[DOCS] `/rewind` recovery option after `/clear` is undocumented

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/checkpointing

Section/Topic

The Rewind and summarize section under How checkpoints work, and the /clear and /rewind entries in the Commands reference. The Manage context within a session block on the sessions page also needs a cross-reference to the new behavior.

Current Documentation

The checkpointing page describes rewind only as an in-session operation. Its Rewind and summarize section says:

Run /rewind, or press Esc twice when the prompt input is empty, to open the rewind menu. The rewind menu lists each prompt you sent during the session. Select the point you want to act on, then choose an action: Restore code and conversation: revert both code and conversation to that point Restore conversation: rewind to that message while keeping current code Restore code: revert file changes while keeping the conversation Summarize from here: compress the conversation from this point forward into a summary, freeing context window space Summarize up to here: compress the conversation before this point into a summary, keeping later messages intact Never mind: return to the message list without making changes

The same page's How checkpoints work section says "Every user prompt creates a new checkpoint" and "Checkpoints persist across sessions, so you can access them in resumed conversations" without describing how the new /rewind recovery interacts with /clear.

The commands reference describes /rewind and /clear separately, with no cross-reference between them:

/clear [name] | Start a new conversation with empty context. The previous conversation stays available in /resume. Pass a name to label the previous conversation in the /resume picker. To free up context while continuing the same conversation, use /compact instead. Aliases: /reset, /new

/rewind | Rewind the conversation and/or code to a previous point, or summarize from a selected message. See checkpointing. Aliases: /checkpoint, /undo

The sessions page describes /clear recovery only via the /resume picker:

Sessions are saved continuously to local transcript files as you work, so you can return to one after exiting or running /clear. Use these entry points: | Command | What it does | | :-------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------- | | claude --continue | Resumes the most recent session in the current directory | | claude --resume | Opens the [session picker](#use-the-session-picker) | | claude --resume <name> | Resumes the named session directly | | claude --from-pr <number> | Resumes the session linked to that pull request | | /resume | Switches to a different conversation from inside an active session |

* /clear: start fresh with an empty context. The previous conversation is saved and resumable

What's Wrong or Missing?

Changelog v2.1.191 added the ability to recover the conversation that was active before /clear was run by using /rewind in the new (post-clear) session, instead of having to reopen the old session through the /resume picker. The docs do not mention this anywhere, so users who hit /clear and then realize they need the prior conversation back have no documented way to recover it in place via /rewind.

A. The rewind page does not mention cross-/clear recovery

checkpointing describes the rewind menu as showing prompts from the current session only and never explains that running /rewind after /clear surfaces the pre-clear conversation as a recoverable target.

B. The Commands reference does not cross-link /clear and /rewind

commands documents /clear as recovery-via-/resume and /rewind as recovery-within-session, with no note that the two now work together to recover the conversation that was cleared.

C. The sessions page omits /rewind from its /clear recovery guidance

sessions lists only the --continue, --resume, and --from-pr flags and /resume as recovery entry points after /clear, and the Manage context within a session block only describes /clear itself as saving the previous conversation without mentioning the in-place /rewind recovery path.

Suggested Improvement

Document the v2.1.191 /rewind recovery behavior across the rewind, commands, and sessions pages so users do not have to read release notes to discover it.

Option A: Comprehensive fix

1. In checkpointing, add a short subsection (for example, "Recover a conversation cleared with /clear") that explains: after /clear, the rewind menu in the new session also lists prompts from the cleared conversation, and selecting one and choosing Restore code and conversation brings the cleared conversation and its code state back in place.
2. In commands, append a note to the /clear row (for example, "To recover the cleared conversation in the current session, use /rewind.") and a reciprocal note on the /rewind row ("/rewind also lists prompts from before /clear so you can recover the cleared conversation without reopening it from /resume.").
3. In sessions, add /rewind to the recovery entry-point table for cleared conversations, and update the Manage context within a session bullet on /clear to mention the /rewind recovery option alongside the existing "saved and resumable" wording.

Option B: Minimum fix

1. In commands, append one sentence to the /clear row: "To recover the cleared conversation in the current session without reopening it from /resume, use /rewind." (The reciprocal /rewind note can wait for a follow-up edit.)
2. In checkpointing, add a one-line note under Rewind and summarize that says /rewind also lists prompts from before /clear so the cleared conversation can be restored in the current session.

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/checkpointing | 23-42 | Rewind and summarize section describes only in-session rewind; does not mention /rewind after /clear |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands | 59, 114 | /clear row mentions only /resume recovery; /rewind row describes only in-session rewinding; no cross-reference between them |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/sessions | 21-29, 104 | Recovery entry-point table and Manage context within a session block omit /rewind as a recovery option after /clear |

Total scope: 3 pages affected

Version context: Changelog v2.1.191 entry:

Added /rewind support for resuming a conversation from before /clear was run