[FEATURE] Named Sessions for `--resume`
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
Feature Request: Named Sessions for --resume
Summary
Allow users to name Claude Code sessions and resume them by name instead of session ID.
Current Behaviour
claude --resume 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
Session IDs are opaque UUIDs — impossible to remember across terminal sessions or days.
Proposed Behaviour
# Name a session on start
claude --session-name "payments-debug"
# Resume by name
claude --resume "payments-debug"
# Fuzzy match on partial name
claude --resume "payments"
# List all sessions with names, IDs, and timestamps
claude --sessions
Why This Matters
Session IDs are for machines. Names are for humans. When context-switching across multiple workstreams — debugging, refactoring, feature work — developers need to re-enter the right session quickly without hunting through terminal history for a UUID.
This is the same UX principle behind:
tmux attach -t my-sessiongit checkout my-branch- Docker's auto-generated memorable container names
Suggested Details
- Names stored alongside session metadata
- Fuzzy match so partial names resolve to closest session
- Auto-generate memorable names (e.g.
autumn-forest-42) when no name supplied — so every session is nameable even retroactively --sessionsflag to list all sessions with name, ID, last active timestamp, and working directory
Impact
Low implementation complexity. High daily-use value for anyone running multiple concurrent Claude Code sessions across projects.
Proposed Solution
Suggested Details
- Names stored alongside session metadata
- Fuzzy match so partial names resolve to closest session
- Auto-generate memorable names (e.g.
autumn-forest-42) when no name supplied — so every session is nameable even retroactively --sessionsflag to list all sessions with name, ID, last active timestamp, and working directory
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
Medium - Would be very helpful
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
_No response_
Additional Context
_No response_
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