Explore the .claude directory changedclaude-directory
Nearest release: v2.1.282, published 7 hours before upstream edited the page. Shown because the two are within 24 hours of each other. Nothing here says the release caused the edit.
Upstream edited this page at 24 Sep 2026 23:46 UTC, give or take a minute or two: the time comes from Anthropic’s own sitemap rather than from a commit. This site recorded the change at 25 Sep 2026 00:07 UTC.
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14431443The explorer covers files you author and edit. A few related files live elsewhere:
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1445| File | Location | Purpose |
1446| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
1447| `managed-settings.json` | System-level, varies by OS | Enterprise-enforced settings that you can't override, apart from [narrow exceptions](/docs/en/settings#security-keys-where-the-stricter-value-applies). See [where to save the file](/docs/en/managed-settings#deploy-a-managed-settings-file) and [which managed source Claude Code uses](/docs/en/managed-settings#precedence-within-the-managed-tier). |
1448| `CLAUDE.local.md` | Project root | Your private preferences for this project, loaded alongside CLAUDE.md. Create it manually and add it to `.gitignore`. |
1449| `AGENTS.md` | Project root, `.claude/`, or any directory | Project instructions you write for AI coding agents. Claude Code can [load it](/docs/en/memory#agents-md) on its own or alongside `CLAUDE.md`. |
1450| Installed plugins | `~/.claude/plugins` | Cloned marketplaces, installed plugin versions, the `installed_plugins.json` install record, and per-plugin data, managed by `claude plugin` commands. Plugins [synced from your claude.ai account](/docs/en/plugins-reference#synced-plugins) download into `~/.claude/plugins/synced/`. For a plugin installed from a marketplace [`command` source](/docs/en/plugin-marketplaces#command-sources) in link mode, Claude Code stores links here instead of a copy, and the plugin's files stay in the directory the command prints. A `command` source requires Claude Code v2.1.229 or later. A plugin listed by relative path in a local-directory marketplace also [loads in place](/docs/en/plugins-reference#plugin-caching-and-file-resolution) from its source directory rather than from a cache copy. See [plugin caching](/docs/en/plugins-reference#plugin-caching-and-file-resolution) for how orphaned versions are cleaned up. |
1445| File | Location | Purpose |
1446| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
1447| `managed-settings.json` | System-level, varies by OS | Enterprise-enforced settings that you can't override, apart from [narrow exceptions](/docs/en/settings#security-keys-where-the-stricter-value-applies). See [where to save the file](/docs/en/managed-settings#deploy-a-managed-settings-file) and [which managed source Claude Code uses](/docs/en/managed-settings#precedence-within-the-managed-tier). |
1448| `CLAUDE.local.md` | Project root | Your private preferences for this project, loaded alongside CLAUDE.md. Create it manually and add it to `.gitignore`. |
1449| `AGENTS.md` | Project root, `.claude/`, or any directory | Project instructions you write for AI coding agents. Claude Code can [load it](/docs/en/memory#agents-md) on its own or alongside `CLAUDE.md`. |
1450| Installed plugins | `~/.claude/plugins` | Cloned marketplaces, installed plugin versions, the `installed_plugins.json` install record, and per-plugin data, managed by `claude plugin` commands. Plugins [synced from your claude.ai account](/docs/en/plugins/loading#synced-plugins) download into `~/.claude/plugins/synced/`. For a plugin installed from a marketplace [`command` source](/docs/en/plugins/marketplace-reference#command-plugin-source) in link mode, Claude Code stores links here instead of a copy, and the plugin's files stay in the directory the command prints. A `command` source requires Claude Code v2.1.229 or later. A plugin listed by relative path in a local-directory marketplace also [loads in place](/docs/en/plugins/loading#find-plugins-on-disk) from its source directory rather than from a cache copy. See [plugin caching](/docs/en/plugins/loading#find-plugins-on-disk) for how orphaned versions are cleaned up. |
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14521452`~/.claude` also holds data Claude Code writes as you work: transcripts, prompt history, file snapshots, caches, and logs. See [application data](#application-data) below.
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15151515| `output-styles/*.md` | `name`, `description`, `keep-coding-instructions`, `force-for-plugin` | [Output style frontmatter](/docs/en/output-styles#frontmatter) |
15161516| `rules/*.md` | `paths` | [Rule frontmatter](/docs/en/memory#rules-frontmatter-reference) |
15171517
1518Agents shipped in a [plugin](/docs/en/plugins-reference#plugin-agent-frontmatter) honor a subset of the subagent fields.
1518Agents shipped in a [plugin](/docs/en/plugins/components#agents) honor a subset of the subagent fields.
15191519
15201520## Troubleshoot configuration
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15481548| `feedback-bundles/` | Redacted transcript archives written by `/feedback` on third-party providers or when no Anthropic credentials are configured, for sending to your Anthropic account team |
15491549| `feedback/drafts/` | Queued [Claude-drafted feedback](/docs/en/tools-reference#sendfeedback-tool-behavior) awaiting your review in `/feedback`. Swept after `cleanupPeriodDays` or 30 days, whichever is shorter. When the queue is at its 10-draft limit, Claude Code deletes the oldest draft to make room. |
15501550| `usage-data/` | `report.html` and timestamped report copies written by [`/insights`](/docs/en/costs#analyze-your-usage-patterns), plus cached per-session analysis data used to build them |
1551| `skills/.trash/`, `plugins/.trash/` | [Skills](/docs/en/skills#how-synced-skills-behave) and [plugins](/docs/en/plugins-reference#synced-plugins) that the claude.ai sync removed, such as after you turn one off on claude.ai or stop syncing. The files stay here so you can recover them until the sweep deletes them |
1551| `skills/.trash/`, `plugins/.trash/` | [Skills](/docs/en/skills#how-synced-skills-behave) and [plugins](/docs/en/plugins/loading#synced-plugins) that the claude.ai sync removed, such as after you turn one off on claude.ai or stop syncing. The files stay here so you can recover them until the sweep deletes them |
15521552| `todos/`, `statsig/`, `logs/` | Legacy directories from older versions. No longer written. The sweep removes their contents and then the empty directory. |
15531553
15541554Session files in `sessions/`, auto memory, and Claude Desktop and Cowork transcripts each follow their own retention rule:
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16521652You can also delete any of the application-data paths above by hand, apart from the [state files to keep](#state-files-to-keep). New sessions are unaffected. The table below shows what you lose for past sessions.
16531653
1654| Delete | You lose |
1655| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
1656| `~/.claude/projects/` | Resume, continue, and rewind for past sessions, and auto memory for every project |
1657| `~/.claude/history.jsonl` | Up-arrow prompt recall, `Ctrl+R` history search, and `!` shell-command completion |
1658| `~/.claude/paste-cache/` | Pasted text in recalled prompts; see [paste large content](/docs/en/terminal-config#paste-large-content) |
1659| `~/.claude/uploads/` | Attachments that past [Remote Control](/docs/en/remote-control) sessions refer to by path |
1660| `~/.claude/file-history/` | Checkpoint restore for past sessions |
1661| `~/.claude/stats-cache.json` | Historical totals shown by `/usage` |
1662| `~/.claude/usage-data/` | Past [`/insights`](/docs/en/costs#analyze-your-usage-patterns) reports and the cached analysis data used to build them |
1663| `~/.claude/feedback-bundles/` | Feedback and bug-report archives you haven't yet sent to your Anthropic account team |
1664| `~/.claude/feedback/drafts/` | [Claude-drafted feedback](/docs/en/tools-reference#sendfeedback-tool-behavior) you haven't sent |
1665| `~/.claude/remote-settings.json` | Nothing. Re-fetched on next launch. |
1666| `~/.claude/cache/changelog.md` | Nothing. Refreshed in the background. |
1667| `~/.claude/policy-limits.json` | Nothing. Refreshed automatically. |
1668| `~/.claude/tasks/` | Task lists that a resumed session would pick up |
1669| `~/.claude/skills/.trash/`, `~/.claude/plugins/.trash/` | The chance to recover [synced skills](/docs/en/skills#how-synced-skills-behave) and [synced plugins](/docs/en/plugins-reference#synced-plugins) that Claude Code removed |
1670| `~/.claude/debug/`, `~/.claude/plans/`, `~/.claude/session-env/`, `~/.claude/shell-snapshots/`, `~/.claude/backups/` | Nothing user-facing |
1671| `~/.claude/todos/`, `~/.claude/statsig/`, `~/.claude/logs/`, `~/.claude/image-cache/` | Nothing. Legacy directories not written by current versions. |
1654| Delete | You lose |
1655| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
1656| `~/.claude/projects/` | Resume, continue, and rewind for past sessions, and auto memory for every project |
1657| `~/.claude/history.jsonl` | Up-arrow prompt recall, `Ctrl+R` history search, and `!` shell-command completion |
1658| `~/.claude/paste-cache/` | Pasted text in recalled prompts; see [paste large content](/docs/en/terminal-config#paste-large-content) |
1659| `~/.claude/uploads/` | Attachments that past [Remote Control](/docs/en/remote-control) sessions refer to by path |
1660| `~/.claude/file-history/` | Checkpoint restore for past sessions |
1661| `~/.claude/stats-cache.json` | Historical totals shown by `/usage` |
1662| `~/.claude/usage-data/` | Past [`/insights`](/docs/en/costs#analyze-your-usage-patterns) reports and the cached analysis data used to build them |
1663| `~/.claude/feedback-bundles/` | Feedback and bug-report archives you haven't yet sent to your Anthropic account team |
1664| `~/.claude/feedback/drafts/` | [Claude-drafted feedback](/docs/en/tools-reference#sendfeedback-tool-behavior) you haven't sent |
1665| `~/.claude/remote-settings.json` | Nothing. Re-fetched on next launch. |
1666| `~/.claude/cache/changelog.md` | Nothing. Refreshed in the background. |
1667| `~/.claude/policy-limits.json` | Nothing. Refreshed automatically. |
1668| `~/.claude/tasks/` | Task lists that a resumed session would pick up |
1669| `~/.claude/skills/.trash/`, `~/.claude/plugins/.trash/` | The chance to recover [synced skills](/docs/en/skills#how-synced-skills-behave) and [synced plugins](/docs/en/plugins/loading#synced-plugins) that Claude Code removed |
1670| `~/.claude/debug/`, `~/.claude/plans/`, `~/.claude/session-env/`, `~/.claude/shell-snapshots/`, `~/.claude/backups/` | Nothing user-facing |
1671| `~/.claude/todos/`, `~/.claude/statsig/`, `~/.claude/logs/`, `~/.claude/image-cache/` | Nothing. Legacy directories not written by current versions. |
16721672
16731673Don't delete `~/.claude.json`, `~/.claude/settings.json`, or `~/.claude/plugins/`: those hold your auth, preferences, and installed plugins.
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