> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.jeffsu.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # ChatGPT & Claude: Start a new chat without losing context - URL: https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter-265/ - Published: 2026-09-25T04:38:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-25T04:38:53.000Z - Description: #265 - Author: Jeff - Tags: #newsletter, AI *Want to see these tips early?* [*Subscribe to the newsletter!*](https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter/) --- **Here’s something we’ve all experienced before:** The AI starts off by giving you pretty strong outputs but as the chat gets longer and longer, the AI becomes more and more…stupid. It forgets something you told it a few chats back (“it’s RIGHT there I JUST told you”), or it confidently tells you something that isn’t true. By the end of this post, you’ll **(1) Know why this happens, and (2) Know how to address it with a very simple fix.** ## Why AI loses context, and how a handoff helps **Reason #1: Context Rot.** Basically, this is the gradual drop in an AI model's accuracy, reasoning ability, and instruction-following as its context window fills up with text. - Imagine a physical desk: At the start of the chat, the desk just has a single 1-page document on it (your initial task). - 50 messages later, the desk is piled with dozens of draft pages, terminal logs, half-fixed bugs, and casual chat. The original instructions are still physically on the desk, but they are buried under inches of paper. **Reason #2: Compaction.** This is when the AI distills, prunes, and summarizes an ongoing conversation so it can retain key facts and decisions. While this is technically a GOOD thing, the AI often fails to identify the most relevant facts to retain, leading to “forgetfulness.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/09/AE265-Visual-1---Buried-vs-dropped.png) Either way, the AI’s output gets progressively worse and correcting it in the same chat is only a temporary solution. **A handoff gives a fresh chat a focused brief:** your goal, confirmed decisions, progress and next action. You review what’s being carried over, then continue with the details that matter. ## Download my Context Handoff skill Because I’m an angel (😇), here’s the Context Handoff skill that works across ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. [Download my Context Handoff skill](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ySnTEhYxdUsydjksSbjvT9ggsnCizHH2/view?ref=jeffsu.org) To install it in Claude: 1. Open the [Upload skill screen](https://claude.ai/customize/skills/new/upload?ref=jeffsu.org). 2. Select the downloaded ZIP file directly (no need to unzip it). 3. Click Save, then check that context-handoff shows as enabled in your Skills list. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/09/image-4.png) ## How the skill saved me in real life I was setting up a second Synology NAS (basically, storage connected to my network) for a new apartment, and I had one long chat walking me through it step by step. **And at one point in the later steps, it started pointing me to settings that don’t exist and so I immediately ran the context handoff skill.** Here’s how I used it: 1. **I ran the skill in the original chat.** I typed, “Use Context Handoff to prepare this task for a new chat.” 2. **It gave me a brief I could copy.** This pulled together my setup goal, the key decisions and where we’d left off, so I could check the important details before bringing them over. 3. **I pasted that brief into a fresh chat and asked the AI to continue.** The new conversation had the context it needed for the next step, without me explaining the whole NAS setup again. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2026/09/AE265-Visual-2---Handoff-in-three-steps.png) Next time the AI forgets something you told it an hour ago, type "Use Context Handoff to prepare this task for a new chat," check the brief, paste it into a fresh chat, and keep going. Let me know how it goes! 😁 --- **Whenever you’re ready, here are some other ways I can help you:** 🎛️ [The Cowork Academy:](https://coworkacademy.ai/?ref=jeffsu.org) Ready-to-install AI Command Center that loads your context automatically and makes every Claude session sharper than the last. 90% built when you download it. 💻 [The Workspace Academy:](https://academy.jeffsu.org/workspace-academy?ref=jeffsu.org) Never lose a file, task, or note again with my CORE workflow for Google Workspace. Adopted by over 10,000 Googlers. ✅ [Build Your Command Center in Notion:](https://www.pressplay.cc/link/s/D5B5EC96?ref=jeffsu.org) Plug-and-play dashboard that surfaces today’s priorities automatically and organizes your life in seconds. #1 rated Notion Course globally.