ELF Session Search Command
Search through Claude Code session history using natural language queries.
Purpose
The /search command helps you find:
- •Previous prompts and conversations
- •Work on specific topics
- •Files modified in past sessions
- •Context from earlier iterations
- •Related discussions across sessions
Usage Examples
code
/search what was my last prompt? /search what was I working on yesterday? /search find prompts about git /search show me recent conversations /search where did I edit the router?
How It Works
When you invoke /search:
- •Extract your query from the command
- •Search session logs - Parse JSONL files from
~/.claude/projects/ - •Find matches - Natural language matching against user messages
- •Show results - Display relevant prompts and context
- •Answer your question - Use results to provide context
Session Log Format
Session data is stored in:
- •Location:
~/.claude/projects/[project-name]/*.jsonl - •Format: Line-delimited JSON with message objects
- •Content: User prompts and Claude responses
- •Indexed: Most recent files first (by mtime)
Each JSONL file contains:
- •
type: "user"- Your prompts - •
type: "assistant"- My responses - •Skips: Subagent logs (agent-*.jsonl)
Implementation Steps
- •Scan session directory:
ls -t ~/.claude/projects/*/*.jsonl - •Skip agent logs: Filter out
agent-*.jsonl - •Read JSONL: Parse JSON line-by-line
- •Extract messages: Filter for "user" and "assistant" types
- •Search: Match your query against content
- •Display: Show matching prompts with context
Search Capabilities
- •Topic search - Find discussions about specific subjects
- •Temporal search - Find work from yesterday, last week, etc.
- •File-based search - Find when you last edited a file
- •Tool search - Find when you used specific tools
- •Pattern search - Find similar problems or approaches
Integration with ELF
The search command integrates with the building's session summaries. After search:
- •Relevant heuristics might be suggested
- •Related failures/successes found
- •Continuous context preserved
This helps you avoid repeating past mistakes and leverage previous insights.
Search Tips
- •Use specific keywords - "router" not just "code"
- •Try natural language - System understands intent
- •Include context - "when I worked on auth" not just "auth"
- •Check timeframe - Session logs are dated