How Nora tracks context per agent session
Each agent session keeps a tracked context timeline, not just raw terminal output. Nora records launch details, prompts you send, attached workspace paths, shared context bundle references, and captured agent output. That context can be inspected live from the focused session panel, refreshed as new output arrives, and cleared when you want a clean slate for the same session.
What gets stored under the hood
Nora persists context as both readable Markdown and structured events so it can render useful summaries and selection groups. Context is grouped into conversation-like units and estimated for size so you can see how much information you are about to pass on. When context is shared, Nora generates a context bundle file and references that bundle in the destination prompt.
Built-in support for external CLI transcript context
Context sources are not limited to Nora-launched sessions. Nora can also surface matching local CLI transcript sessions as external harness sources and include selected entries from them in the same handoff flow. This is useful when part of the work happened outside Nora but still belongs in the next agent brief.
Agent-to-agent handoff
Use this sequence for a controlled transfer:
- Open Agent B in the focused session view or create Agent B from the launch dialog.
- Open context sharing and select the conversation group(s) from Agent A you want to transfer.
- Add a concise next-step instruction describing what Agent B should do with that context.
- Send the prompt; Nora will attach a generated shared context bundle reference automatically.
- Open Agent B context panel and verify the bundle and prompt were recorded before continuing work.
High-signal context sharing
Use these rules when selecting context:
- Prefer selecting one or two tightly relevant conversation groups, not every available source.
- Watch the estimated context size in the picker and trim large selections unless broad history is required.
- Include explicit file paths or branch goals in the handoff prompt so the receiving session has clear execution targets.
- After milestones, clear stale session context if you want future prompts to stay focused on current objectives.
When to use context sharing versus a fresh prompt
Use context sharing when continuation fidelity matters, such as implementation handoff, cross-agent review, or resuming a partially complete task. Use a fresh prompt when the new agent should approach the task independently, when prior history is noisy, or when you need a clean evaluation path.