Choose the Right Reset Command: /clear, /compact, /rewind, or /undo
Claude Code has four distinct reset and rollback commands. They overlap just enough to cause confusion — here's when each one is the right call.
/clear — wipe the conversation history
Use when you've finished a task and want a clean slate. Keeps your working directory, environment, and CLAUDE.md intact; destroys the conversation.
/clear
/compact — summarise and compress
Use when context is getting full but you're mid-task and don't want to lose your thread. Claude condenses the conversation into a tight briefing and continues from there.
/compact
/compact Focus on the API changes we made; drop the earlier CSS discussion
/rewind — undo the last turn
Use when Claude's last response went in the wrong direction. Restores both the conversation and any file edits Claude made during that turn. Double-tap Escape does the same thing.
/rewind
/undo — revert the last file edit
Use when Claude edited a file incorrectly and you want that specific change reverted, without touching the conversation history.
/undo
Quick decision guide:
| Situation | Command |
|---|---|
| Task finished, starting something new | /clear |
| Context filling up, still mid-task | /compact |
| Claude's last response was wrong | /rewind |
| One file edit was wrong | /undo |
| Something went wrong, not sure what | /rewind first, then assess |
The most common mistake is using /clear when /rewind would do — you lose your entire conversation context when you only needed to undo one bad turn.
Know all four, and you'll always lose the minimum amount of context necessary.
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When typing feels slow — describing a complex bug, explaining architecture, or thinking through a problem out loud — press Option+V to switch to voice input. Speak naturally and Claude Code transcribes your words into a prompt, so you can describe what you need at the speed of thought.
When Claude is heading down the wrong path — editing the wrong file, writing code you don't want, or giving a long explanation you don't need — press Escape to stop it immediately. You keep everything it did up to that point and can redirect with a new prompt.
Closed a session and realized you weren't done? Pass --continue (or -c) when launching Claude Code to pick up exactly where you left off — same context, same files, same conversation history — without re-explaining what you were working on.