Picking up after a break: the 3 layers of continuity

This lesson is still being tested: it improves with learners' feedback. If something is unclear, it is the lesson that needs fixing, not you.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

explain why Claude Code “forgets” from one session to the next;
tell apart the 3 layers that let you pick up again: CLAUDE.md, your journal and sheets, automatic memory;
pick up your work after a break, with a single sentence.

Why it matters to you

The real test of a work tool is Monday morning: do you find where you left off? With an AI, the answer depends on what is written down. Well organized, your workspace lets you stop in the middle of a project and pick it up three days later in thirty seconds.

Before you start


You need	Claude Code, your mon-espace-ia folder in Manual mode (module 4). For the /memory command, if the app does not offer it: the terminal option from module 4 (lesson 2)
Duration	30 minutes, then a restart on another day
Cost	Included in your subscription

Understand it in 3 minutes

Every new session starts with an empty conversation. Claude Code does not keep yesterday’s thread in its head. What carries over from one session to the next is what is written down, in three layers:

Layer	Who writes it	What it contains	What it is for
CLAUDE.md	You, with Claude’s help	Your working rules, who you are, how to start and end a session	Claude reads it again at the start of every session
Journal and project sheets	Claude, with your approval	What was done, what was decided, and the next action	Picking up exactly where you were
Automatic memory	Claude, alone	A few notes it takes about your preferences and your corrections	A complement, which you can view and turn off

According to the documentation (24/10/2026): CLAUDE.md and automatic memory are loaded at the start of each conversation; automatic memory is turned on by default, and the /memory command lets you view it and turn it off.

Keep in mind: CLAUDE.md is a set of instructions that Claude follows, not a lock. For a rule that really matters (never delete, never send), Manual mode and your permissions remain your real protection, as long as you read each request before approving it.

Do it together

1Step 1: Write today’s page

At the end of a session in mon-espace-ia, write:

That's it for today. Suggest today's page for a journal folder: what we did, the decisions, and the next action. Show it to me before writing it.

Read its proposal, correct it if needed, then approve the creation of the file (for example journal/2026-10-24.md).

2Step 2: Really close it

Quit the Claude app completely.

3Step 3: Pick up again

Reopen the app, Code tab, New session, mon-espace-ia folder, Manual mode, then:

Where were we? Read the last page of my journal and summarize it in 3 lines: the last result, the decisions, the next action.

Compare its summary with the journal page: all three points should be there. If one is missing or if it adds something, tell it.

4Step 4: Look at automatic memory

Type /memory in the text box. You see the memory files and the switch for automatic memory. Change nothing for now: just look at what exists. If the app answers that the command is not available here, that is fine: it works in the terminal, the optional setup from module 4 (lesson 2). If you installed it, open your folder, run claude --permission-mode manual, then type /memory. Otherwise, make a note of it and move on: lesson 4 shows you another way to read the memory, by asking Claude.

Your turn

The restart after 3 days. Choose a small project from your list (module 4, lesson 1). Do a 20-minute session with Claude Code, ending with a journal page. Then do not touch it for at least 3 days. When you come back, pick up with a single sentence: “Where were we?”.

Check your work

It worked if:

the restart after 3 days fits in one sentence, and Claude’s summary matches your journal;
you can say what each of the 3 layers contains;
you know where to view automatic memory.

Common mistakes:

counting on the old conversation to pick up again: it can be found in the list, but your files remain the reliable base;
forgetting to write today’s page: it is what makes the restart possible. The CLAUDE.md template in the next lesson suggests it automatically;
thinking automatic memory replaces the journal: it takes a few notes, not the thread of your project.

Keep it and pick it up later

Your journal folder (created by the module 4 kit) now contains one more page. One page per working day, never erased.

Going further

optional

The official documentation on CLAUDE.md and memory, in English: code.claude.com/docs/en/memory.

New words

4 words explained

Word	What it means
Session	One working conversation with Claude Code. Every new session starts empty
CLAUDE.md	The instructions file that Claude Code reads again at the start of each session
Journal	One page written per working day: done, decided, next action
Automatic memory	The notes Claude takes by itself; visible and can be turned off with /memory

Still to verify: the /memory screen in the desktop app, with a real screenshot.