What is Micro-Compact in Claude Code

Micro-compact automatically clears old tool calls to extend your session length, triggering automatically when context grows long. This helps you work longer without needing to run a full /compact command and losing important project context.

How Micro-Compact Works

When your conversation reaches certain context thresholds, micro-compact automatically:

1. Identifies old tool calls that are no longer immediately relevant to your current work
2. Selectively removes outdated tool results while preserving recent context
3. Maintains critical project information like current file states and ongoing tasks
4. Extends your session without requiring manual intervention

Micro-Compact vs Auto-Compact

Understanding the difference between Claude Code's context management features:

• Micro-Compact: Selective removal of old tool calls only, preserves conversation flow and project context
• Auto-Compact: Full conversation summarization that condenses entire message history when approaching limits
• Manual Compact (/compact): User-controlled summarization with custom preservation instructions

Release Information

Micro-compact was introduced in Claude Code v1.0.68 as part of enhanced context management improvements, allowing for longer, more productive coding sessions without manual intervention.

Context Optimization

Micro-compact works seamlessly in the background, so you can focus on coding while Claude Code optimizes context usage automatically. Unlike full compaction, it maintains your workflow continuity.

See Also: Auto-Compact|Context Window Depletion|Claude Code Release Notes