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To make Claude Code and Cursor carry useful context between sessions, save stable project guidance in files they can reload—not in a long chat transcript. Use a project-level CLAUDE.md for Claude Code, Cursor Project Rules in .cursor/rules for Cursor, and each tool’s user-level settings for personal preferences. Cursor also offers project-scoped Memories derived from conversations. These mechanisms supply context to later prompts; they do not mean the model has permanently learned your codebase.

Choose the right place for each kind of memory

Keep shared facts about the repository separate from personal preferences and conversation-derived notes. The key difference is scope: a project file can travel with the code, while user settings follow your account or local environment.

Need Claude Code Cursor
Shared project guidance Project CLAUDE.md Version-controlled .cursor/rules/*.mdc; AGENTS.md is also documented
Personal preferences across projects ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md User Rules in Cursor Settings
Scoped instructions Nested CLAUDE.md files and @path/to/file imports Rule types, file globs, nested rules, or manual rules
Conversation-derived context The cited memory guide focuses on maintained instruction files Project-scoped Memories generated from Chat conversations
Inspect or manage Use /memory to inspect loaded files or open them for editing Settings > Rules to manage rules and Memories

These are different delivery mechanisms, not a measure of which tool has better memory quality. Their behavior also depends on scope and the Cursor surface or release in use. See Anthropic’s Claude Code memory documentation and Cursor’s Rules documentation.

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Set up durable memory in Claude Code

1. Add project guidance in the repository

Create a CLAUDE.md in the project root. Put facts the team should share there: a short architecture map, conventions, important constraints, and commands commonly needed to build, test, or run the project. Keep it specific enough to guide work without duplicating the whole README or chat history.

Anthropic recommends specific, organized instructions and regular review. Its example is direct: “Use 2-space indentation” is better than “Format code properly.”

2. Keep personal defaults separate

For instructions you want across your own projects, use ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md. This is a better home for individual preferences than a shared project file. Anthropic marks CLAUDE.local.md as deprecated and recommends imports for personal instructions that need to work better across Git worktrees.

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3. Split and import only when it helps

For a large project, put specialized guidance near the relevant area in nested CLAUDE.md files, or import a separate file with a line such as @path/to/file. Anthropic documents nested imports up to five levels. Claude Code checks upward from the working directory for CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md (excluding the filesystem root); it can also discover nested files in subtrees when it reads files there.

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4. Confirm what Claude Code has loaded

Run /memory to see the memory files in use and open them for editing. If an instruction is missing, check that the file is in the expected project or user location and that any imported path is correct.

Configure persistent context in Cursor

1. Add shared Project Rules

For repository-specific guidance, create Markdown rule files with the .mdc extension under .cursor/rules and commit them so collaborators can use the same instructions. Cursor’s documentation describes rules that can always apply, attach automatically to matching files, be requested by the agent, or be invoked manually. Use file patterns or narrower rules when different parts of the repository need different context; avoid applying every specialized instruction to every task.

Cursor also documents AGENTS.md as a plain-Markdown alternative. The older root .cursorrules format remains supported in older documentation but is deprecated in favor of Project Rules. See Cursor’s current Rules guide.

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2. Put personal instructions in User Rules

Use User Rules in Cursor Settings for preferences that should apply across your projects but should not be committed into a repository. This separates your working preferences from instructions intended for the whole team.

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3. Treat Memories as a separate, optional layer

Cursor describes Memories as project-scoped rules derived from Chat conversations. Its documentation says background extraction can create memories with user approval, and that users can manage or delete them in Settings > Rules. Memories are not a substitute for deliberately maintained project rules: use them for useful conversation-derived context, and keep critical conventions in files you can review and version.

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Use a root CLAUDE.md with Cursor only where supported

Cursor’s official help says it picks up a project-root CLAUDE.md, and its CLI documentation says the CLI reads root AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md alongside .cursor/rules. This can help share project guidance between Claude Code and Cursor, but do not assume every Cursor product surface or release handles files identically. Verify the behavior in the exact editor or CLI you use; keep Cursor-specific controls in Cursor Rules when you need their scoping behavior.

References: Cursor help on Rules and Cursor CLI documentation.

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Write memory that stays useful

  • Record durable facts: architecture, repository conventions, constraints, and commands that remain valid beyond one task.
  • Be actionable: prefer a concrete instruction over a broad request such as “write clean code.”
  • Match scope to use: put shared guidance in version-controlled project files, personal defaults in user settings, and path-specific rules where they apply.
  • Keep it lean: avoid full transcripts, duplicated documentation, and instructions unrelated to likely work.
  • Review after changes: update or remove guidance when the architecture, workflows, or commands change.

Troubleshoot missing context

  • Claude Code misses project guidance: check that CLAUDE.md is at the project root or in the relevant subtree, then inspect loaded files with /memory.
  • An imported Claude file is absent: verify the @path spelling and location, and ensure imports do not exceed Anthropic’s documented five-level nesting limit.
  • Cursor applies a rule too broadly or not at all: review its rule type and file pattern in .cursor/rules, then test it on a matching file in the Cursor surface you use.
  • Cursor does not show Memories: check Settings > Rules and current feature availability, including whether Privacy Mode affects it.
  • Cursor CLI and editor behave differently: verify the specific product surface and release rather than relying on CLI behavior as proof of editor behavior.

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