Session Recovery & Resume

Never lose progress when switching models

Hit a rate limit? Model error? Learn how to resume sessions, export context, and seamlessly continue your work.

Understanding Sessions

Every conversation with Claude Code creates a session with a unique ID. Sessions are stored locally per project.

File path:

~/.claude/history.jsonl

# Find your session ID from history
cat ~/.claude/history.jsonl | tail -5

# Look for sessionId in the JSON object
# Example output:
{"display":"/clear","timestamp":1765163522956,"project":"...","sessionId":"74f292c0-49fa-41c0-a2d8-dd2c3ef9c4be"}

# Sessions are stored per-project in:
# ~/.claude/projects/{project-path-encoded}/{session-id}.jsonl

Key Insight

Sessions are project-based. Default Claude, API profiles, and CLIProxy share sessions. Only CCS sub-accounts are isolated.

Session Sharing

Important

Default Claude, API profiles, and CLIProxy share session storage. CCS sub-accounts have separate isolated sessions.

✅ SHARED Sessions (Switch Freely)

• Default Claude ↔ API profiles (GLM, Kimi)
• API profiles ↔ CLIProxy (gemini, codex, agy)
• Default Claude ↔ CLIProxy
• All stored at ~/.claude/projects/{project}/

❌ ISOLATED Sessions

• CCS sub-accounts (work, personal,...)
• Each instance has separate folder: ~/.ccs/instances/{name}/
• Cannot switch to other sub-accounts
• Cannot switch to Default Claude/API profiles/CLIProxy

Why?

Default Claude, API profiles, and CLIProxy all use ~/.claude/. CCS sub-accounts override CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR to ~/.ccs/instances/{name}/ so sessions are completely isolated.

Workarounds (For CCS Sub-accounts)

Option 1: Use /export before switching, then paste key context in new session.
Option 2: Copy session .jsonl file to target config directory (e.g., ~/.claude/projects/{project}/ → ~/.ccs/instances/{name}/projects/{project}/).

Resume Sessions

Default Claude, API profiles (GLM, Kimi), and CLIProxy (gemini, codex, agy) can /resume each other. See Session Sharing above for details.

Option 1: Interactive resume

Shows recent sessions list to pick from

> /resume

Option 2: Specific session ID

Resume with specific session ID

> /resume 74f292c0-49fa-41c0-a2d8-dd2c3ef9c4be

Option 3: Command line

Resume directly when starting CCS

ccs glm --resume
ccs agy --resume 74f292c0-49fa-41c0-a2d8-dd2c3ef9c4be

Seamless Continuation

All context from the previous session is restored. Continue exactly where you left off.

Export Context

For Bloated Sessions

When your session context is too large (100K+ tokens), /resume just moves the problem. Use /export to start fresh with only the essential context.

Context Bloated

Session > 100K tokens, /resume just moves the problem

Fresh Start

Keep only essential context, discard noise

Share Externally

Teammates, documentation, backup

Step 1: Export — Export current conversation to a text file

/export # Creates conversation.txt in current dir /export ~/backup/session # Custom path

Step 2: Start Fresh — Start a new session with a cheaper provider

ccs glm

Step 3: Paste Context — Manually transfer the essential context

> "Here's my previous context: [paste key parts of export]" > "Continue implementing the auth handler"

When to Use Which?

Use /resume when context is healthy (Default Claude, API profiles, CLIProxy all share sessions).
Use /export when context is bloated, OR when switching to/from CCS sub-account (isolated).

Model Fallback Strategies

Set up multiple terminals with providers ready. Default Claude, API profiles, CLIProxy can /resume each other. Only CCS sub-accounts are isolated.

Setup Multiple terminals ready

# Terminal 1: ccs work (Claude - primary) # Terminal 2: ccs agy (Antigravity - backup) # Terminal 3: ccs glm (GLM - cost-optimized)

Decision Logic When Claude hits limit:

# Context healthy? → /resume in another terminal # Context bloated? → /export, then fresh session

Quick Switch Resume with full context

ccs glm --resume

Claude

Primary: Complex tasks

Antigravity

Backup: Full Claude power

GLM

81% cheaper: Implementation

Pro Tips

Power User

Advanced tricks for seamless session recovery when you need them most.

/rename for easy resume

Give your session a memorable name instead of using UUID

# During your session, rename it:
/rename auth-feature

# Later resume by name OR UUID (both work):
/resume auth-feature # ✅ Easy to remember
/resume 74f292c0...  # ✅ Still works

# Or run directly from terminal:
ccs glm/agy "/resume auth-feature"

--continue trick

Auto-continue last session when kicked out unexpectedly

# If you got kicked out of a session for any reason:
ccs glm/agy/work --continue continue

# This automatically resumes and continues your last session

/login account switch

Switch Claude accounts when one hits rate limit

# Inside your current session, when you hit rate limit:
/login

# Select a different Claude sub-account
# Then type "continue" to resume your work
continue

Multiple Claude Accounts

If you have multiple Claude sub-accounts, you can rotate between them when hitting rate limits. Use /login to switch accounts within the same session (context stays in memory). Note: CCS sub-accounts have separate sessions, cannot /resume from another terminal.