CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES is a Claude Code environment variable: Injects additional memory guidelines into cowork (teammate) sessions. In multi-agent "cowork" mode — where a leader spawns teammate Claude sessions in split panes — each teammate maintains its own memory context. Added between v2.1.77 and v2.1.79 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.77 and v2.1.79
Category	Terminal and UI
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

Claude Code v2.1.77 — 1 New Environment Variable: Cowork Memory & 25 Bug Fixes

Related variables

CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_GUIDELINES: Policy document for the CoWork shared memory system — a new abstraction distinct from user memory (~/.claude/) and project memory (CLAUDE.md).
CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_PATH_OVERRIDE
CLAUDE_AX_PREPARK_MS
CLAUDE_AX_SCREEN_READER
CLAUDE_AX_STARTUP_QUIET_MS: Startup quiet window (milliseconds) for screen-reader mode.
CLAUDE_CODE_ACCESSIBILITY: Enable accessibility mode; disables cursor hiding.
CLAUDE_CODE_ALT_SCREEN_FULL_REPAINT
CLAUDE_CODE_BLOCKING_LIMIT_OVERRIDE: Override token limit for input blocking.

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES do?

Injects additional memory guidelines into cowork (teammate) sessions. In multi-agent "cowork" mode — where a leader spawns teammate Claude sessions in split panes — each teammate maintains its own memory context.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES?

Added between v2.1.77 and v2.1.79 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.