goose/documentation/docs/guides/managing-goose-sessions.md

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1	Managing Goose Sessions	Managing Sessions

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A session is a single, continuous interaction between you and Goose, providing a space to ask questions and prompt action. In this guide, we'll cover how to start, exit, and resume a session.

Start Session

After choosing an LLM provider, you'll see the session interface ready for use. Type your questions, tasks, or instructions directly into the input field, and Goose will immediately get to work.

    To start a new session at any time, click the gear icon `⚙️` in the top-right corner of the application and select **New session** from the dropdown menu.

    You can also use keyboard shortcuts to start a new session or bring focus to open Goose windows.
    
    | Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
    |--------|-------|---------------|
    | New Session in Current Directory | `Cmd+N`  | `Ctrl+N`  |
    | New Session in Different Directory  | `Cmd+O` | `Ctrl+O` |
    | Focus Goose Window | `Cmd+Option+Shift+G` | `Ctrl+Alt+Shift+G` |

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
    From your terminal, navigate to the directory from which you'd like to start, and run:
    ```sh
    goose session 
    ```

    If you want to interact with Goose in a web-based chat interface, start a session with the [`web`](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands#web) command:
    ```sh
    goose web --open
    ```

    :::tip
    You can also use the [`project`](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands#project) and [`projects`](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands#projects) commands to start or resume sessions from a project, which is a tracked working directory with session metadata.
    :::
</TabItem>

:::info If this is your first session, Goose will prompt you for an API key to access an LLM (Large Language Model) of your choice. For more information on setting up your API key, see the Installation Guide. Here is the list of supported LLMs. :::

Name Session

Within the Desktop app, sessions are automatically named using the current timestamp in the format `YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS`. Goose also provides a description of the session based on context. By default, Goose names your session using the current timestamp in the format `YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS`. If you'd like to provide a specific name, this is where you'd do so. For example to name your session `react-migration`, you would run:

    ```
    goose session -n react-migration
    ```

    You'll know your session has started when your terminal looks similar to the following:

    ```
    starting session | provider: openai model: gpt-4o
    logging to ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/react-migration.json1
    ```
</TabItem>

Exit Session

Note that sessions are automatically saved when you exit. To exit a session, simply close the application.
To exit a session, type exit. Alternatively, you exit the session by holding down Ctrl+C.

    Your session will be stored locally in `~/.local/share/goose/sessions`.
</TabItem>

Resume Session

1. Click `⚙️` in the upper right corner 2. Click `Session history` 3. Click a session 4. Click `Resume Session` in the upper right corner To resume your latest session, you can run the following command:

    ```
     goose session -r
    ```

    To resume a specific session, run the following command: 

    ```
    goose session -r --name <name>
    ```
    For example, to resume the session named `react-migration`, you would run:

    ```
    goose session -r --name react-migration
    ```

    :::tip
    While you can resume sessions using the commands above, we recommend creating new sessions for new tasks to reduce the chance of [doom spiraling](/docs/troubleshooting#stuck-in-a-loop-or-unresponsive).
    :::

    :::tip
    You can also use the [`project`](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands#project) and [`projects`](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands#projects) commands to start or resume sessions from a project, which is a tracked working directory with session metadata.
    :::
</TabItem>

Search Session History

In Goose Desktop, you can search session metadata including the description, filename, and working directory path. The search is text-based and supports case-sensitive matching, but doesn't search session content or support regex patterns.

    1. Click `⚙️` in the upper right corner
    2. Click `Session history`
    3. Use `Cmd+F` to open the search bar
    4. Enter your search term
    5. Use search features to refine and navigate results

    | Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
    |--------|-------|---------------|
    | Next Match | `Cmd+G`<br />or `↓` | `Ctrl+G`<br />or `↓` |
    | Previous Match | `Shift+Cmd+G`<br />or `↑` | `Shift+Ctrl+G`<br />or `↑` |
    | Toggle Case-Sensitivity | `Aa` | `Aa` |
    | Focus Search Bar | `Cmd+F` | `Ctrl+F` |
    | Close Search | `Esc` or X | `Esc` or X |

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
    The Goose CLI supports [listing session history](/docs/guides/goose-cli-commands/#session-list-options) but doesn't provide search functionality. As a workaround, you can use your terminal's search capabilities (including regex support). Examples for macOS:

    ```bash
    # Search session IDs (filenames)
    ls ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/ | grep "full or partial session id"

    # List sessions modified in last 7 days
    find ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/ -mtime -7 -name "*.jsonl"

    # Show first line (metadata) of each session file
    for f in ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/*.jsonl; do
        head -n1 "$f" | grep "your search term" && echo "Found in: $(basename "$f" .jsonl)"
    done

    # Find search term in session content
    rg "your search term" ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/

    # Search and show session IDs that contain search term
    for f in ~/.local/share/goose/sessions/*.jsonl; do
      if grep -q "your search term" "$f"; then
        echo "Found in session: $(basename "$f" .jsonl)"
      fi
    done
    ```

</TabItem>

Resume Session Across Interfaces

You can resume a CLI session in Desktop and vice versa.

All saved sessions are listed in the Desktop app, even CLI sessions. To resume a CLI session within the Desktop:

1. Click `⚙️` in the upper right corner
2. Click `Session history`
3. Click the session you'd like to resume

:::tip
If you named the session, you'll recognize the filename. However, if you don't remember the exact session name, there is a description of the topic.
:::

4. Click `Resume Session` in the upper right corner

:::note Example

**CLI Command**

```sh
goose session -n react-migration
```

**Desktop Session**

| Session Description     | Session Filename             |
|-------------------------|------------------------------|
| Code Migration to React | **react-migration**.jsonl    | 



:::
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
To resume a Desktop session within CLI, get the name of the session from the Desktop app. Note that unless you specifically named the session, its default name is a timestamp in the format `YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS`.

1. Open Goose Desktop
2. Click `⚙️` in the upper right corner
3. Click `Session history`
4. Find the session that you want to resume, and copy the basename (without the `.jsonl` extension). 
:::note Example

**Desktop Session**

| Session Description    | Session Filename             |
|------------------------|------------------------------|
| GitHub PR Access Issue | **20250305_113223**.jsonl    | 


**CLI Command**
```sh
goose session -r --name 20250305_113223
```
:::

</TabItem>

Remove Sessions

You can remove sessions using CLI commands. For detailed instructions on session removal, see the CLI Commands documentation.

Export Sessions

Export sessions to Markdown to share with your team, create documentation, archive conversations, or review them in a readable format.

Session export is currently only available through the CLI. You can export Desktop sessions via their session filename:

    1. Click `⚙️` in the upper right corner
    2. Click `Session history`
    3. Note the session filename (e.g., `20250305_113223.jsonl`)
    4. In the CLI, run the command:
    ```bash
    goose session export --name 20250305_113223 --output my-session.md
    ```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
    Export sessions using the `export` subcommand:

    ```bash
    # Interactive export - prompts you to select a session
    goose session export
    ```
    
</TabItem>

For more details on export options, available flags, and output formats, see the CLI commands documentation.

Search Within Sessions

Search allows you to find specific content within your current session. The search functionality is available in both CLI and Desktop interfaces.

Trigger search using keyboard shortcuts or the search icon:

    | Action | macOS | Windows/Linux |
    |--------|-------|---------------|
    | Open Search | `Cmd+F`  | `Ctrl+F`  |
    | Next Match | `Cmd+G`<br />or `↓` | `Ctrl+G`<br />or `↓` |
    | Previous Match | `Shift+Cmd+G`<br />or `↑` | `Shift+Ctrl+G`<br />or `↑` |
    | Use Selection for Find | `Cmd+E` | n/a |
    | Toggle Case-Sensitivity | `Aa` | `Aa` |
    | Close Search | `Esc` or X | `Esc` or X |

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
    Search functionality is provided by your terminal interface. Use the appropriate shortcut for your environment:

    | Terminal | Operating System | Shortcut |
    |----------|-----------------|-----------|
    | iTerm2 | macOS | `Cmd+F` |
    | Terminal.app | macOS | `Cmd+F` |
    | Windows Terminal | Windows | `Ctrl+F` |
    | Linux Terminal | Linux | `Ctrl+F` |

    :::info
    Your specific terminal emulator may use a different keyboard shortcut. Check your terminal's documentation or settings for the search command.
    :::
</TabItem>

Share Files in Session

Share files with Goose in three ways:

    1. **Drag and Drop**: Simply drag files from your computer's file explorer/finder and drop them anywhere in the chat window. The file paths will be automatically added to your message.

    2. **File Browser**: Click the paperclip icon (📎) in the bottom left corner of the chat input to open your system's file browser and select files.

    3. **Manual Path**: Type or paste the file path directly into the chat input.
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="cli" label="Goose CLI">
    You can reference files by their paths directly in your messages. Since you're already in a terminal, you can use standard shell commands to help with file paths:

    ```bash
    # Reference a specific file
    What does this code do? ./src/main.rs

    # Use tab completion
    Can you explain the function in ./src/lib<tab>

    # Use shell expansion
    Review these test files: ./tests/*.rs
    ```
</TabItem>