversation history, the model the session used, the agent if you started with `--agent`, and any goal that was still active. In a terminal, `--continue` and `--resume` also restore the permission mode the session was in. A session that ended in `bypassPermissions` does not come back in that mode. Pass `--permission-mode` or `--dangerously-skip-permissions` to set it yourself. Some launch flags are not restored. If the original session used `--mcp-config`, `--settings`, `--plugin-dir`, `--fallback-model` or `--add-dir`, pass them again. Settings in `settings.json` are read again at launch, so they need nothing. A tool that was still running when the previous process ended is not run again. ## Resume without changing the original: fork it To try a different approach and keep the old path intact, branch the session. Inside a session, run `/branch try-streaming-approach`. From the shell, add `--fork-session`: ```bash claude --continue --fork-session ``` The fork gets its own session ID and shows up as a separate row in the picker. The original stays unchanged. If you resume the same session in two terminals without forking, both write into one transcript and their messages interleave. ## Common problems - **`No conversation found to continue`.** There is no saved session for this directory. Check that you are in the right folder, or use `claude --resume` and press `Ctrl+A`. - **The session isn't in the picker.** Sessions from `claude -p` and the Agent SDK are left out, but `claude --resume ` still opens them. - **An old session is gone.** The docs give a 30-day default retention for transcripts, which you can change with `cleanupPeriodDays` in `settings.json`. - **The "Resume this conversation?" dialog.** It estimates the share of your 5-hour usage limit that the saved conversation alone would use. On Pro and Max plans it can appear after a long break or on a different model. Choose Resume to keep going, or Start a new conversation if your next task doesn't need the old one. - **Session is running in the background.** `claude --resume ` attaches to it in the same terminal. `claude --continue` won't open a session that is still running there. ## Where the transcripts live By default Claude Code stores each session as a JSONL file at `~/.claude/projects//.jsonl`. The docs warn that the entry format is internal and changes between versions, so don't build scripts on the raw files. To export a conversation as readable text, run `/export`. For setting up Claude Code in the first place, see our guide to [installing it](https://claudegpt.si/news/claude-code-how-to-install). To keep it current, see [how to update it](https://claudegpt.si/news/claude-code-how-to-update). ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I continue my last conversation in Claude Code? Run claude --continue from the project folder. It reopens the most recent session in the current directory. ### How do I resume a Claude Code session by name? Name it with claude -n at startup or /rename in the session, then run claude --resume or /resume . ### Why does Claude Code say No conversation found to continue? There is no saved session for the current directory. Check you are in the right folder, or run claude --resume and press Ctrl+A to list sessions from all projects. ### How do I resume a session without changing the original? Add --fork-session, as in claude --continue --fork-session, or run /branch inside a session. The fork gets a new session ID and the original stays intact. ## Sources - [Manage sessions](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sessions), Anthropic - [CLI reference](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference), Anthropic - [Common workflows](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/common-workflows), Anthropic