Feature Request: Session Branching / Conversation Forking

Found 3 possible duplicate issues:

1. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/10370
2. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/4443
3. https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/1417

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I found this issue searching for this functionality. I just found the /fork command, which is for me just enough to make it workable: it forks the session, puts the current client in one of the forks (who's the original? who knows?) and lets you claude -r to drop into the other one.

+1 for this! I regularly hit this pain point during long sessions.

My typical workflow involves exploring multiple approaches from the same conversation state (e.g., brainstorming project plans, then wanting to branch into different implementation directions). Having to exit, remember the right CLI flags, and restart breaks the flow significantly.

A /fork slash command (or even a keyboard shortcut like Ctrl+F) would make this much more accessible. The underlying --fork-session mechanism already works well — it just needs an in-session entry point.

Would also love the /fork <name> variant for easier session management later.

I also support this feature request. At least I discovered here that there is a way with --fork-session, but /fork would make more sense.

There is a /fork command

<img width="1244" height="144" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/cc41f064-96df-4fd1-97bd-192399dc7083" />

The only thing you need to do manually is run that resume command in another terminal session. Which is something that I'd want anyway so I can control where that session is launched (e.g. in a new tmux pane or window)

I'd like to connect some dots across related issues.

Current state: /fork exists and works — but the UX breaks flow. You fork, get a claude -r <session-id> string, then have to manually open a new terminal and paste it. For a feature meant to preserve momentum, this is ironic.

The missing piece is automatic terminal spawning. I elaborated on this in #24123, but the key insight is: the infrastructure already exists. Agent Teams (teammateMode: "tmux") already spawns independent Claude Code instances in new tmux panes/windows. /fork could reuse this same mechanism — the only delta is inheriting the current conversation history instead of starting fresh.

This would also address the broader UX gaps discussed here and in the now-closed #10370, #4443, and #1417:

| What | Status |
|------|--------|
| Core fork mechanism (--fork-session) | ✅ Shipped |
| In-session /fork command | ✅ Shipped |
| Auto-open fork in new terminal tab/pane | ❌ Missing (#24123) |

Just making /fork open in a new pane would already make session branching a practical, daily-use workflow instead of a CLI trick most users don't discover.

+1, this is exactly what I need daily.

Real use case from today: I'm in a long session where Claude helped me build and ship 5 MCP servers, design a brand logo, set up CI/CD, list on registries, etc. Now I'm at a decision point — Claude asks "do you want to build the marketing pipeline now?" I want to say yes AND also branch off to improve my shipping playbook, both starting from this exact point with full context.

Right now my options are:

1. /compact and continue (loses the branch)
2. Start a new session (loses all context — has to re-read everything)
3. Hope memory files carry enough context (they don't carry conversation nuance)

What I want (like ChatGPT's branch feature):

• Right-click any message → "Branch from here"
• Opens a new session tab with identical conversation history up to that point
• Both sessions continue independently
• Like git branch but for conversations

This is especially critical for long planning sessions where you reach a fork in the road and want to explore both paths without losing context. The current workaround of relying on memory files doesn't preserve the conversation flow, decision rationale, or the "we just discussed X so let's build on that" continuity.

@jonkhler @NickNick @wxtry @tbrebant @axelson

I had the same frustrations with /fork — the terminal hopping and session ID tracking kills the flow. I built an MCP server called Variantree that handles branching, switching, and tree visualization inside a single session through natural language.

Named checkpoints and branches (no session IDs to track)
Switch branches in-place — code and conversation context swap together automatically
Tree visualization showing all branches and checkpoints
Claude gets only the relevant conversation history for the active branch, no context pollution.

Would love any feedback if you try it out — still actively developing and happy to prioritize features that would help your workflows.

I just came back to Claude Code CLI after using 'desktop' client for some time. This feature is exactly what's missing for me when comparing with the desktop app. There, when you 'fork', it duplicates the current session into a new one and lands you in it automatically.
This is _very useful_ for side quests. For example, If I want to ask Claude Code a clarifying question about it's latest response without cluttering the main session thread (which is usually quite busy with long responses by Claude Code - which is fine).

With this feature - the functionality is complete and I can really easily 'thread out' on a need basis in Claude Code CLI. Without it - lot's of the 'parallelizing' functionality of fork/branch is nullified :(

In a nutshell: "Agents view" is completely missing fork/branch functionality and this issue is about brining this missing functionality into "Agents view".