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Wenlan for Claude Code Memory: The Daily /brief and /handoff Loop

Use Wenlan inside Claude Code with /init, /brief, /capture, /recall, /handoff, and /distill so coding context carries across sessions.

Qi-Xuan LuUpdated 6 min read

Article packet

01

Workflows

02

Claude Code users who want project context to survive long work sessions

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6 min read

01

Install from the Claude Code plugin marketplace, then run /init once.

02

Start real sessions with /brief and capture durable context during work.

03

End with /handoff so the next agent starts from current project state.

01

Install once, then verify the loop

Wenlan's Claude Code path starts with the plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add 7xuanlu/claude-plugins`, `/plugin install wenlan@7xuanlu`, then `/init` after the restart Claude Code requests.

`/init` handles daemon setup, MCP wiring, local memory setup, and a first round-trip check. The goal is not to add another manual note-taking habit. The goal is to make the memory route available at the moment work happens.

Claude Code setup

/plugin marketplace add 7xuanlu/claude-plugins
/plugin install wenlan@7xuanlu
/init

02

Start with /brief

`/brief [topic]` loads project status, recent handoffs, preferences, and topic-relevant memories before edits begin.

That makes Claude Code less dependent on the current chat window. The agent walks into the session with the context Wenlan has already earned.

03

Capture decisions while they are fresh

`/capture` is for durable work knowledge: decisions, lessons, gotchas, project constraints, corrections, and preferences.

A good capture includes why the fact matters. One atomic memory is easier to search, supersede, inspect, and distill than a paragraph that mixes five ideas.

04

Close with /handoff, then distill when needed

`/handoff` writes what changed, what remains open, and what the next agent should know. It also gives Wenlan better source material than a raw transcript.

When a theme repeats across sessions, `/distill` turns related captures into source-backed wiki pages. The page record keeps source memory IDs, and pages can be refreshed as the work changes.

  • /brief: orient the agent before work.
  • /capture: save one durable idea.
  • /recall: look up a specific past thread.
  • /handoff: preserve the session boundary.
  • /distill: compose accumulated memories into wiki pages.

Daily loop

/brief
/capture <one durable project fact and why it matters>
/recall <specific prior decision or gotcha>
/handoff

Make Claude Code sessions compound

Install Wenlan, run /init, then use /brief and /handoff around real work.

FAQ

Do I need to use every command every session?+
No. Most serious sessions need /brief and /handoff. Use /capture when something durable happens, /recall when history matters, and /distill when repeated captures deserve a page.
Can the same Wenlan memory work outside Claude Code?+
Yes. Claude Code gets the richest slash-command workflow, but Wenlan also exposes the same local memory through MCP for Cursor, Codex, Claude Desktop, VS Code, Gemini CLI, and other clients.