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Run /context to see which instruction files and rules loaded into the current Claude Code session. Use /memory to find and edit memory files or manage auto memory. If you change which instructions should load, verify the result with /context in the next session.
What is the difference between /context and /memory?
| Command | Purpose | What it lets you do |
|---|---|---|
/context |
Inspect what loaded at launch | Check the current session’s loaded CLAUDE.md files and rules, including the Memory files list. |
/memory |
Manage memory sources | Browse memory locations, open or create a selected file in your editor, open the auto-memory folder, and toggle auto memory when supported. |
Use /context to answer “what did this session load?” Use /memory to answer “where are the files, and what can I change?” The commands are complementary: one inspects loaded context; the other helps manage its sources.
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What do CLAUDE.md files and auto memory do?
CLAUDE.md: instructions you write
CLAUDE.md files contain user-written project guidance, rules, and preferences. Anthropic describes them as context, not enforced configuration. They can guide Claude, but prose in a file is not a technical access-control guarantee; use hooks and settings when you need technical enforcement.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCommon scopes include managed organization-wide instructions, user instructions in ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, project instructions in ./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md, and private project instructions in ./CLAUDE.local.md. Project and local instruction files in ancestor directories are loaded at launch; files in subdirectories are loaded on demand.
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Auto memory: learnings Claude records
Auto memory is written by Claude to retain useful learnings and patterns, such as preferences and corrections. By default, its files are stored in ~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/. The MEMORY.md index is loaded at session start, up to the first 200 lines or 25 KB, whichever comes first. Separate topic files are read on demand.
Auto memory is on by default in local sessions and off by default in self-hosted environments outside Claude Tag sessions. You can also disable it for a project with autoMemoryEnabled or globally with CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1. Worktrees and subdirectories in one repository share the repository’s memory directory; memory is machine-local and is not shared across machines or cloud environments.
How do I make Claude Code load a different instruction file?
- Choose the right file for the guidance. Put project-wide instructions in a project
CLAUDE.md, personal preferences in~/.claude/CLAUDE.md, and private project preferences inCLAUDE.local.md. Keep durable guidance concise and concrete. - Set the instruction-file selection mode if needed. In Claude Code, open
/configand change Project instructions. Documented choices includeclaude-md-or-agents-md,claude-md-and-agents-md,claude-md, andmanaged-only. The setting also has a settings-file equivalent. A change applies from the next message and in every new session. - Open or create the file. Run
/memoryand select the relevant file. It opens in your editor; selecting a file that does not exist creates it first. Use the command’s auto-memory controls if you want to toggle that feature in a supported session. - Check the next session. Start a new session, run
/context, and inspect the Memory files list for the expected project instruction file. A file’s presence on disk alone does not prove it loaded.
Why might a CLAUDE.md file not appear in context?
Check the instruction selection mode
The default Project instructions mode reads CLAUDE.md files, or AGENTS.md files if there is no CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or above it. The claude-md-and-agents-md mode reads both; other modes can select only CLAUDE.md files or managed instructions. Individual settings cannot exclude managed policy instructions.
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Ancestor project and local instruction files load at launch, while subdirectory files load on demand. If a file is in a subdirectory, it may not be listed until work reaches that directory. Use /context to inspect the actual session state.
Check imports
A CLAUDE.md can import another file with @path/to/import. Relative and absolute paths are supported, and imports can be recursive up to four hops. Imported files load alongside the file that references them. External imports outside the working directory require approval the first time. An import written inside a Markdown code span or fenced code block is not evaluated.
How much should you put in instruction and memory files?
Anthropic recommends keeping each CLAUDE.md under 200 lines as a target: longer instructions use more context and can reduce adherence. This is a recommendation, not a product limit, and instructions are not a hard-enforcement mechanism. It is separate from the documented 4 MiB file-load ceiling for CLAUDE.md files and from auto memory’s startup limit for the MEMORY.md index.
Auto memory can be re-enabled from a directly launched terminal session if it was disabled: background sessions and sessions started by another Claude Code session cannot use the toggle to turn it back on.
For current details, see Anthropic’s Claude Code memory guide and settings documentation.
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