Intermediate7 min
Compact, Branch, or Clear — A Decision Framework
Three commands for managing a degrading session — each with a different cost, a different loss profile, and a different use case. Choosing the wrong one compounds the problem.
Quick Reference
- →/compact: summarize and continue — cheap, lossy, same session
- →/branch: fork to a new session keeping key context — explore alternatives without destroying the thread
- →/clear: full reset — cheapest fresh start, loses everything
- →Signs of session degradation: repeated wrong assumptions, same correction needed 3+ times
- →Compact at ~60% context utilization — before quality degrades, not after
- →Branch when you liked the direction but want to try an alternative approach
- →Clear when switching to a completely unrelated task
- →300-second rule: if you step away for 5+ minutes, the prompt cache is cold — /clear is now cheap
The Three Tools
When a session is under context pressure or heading in the wrong direction, you have three distinct responses. Each one makes a different tradeoff between cost, continuity, and cleanliness.
| Command | What it does | What you lose | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| /compact | Summarizes conversation history to reclaim budget; session continues | Detail from older turns — granular instructions, specific error messages | Continuing the same task; context is full but work is good |
| /branch | Forks the session — original stays untouched, you work on the fork | Nothing — original session is preserved | Exploring an alternative approach without destroying the current thread |
| /clear | Wipes the entire conversation; fresh session, zero context cost | Everything — all conversation history, context, progress from this session | Switching to an unrelated task; session is so polluted a fresh start is faster |