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Why Doesn’t Claude API Remember Previous Messages in Conversations?
Discover why Claude doesn’t remember previous messages like “What is pizza?” when asking follow-ups, and learn how to include full conversation history in API requests for seamless context retention and better AI responses.
Question
You ask Claude “What is pizza?” and it answers. Then you ask “What toppings are popular?” but Claude doesn’t understand what you’re referring to. What’s the problem?
A. Your internet connection is slow
B. Claude is broken
C. You asked too quickly
D. Claude doesn’t remember previous messages
Answer
D. Claude doesn’t remember previous messages
Explanation
Claude’s API is stateless, meaning each API request is independent and only processes the messages explicitly included in that specific request; it does not automatically retain or recall context from prior requests or conversations. In this scenario, the first question “What is pizza?” was sent in one API call, and the follow-up “What toppings are popular?” was sent in a separate API call without including the previous message or any reference to pizza in the new messages array, causing Claude to lack the necessary context and treat it as an isolated query.
To maintain conversation continuity, developers must structure the messages parameter as an array that includes all relevant prior exchanges (e.g., both user and assistant turns) in every subsequent request, ensuring the full history fits within the model’s context window limits.