Each Claude Code session begins with a fresh context window, so it forgets your rules, your setup and what you finished yesterday. Anthropic's memory docs describe two things that carry knowledge into the next chat: a CLAUDE.md file you write, and auto memory, which are notes Claude writes itself.
Here is how to set both up in a few minutes, a starter file to paste, and the catch.
What each one is
| CLAUDE.md | Auto memory | |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes it | You | Claude |
| What it holds | Instructions and rules | Learnings and patterns |
| When it loads | Start of every session | Start of every session (first 200 lines or 25KB) |
Free, for your email
Get the full setup steps + the copy-paste setup prompt
The rest of this guide (4 more sections, 2 copy-paste prompts) opens right here. The setup prompt, one paste into Claude that sets it all up, comes by email only. Use your real address.
Unlocks: Step 1: generate your CLAUDE.md · Step 2: let Claude take its own notes · The catch · Sources
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