Checkpointing Claude Code Changes Before Risky Refactors

## Overview

Claude Code automatically tracks the file edits Claude makes, so you can rewind
to an earlier state if a change goes wrong. That safety net is what makes
ambitious, wide-scale refactors less risky, as long as you understand exactly
what checkpoints do and do not cover.

## How checkpoints work

- Every user prompt creates a new checkpoint capturing code state before edits.
- Checkpoints persist across sessions, so you can access them in a resumed
  conversation.
- They are cleaned up with the session after 30 days by default.

## Rewind and summarize

Open the rewind menu, which lists each prompt you sent, then choose an action:

```bash
# Open the rewind menu (either works)
/rewind
# …or press Esc twice when the prompt input is empty

# Prefer a separate branch over rewinding the current session:
claude --continue --fork-session
```

Each menu action affects code, conversation, or both differently:

| Action | Reverts code | Reverts conversation | Use when |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Restore code and conversation | Yes | Yes | A change went wrong and you want a clean slate at that prompt |
| Restore conversation | No | Yes | The code is fine but the discussion went off track |
| Restore code | Yes | No | Keep the discussion, undo only the file changes |
| Summarize from here | No | Compresses forward | Free context while keeping earlier history intact |
| Summarize up to here | No | Compresses earlier | Free context while keeping recent messages in full |

Restore options revert state; summarize options only compress conversation. In
both summarize cases the original messages stay in the transcript.

## A safe refactor workflow

1. Commit your current work to Git so you have permanent history.
2. Start the refactor with Claude in a session.
3. If it goes off track, run `/rewind` and **Restore code** to the prompt before
   the bad change.
4. Re-prompt with a corrected approach.
5. When the refactor is good, commit again.

## Limitations to know

- **Bash changes are not tracked**: files modified by `rm`, `mv`, `cp`, or other
  shell commands cannot be undone through rewind. Only direct file edits are
  tracked.
- **External changes are not tracked**: manual edits or edits from other
  concurrent sessions are usually not captured.
- **Not a Git replacement**: treat checkpoints as local undo and Git as permanent
  history and collaboration.

## When to branch instead

If you want to try a different approach while preserving the original session
intact, fork the session (`claude --continue --fork-session`) rather than
rewinding. Rewinding changes the current session; forking keeps both.

## Source

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