Claude Code conversation history: where it lives, how to search it, how to get it back

Claude Code stores conversation history locally in JSONL files, allowing users to recover sessions via claude --continue or claude --resume. To explore alternative approaches without polluting context, users can fork sessions using /branch in Claude Code or /fork in Codex. For task transitions, users should create handoff notes to move context between tools, as Claude Code and Codex cannot access each other's conversations, enabling a workflow where Claude Code writes and Codex tests.