Skip to main content

Control what syncs

chat-recall sends the transcripts of your AI tools to your server, with secrets masked. This guide keeps a folder, a project or a tool off the server, limits the sync to chosen projects, and deletes what is already there.

See what syncs​

chat-recall sources list

The list shows each transcript folder that chat-recall found, and whether it syncs. A folder that chat-recall is not sure about waits for your decision:

  • chat-recall sources approve <path> starts to sync it.
  • chat-recall sources decline <path> keeps it off the server. Add --delete-remote to also delete what was already sent from it.
  • chat-recall sources add <path> adds a folder that chat-recall did not find.

Keep a project or a tool off the server​

chat-recall exclude project ~/code/client-work
chat-recall exclude tool cursor

A project rule matches a part of the project path. The tool names are claude, gemini, codex, opencode, agy, cursor, hermes and pi.

chat-recall exclude lists the rules, and chat-recall exclude remove <value> removes one. An agent can add a project rule with recall_exclude_path, but it cannot remove one.

A rule stops new uploads. Sessions that were sent before the rule stay on the server until you delete them.

Sync only chosen projects​

chat-recall sync-only add git:github.com/acme/example-app

This switches to opt-in mode: only the projects on the list sync. chat-recall projects lists the project ids on this machine. chat-recall sync-only all switches back to all projects, and keeps the list.

Delete sessions​

Caution: A delete is permanent on the server. It does not touch the transcript files of your AI tool.

chat-recall delete <session-id>

The command deletes the session on every server that this machine is logged in to, and blocks it from the next syncs. To delete a whole project, use --project <id>. --dry-run lists what it would delete.

chat-recall restore <session-id> lifts the block, so the session can sync again. It does not bring the content back by itself: run chat-recall index --force on a machine that still has the transcript.

An agent deletes one session with recall_forget, but only when you ask it to.

Keep sessions for a limited time​

chat-recall retention set 90

The server then deletes sessions older than 90 days. The command shows what it will delete and asks first. 0 keeps everything.

Hash or show project paths​

By default the CLI sends a hash of each project path, so the server does not see your folder names. On a self-hosted server, chat-recall sync --paths-cleartext sends the paths as they are.