{"name":"CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_GUIDELINES","slug":"claude-cowork-memory-guidelines","family":"env","title":"Environment variables","noun":"environment variable","description":"When auto memory is enabled and this is non-empty, the standard auto memory section of the system prompt is replaced by `# auto memory` followed by this text. When set and no memory mode was chosen explicitly, it also makes Claude Code use file-based memory (`files`) over the memory tools, and it changes how memory index files are capped when read.","description_source":"code","described_by":{"bundle":"2.1.286","author":"claude-opus-5-5"},"presence":{"first_seen":"2.1.138","removed_in":null,"in_current_build":true,"newest_mined":"2.1.308","builds":149,"mined_builds":149,"first_cited":null},"aliases":[],"entries":[],"entries_total":0,"docs":[],"docs_total":0,"gates":[],"related":[{"name":"CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES","slug":"claude-cowork-memory-extra-guidelines","description":"Extra text added to the memory instructions in the system prompt: it is appended to the auto memory section (after the `Memory directory:` line in one variant, ahead of the memory index lines in the other), except where `CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_GUIDELINES` has replaced that section. When non-empty after trimming, it is also added as an extra guideline in the `Persistent Agent Memory` prompt for agents with memory."},{"name":"CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_INDEX_CONTENT","slug":"claude-cowork-memory-index-content","description":"Adding `pinned: true` to a memory file's frontmatter would apply it to every session automatically."},{"name":"CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_PATH_OVERRIDE","slug":"claude-cowork-memory-path-override","description":"Directory to use for auto memory, taking precedence over a memory directory from settings and the default per-project location. A `~\/` prefix is not expanded, and a path that fails its checks (for example shorter than 3 characters, a bare drive letter, or containing NUL) is ignored. When set, it also keeps auto memory from being turned off in `CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE` sessions that have no `CLAUDE_CODE_REMOTE_MEMORY_DIR`."}],"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/reference\/env\/claude-cowork-memory-guidelines","family_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/reference\/env.json"}