/compact vs /clear

Frees up context by summarizing the conversation up to the current point. You can optionally provide focus instructions to guide the summary. This helps manage the context window without starting a new conversation.

Use it when

You are mid-task and the context window is filling up, but Claude still needs to remember what you decided. Pass focus instructions to steer the summary.

Starts a new conversation with an empty context. You can optionally pass a name to label the previous conversation, making it easier to find in the `/resume` picker. To free up context while continuing the same conversation, use `/compact` instead.

Use it when

You are switching to an unrelated task. Pass a name to label the old conversation so you can find it later in /resume.