Session list: no way to delete/close a session, only "Archive" (X icon removed)
Description
In the VS Code extension's session sidebar, sessions used to have an "X" (close) icon next to each entry, allowing them to be removed from the list. In the current version, that icon has been replaced with an "Archive" icon (folder icon), and there is no longer any way to permanently delete/close a session from the UI — archived sessions stay listed indefinitely under "Archived sessions".
I also checked the command palette and package.json contributions for this extension version — there is no claude-vscode.deleteSession (or similar) command registered, only:
claude-vscode.reopenClosedSessionclaude-vscode.markSessionUnreadclaude-vscode.renameSessionTabclaude-vscode.addSessionTabToGroup
Steps to reproduce
- Open the Claude Code sidebar/panel in VS Code.
- Hover over any session in the "Ungrouped" list.
- Only an "Archive" icon appears (no "X"/close/delete option).
- Right-clicking a session only offers: Resume session, New group from session, Mark as unread — no delete option either.
Expected behavior
A way to permanently delete a session from the list (not just archive it), or at minimum a clear option distinct from "Archive."
Actual behavior
Only "Archive" is available; sessions accumulate under "Archived sessions" with no delete path.
Environment
- Extension:
anthropic.claude-codev2.1.259 (win32-x64) - OS: Windows 11 Pro
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3 Comments
Confirming this on Windows 11 Home, extension anthropic.claude-code@2.1.267. Same behavior, only an Archive icon on hover, no delete anywhere in the UI or the command palette.
One additional detail that isn't in the report: the archived list is not backed by the transcript files on disk.
.jsonlfrom~/.claude/projects/<encoded-project-path>/..jsonlis recreated on disk.So the sidebar list is served from a separate index in the extension's storage, and removing the transcript neither removes the entry nor keeps it removed. As far as I can tell there is currently no path at all (UI or filesystem) that permanently removes a session.
For context on the version boundary: #91431 (filed 2 Sept, two days before this) reports a working delete button in the VS Code extension, with the complaint being that it deletes instantly without confirmation. And #10747 ("Delete and rename chats in VS Code extension") was closed as completed. That suggests this is a regression rather than a feature that was never built.
Just to confirm the base issue - no delete option, only an archive option - on macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 using the anthropic.claude-code@2.1.272 extension.
However, unlike NicolasHas's comments, deleting the session's .jsonl file directly from disk by session ID does work for me. After fully quitting and reopening VS Code, the deleted session no longer appears in the Archived list, and the archived count updates correctly.
I have the same issue, and we hope the official team can fix it as soon as possible — it's very inconvenient.