Stage 3 · Lesson 7 of 7
Fresh context for each task
Every message, file and command output stays in the conversation and competes for the model's attention. Start a new conversation for each unrelated task, and compact or summarise long ones so old detail does not confuse new work. In Claude Code, /clear starts fresh, /compact summarises with optional focus instructions, /context shows what fills the window, and /btw asks a side question that stays out of the history.
In Cursor, Cmd+N or Ctrl+N opens a and the ring beside the input shows usage. In Copilot chat, /clear starts a new chat and /compact compacts. A useful rule from Anthropic's best practices: after two failed corrections, clear and start again with a better prompt.
Common trapcorrecting the same mistake over and over in one long, polluted conversation.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- CoursePaidGrokking Prompt Engineering for Software Engineers
Design Gurus · Beginner · Subscription
A structured course on prompting for engineering work: specs, context, examples and iteration
- GuideFreeAnthropic Prompt Engineering Documentation
Anthropic
Free and model-agnostic in spirit: be clear and direct, give examples, let the model think