| name | claude-historian |
| description | Use before WebSearch to check if you already have the answer, when stuck on an error to find past fixes, or when entering a familiar project to recall past sessions and file changes. |
Claude Historian
Search conversation history before starting fresh. You may already have the answer.
When to Use
Before WebSearch → search(query: "...", scope: "similar") or search(query: "...", scope: "conversations"). Past solutions beat web results.
Stuck on an error → search(query: "<error message>", scope: "errors"). Finds past fixes with code.
Entering a familiar project → search(scope: "sessions") for recent work. search(query: "...", scope: "plans") for past decisions.
Working on a familiar file → search(scope: "files", filepath: "src/index.ts"). Shows past changes with context.
Quick Reference
| Situation | Tool Call |
|---|
| Error with no obvious cause | search(query: "<error>", scope: "errors") |
| "Have I done this before?" | search(query: "...", scope: "similar") |
| Working on familiar file | search(scope: "files", filepath: "...") |
| Need past design reasoning | search(query: "...", scope: "plans") |
| What did I do last session? | search(scope: "sessions") |
| Successful tool workflows | search(scope: "tools") |
| General search | search(query: "...", scope: "conversations") |
| Deep-dive into session | inspect(session_id: "...") |
| Rules, skills, CLAUDE.md | search(query: "...", scope: "config") |
| Task management history | search(query: "...", scope: "tasks") |
| Memories across sessions | search(query: "...", scope: "memories") |
Key Parameters
scope: Target your search — conversations, errors, files, plans, config, tasks, similar, sessions, tools, memories, or all (default)limit: Number of results (default 10)project: Filter by project name substring (works with conversations, sessions)timeframe: today, yesterday, week, month
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|
| Going straight to WebSearch | Check historian first — past solutions are more relevant |
| Vague queries | Use specific terms: error messages, file paths, tool names |
Using scope: "all" for errors | Use scope: "errors" — it has dedicated fix extraction |
| Long keyword-dump queries | Keep to 3-5 specific terms, not 10+ generic ones |
