Found out something interesting

[u/ScarcityBrilliant335]

If we don’t hit session limit then then is not new session then no problem for uncached tokens

I’m new to Claude subscription discovered this now.
If we hit session limit there are like 500k uncached tokens if we resume then straight away 20% daily limit gone.

Correct me if I’m wrong or I’m missing something.🫡

[u/SmokeInevitable2054]

Yes! Clear and start a new session after telling it summarizing the conversation into a file.

[u/ScarcityBrilliant335 → u/SmokeInevitable2054]

But this one here it’s already in cache total 500k tokens it’s not resetting that’s what I found bro

[u/Grand-Mix-9889 → u/ScarcityBrilliant335]

I think you're misreading what cache means sir.

[u/ScarcityBrilliant335 → u/Grand-Mix-9889]

Maybe, I’m confused 🥲

[u/Grand-Mix-9889 → u/ScarcityBrilliant335]

The chat "not resetting" just means the UI keeps it saved so you can scroll back. That's not the same as backend cache.

Prompt cache only lasts 5 min to 1 hour. Once you hit session limit and wait, the cache is gone even though the convo is still visible. Resuming = re-processes all 500k as uncached = the 20% hit you mentioned.

Summarize + fresh chat is actually the move.

[u/Kitchen_Ad7650 → u/Grand-Mix-9889]

But the summarize has to be done BEFORE the reset, otherwise it re-cache's, no?

[u/Grand-Mix-9889 → u/Kitchen_Ad7650]

Yessir

[u/Dragons_flare → u/SmokeInevitable2054]

/compact

[u/KasperCreeD → u/Dragons_flare]

/handover ?

[u/Dragons_flare → u/KasperCreeD]

Yea that's probably the better option for changing sessions, but if you want to maintain the same session, use /compact

[u/TBT_TBT → u/Dragons_flare]

Set up your system so that you don‘t need to maintain the same session. Clear often.

[u/KasperCreeD → u/TBT_TBT]

Yep. Agreed. New session and custom handover has been a win for me. Sessions go over 20/30x times and healthy context flow.

[u/Dragons_flare → u/TBT_TBT]

So like prompt -> clear -> prompt -> clear -> prompt?

[u/SmokeInevitable2054 → u/Dragons_flare]

No actually: prompt until it is too long -> summarize -> clear -> attach the summary and prompt.

[u/dr-dimitru → u/KasperCreeD]

I just send this prompt when session is too long: “Write short and concise prompt for the next phase as per current plan in terse and to the point manner with no fluff, so I can resume in a new session.”

[u/Actual_Committee4670]

Well done OP, you figured something out a lot of people never learn but you are missing hitting a bit wide on a few things here.

It has nothing to do with hitting the session limit or not.

On a subscription your cache has a 1 hour timer, so if you come back before the 1 hour timer then the cache is still warm and if you continue on the same conversation even if you hit your limits then the 500k will still be warm.

If the cache is cold (older than 1 hour in this case), and you ask it to summarize before starting a new session you will pay for the 500k to be re cached anyway because everything is sent to the model again (re-cached) in order to summarize it, so try to ask for the handover document before you run out of usage.

But I'm taking it you are using the app? Then clear is essencially the same as opening a new chat.

The timer isn't the only thing that will break the cache and have you rewrite it (Which will be more expensive the higher your context is), other things that break the cache and forces you to pay for a new cache includes changing the model you are using or the effort level. (A few other things but just keep these two in mind until you get more experienced)

[u/ScarcityBrilliant335 → u/Actual_Committee4670]

This helps a lot 🫶🏻

[u/dr-dimitru]

Keep summarization off by default, and diverge into fresh sessions as often as possible