Terminal lifetime and conversation lifetime are different
A direct Codex or Claude task normally begins in a fresh, owned terminal. When it finishes, the terminal can close while the task record, result, and supported conversation identifier remain. Closing that window is not the same as deleting the task.
Continue session can reopen the saved provider conversation under the existing task. The provider must still be available, the saved conversation must be usable, and the required capacity must be free. A history record is valuable evidence even when a provider can no longer resume it.
Resume for a correction with shared context
Use continuation when you are responding to the result you just reviewed: add a missing test, explain an unexpected diff, or adjust one behavior against the same acceptance criteria. Reference the exact result or file that motivated the follow-up.
Keeping that exchange under the same task helps the next review. You can see the original request, the initial result, and what changed afterward. You do not need to invent a summary from memory or paste an entire conversation into a new prompt.
Start fresh when the purpose changes
A different feature or repository deserves a separate task. Fresh conversations avoid automatically carrying unrelated chat history into the new request. They still receive system instructions, repository context, and the information needed to do the work.
This is a context organization benefit, not a guaranteed token discount. Consumption depends on the provider, model, caching, compaction, prompt, and execution. Compare actual provider-reported use on relevant tasks before drawing cost conclusions.
Choose retained sessions deliberately
Terminal session mode supports a direct session across multiple turns, including steering while it runs. Retained terminals can also be useful when you want to inspect the original CLI interface after work completes. These choices affect the workspace lifecycle; they do not turn the saved conversation into an independent backup of every provider state.
OpenCode follows the queue lifecycle through a headless process. Do not expect the same interactive terminal continuation described here for Codex and Claude Code. Choose the workflow that matches the provider and check the saved result before you move on.
Explore Resume a Claude Code conversation from its saved task, Claude Code orchestration across your projects.