CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_GUIDELINES

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_GUIDELINES is a Claude Code environment variable: Policy document for the CoWork shared memory system — a new abstraction distinct from user memory (~/.claude/) and project memory (CLAUDE.md). Multiple agents in a fleet read the same guidelines when deciding how to write to shared memory, preventing agent writes from polluting user-visible context. Added between v2.1.118 and v2.1.123 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_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_GUIDELINES": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code v2.1.123 — Background Daemons, Agent Fleets, and CoWork Memory
• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models

Related variables

• CLAUDE_COWORK_MEMORY_EXTRA_GUIDELINES: Injects additional memory guidelines into cowork (teammate) sessions.
• 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

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.