{"version":"2.1.300","anchor":"idle-compaction-can-summarize-instead-of-compacting-through","canonical_anchor":"idle-compaction-can-summarize-instead-of-compacting-through","heading":"Returning after idle can summarize the conversation instead","tier":"notice","area":"Compaction","scope":"individual","heads_up":false,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.300\/e\/idle-compaction-can-summarize-instead-of-compacting-through","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.300","markdown":"### Returning after idle can summarize the conversation instead\n\nIdle compaction gains a mode that summarizes the conversation when you come back, and can skip a ready summary that no longer fits\n\n**What**\n\nCompaction is when Claude Code shrinks a long conversation into a summary so it keeps fitting in the model's working memory. When a session has been idle, Claude Code could already compact it. It now has a second mode, compact on return, which summarizes the conversation when you come back.\n\nOther compaction changes:\n\n- summaries prepared in advance, and compaction that happens in response to a problem, can now be triggered by idle time\n\n- a summary prepared in advance is skipped if it no longer fits the conversation\n\nWhich mode is used is set by configuration Anthropic sends from its servers.\n\n**Why**\n\nThis changes how room in the conversation is freed up when you return to a session after a break.\n\n- Area: Compaction\n- Tier: You'll notice\n- Useful: 4\/5\n- Signal: 4\/5\n- Scope: individual\n- Heads-up: no"}