Where are Claude Code session histories stored?

Short answer: everything is stored locally under ~/.claude/projects/ as JSONL files — no cloud sync, no account-based session history.

Directory layout

~/.claude/
├── projects/                     # ← all session history lives here
│   ├── -Users-you-Documents-app/ #   one directory per project (path-mangled)
│   │   ├── 9a1b2c3d-….jsonl     #     one file per session
│   │   └── 7c2d3e4f-….jsonl
│   └── -home-you-shop-api/
│       └── …
├── claude.json                   # global config (MCP, theme, project state)
└── … (cache, logs, stats and other auxiliary files)

Naming rule for project directories: every /, _ or other non-alphanumeric character in the project path becomes a -. All sessions of one project therefore cluster in one directory — which is also how viewers "group by project".

What’s inside a JSONL file

JSONL = one independent JSON object per line. A session file records the full conversation in chronological order. Main entry types:

Each entry also carries metadata: timestamp, cwd (project path), gitBranch, version, sessionId, and more. In other words, the history file is more complete than what the terminal shows — reasoning, raw tool parameters and results, and token consumption are all in there.

What this means for you

• Privacy is in your hands: the files never leave your machine. Conversely, back up ~/.claude/projects/ before switching machines or reinstalling, or the history is gone;
• Files can be sensitive: sessions contain source code snippets, file paths, command output, even secrets — don’t share .jsonl files casually or post them publicly;
• Size grows: after a few months of heavy use, a single session can reach several (or tens of) MB and the whole directory hundreds of MB — that’s normal.

How to read this history comfortably

Reading raw JSONL is a slog. Open the directory with CCViewer (whole-folder drag & drop supported): sessions group by project, and Markdown, thinking blocks, tool calls and cost stats are all rendered graphically — with parsing happening only in your browser, preserving the "data never leaves this machine" property.

FAQ