4.6 Managing Sessions

Course: Claude Code - Essentials Section: Claude Desktop App Video Length: 2-5 minutes Presenter: Daniel Treasure

Opening Hook

A session is a single conversation with Claude about a specific task. You might have one session for "fix the login bug," another for "refactor the authentication module," and a third for "write API tests." The Desktop App lets you create multiple sessions, name them, organize them, and resume them later. This video shows you how to work with sessions effectively.

Key Talking Points

1. What is a Session? (Definition & Purpose)

Explain the concept of sessions: - A session is a conversation: One focused discussion about one task, with full context history - Scoped to a project: Each session is tied to a specific project (though you can open the same project in multiple sessions) - Maintains context: Claude remembers everything from earlier in the session (up to the context limit) - Separate from other sessions: Work in one session doesn't affect another—each has its own history and context

What to say: "A session is like a fresh chat with Claude about a specific task. 'Fix the login bug' is one session. 'Refactor the auth module' is another. Each has its own conversation history and context. When you close a session, you can always open it again later."

What to show on screen: Show the main interface with a conversation/session visible. Point out how the session appears (maybe in a tab or sidebar). Show the conversation history scrolling up. Total: 30-45 seconds.

2. Creating New Sessions (Starting Fresh)

Explain how to start a new session: - "New Session" button or menu: Usually at the top of the app or in the File menu - Choose your project: If not already open, select the project you want to work on - Start typing: Begin your first prompt in the new session; Claude is ready to help - Optional: Name the session: Some UIs let you name sessions upfront (e.g., "Bug: Login Flow") or name them later

What to say: "Creating a new session is one click. Click 'New Session' or File → New Session, make sure your project is open, and start typing. Claude gives you a fresh conversation with full context from your project."

What to show on screen: Show clicking a "New Session" button. Show the conversation area clearing for a new session. Optionally show a naming dialog (if supported). Type a prompt to show the session starting. Total: 30-45 seconds.

3. Resuming Previous Sessions (Continuity)

Explain how to pick up where you left off: - Session history or list: The app usually shows recent sessions (by name, date, or project) - Click to resume: Select a previous session to open it with full history intact - Context is preserved: Claude remembers everything from before; you don't need to re-explain the task - Same state: Code changes you approved, commands you ran—all preserved

What to say: "One of the Desktop App's superpowers is resuming sessions. You worked on a bug yesterday, closed the app, and today you want to continue. Just open the session, and Claude has full context from yesterday. It's like pausing and resuming a movie."

What to show on screen: Show the session list or sidebar. Highlight recent sessions. Click one and show it opening with full history visible. Scroll up to show earlier messages. Total: 45-60 seconds.

4. Naming and Organizing Sessions (Best Practices)

Guide viewers on session management: - Use descriptive names: "Fix: Login Button Alignment" is better than "Session 1" - Separate concerns: One session per task. Don't mix refactoring with debugging. - Close when done: Don't leave 20 sessions open. Close sessions you're done with to stay organized. - Archive if needed: Some apps let you archive old sessions. Use this to keep your list clean.

What to say: "Keep your sessions organized. Name them clearly, one task per session. If you're switching contexts, start a new session instead of mixing everything together. It keeps your history clean and makes resuming easier."

What to show on screen: Show a well-organized list of sessions with clear names (e.g., "Fix: Auth Bug," "Feature: Dark Mode," "Refactor: API Client"). Maybe show renaming a session. Total: 30-45 seconds.

5. Session Limits and Context (What You Should Know)

Explain practical limits and how to avoid issues: - Context window: Sessions have a context limit (how much history Claude can see). Very long sessions may hit this limit. - Compacting: If you hit the context limit, Claude can summarize (compact) the session, keeping key learnings - Starting fresh: If a session gets too long or complex, consider starting a new session with a fresh context - Project preservation: Closing a session doesn't affect your code files—only the conversation history

What to say: "Sessions have a memory limit—Claude can only see back so far in the conversation. For most development tasks, this isn't a problem. But if you have a 500-message session about a massive refactor, you might hit the limit. No worries: just summarize and start fresh, or use the compact feature."

What to show on screen: Show a session with a long conversation history (scroll up to show it's long). Explain that if you hit a limit, you can compact or start fresh. Total: 20-30 seconds.

Demo Plan

Use the Desktop App with a project open:

Start a new session by clicking "New Session" or File → New Session
Name it something descriptive (e.g., "Explore Project Structure") or skip if the app doesn't support upfront naming
Type a prompt to demonstrate the new session working (e.g., "Summarize this project")
Show Claude's response in the new session
Open the session history or list (usually in a sidebar or dropdown)
Highlight a previous session in the list (if you have one from a previous demo)
Click the previous session to show it resuming with full history
Scroll up to show earlier messages proving context is preserved
Show renaming a session (if supported) or explain how to organize

Total screen time: 2-3 minutes.

Code Examples & Commands

N/A for this video. Sessions are managed through the UI, not the CLI.

(Note: In the CLI, sessions are managed via /resume or claude -r commands, but that's Section 1. This is Desktop App specific.)

Gotchas & Tips

Don't confuse sessions with git branches: A session is a conversation, not a code state. You can have multiple sessions working on the same codebase without confusion.
Sessions and projects are orthogonal: You can have multiple sessions in one project, or one session spanning multiple projects (via @dir). But typically, one session = one project.
Compacting is not loss: If Claude compacts a long session to stay under the context limit, it summarizes the important parts. You don't lose the solution, just some chat noise.
Export if needed: Some apps let you export session history as markdown or PDF. Use this to document solutions.
Search within sessions: If your app has a search feature, use it to find previous sessions by keyword (e.g., search "login bug" to find all related sessions).

Lead-out

"Sessions are how you stay organized as you tackle different tasks. Now you have the foundational knowledge of the Desktop App: installation, the UI, opening projects, understanding execution, and managing sessions. Section 4 is complete. Next, we'll move into advanced topics like permissions and settings."

Reference URLs

Prep Reading

Official Claude Code documentation on sessions and context management
Community posts on session organization best practices
Articles on context window management and compacting

Notes for Daniel: This is the last video of Section 4. It's instructional but also motivational—by the end of this video, viewers should feel ready to start using the Desktop App independently. Encourage them to try creating and managing sessions on their own. Energy: upbeat and confident. "You've got this."

Quick Reference