Run a Whole Project in Claude Code Desktop: 4 Features, One Real Example

Claude Code desktop now lets one main session coordinate parallel work. Nested sessions handle separate tasks. A side chat answers questions without cluttering the main thread. /advisor lets a fast model consult a stronger one, and /skill-doctor removes skills that waste context. Used together, they turn one long chat into a managed project.

Key takeaways

Nested sessions run tasks in parallel, and their results return to your main chat
Side chat (Cmd+; / Ctrl+; or /btw) keeps quick questions out of the main thread
/advisor gives a fast model access to a stronger model’s judgement at key moments
/skill-doctor shows unused skills and their context cost, so you can switch them off

The project

A real-estate client in Dubai needs three things before Friday: a property-search filter, a fix for a broken enquiry form, and fresh tests. Normally this would be one long, messy conversation. Here’s how to split it cleanly.

Step 1: Nested sessions for parallel work

In your main session, type: “Run these three tasks in parallel: build the property filter, fix the enquiry form, write the tests. Give each its own worktree.” Claude starts a nested session for each task, and each result comes back to the main session. In a saved environment, each folder can get its own Git worktree, so the sessions don’t edit the same files. To watch two sessions at once, hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and click a session in the sidebar for split view.

Step 2: Side chat for quick questions

While the tasks run, press Cmd+; (Mac) or Ctrl+; (Windows), or type /btw. Ask something like “Which price ranges is the filter using?” The side chat can read the main thread but doesn’t add to it. Side chats aren’t saved after you close the app, so copy anything important into the main thread.

Step 3: /advisor for the hard decisions

Type /advisor and pick an advisor model. A faster model does the routine work and consults the stronger advisor at tricky points, such as a stubborn bug or a design choice. Anthropic calls this “the advisor strategy”. Available pairings depend on your version and plan, so check the /advisor menu.

Step 4: /skill-doctor for a clean context

Every listed skill uses part of the context on every turn, even if it never runs. Type /skill-doctor to see which skills were invoked, what each costs, and which were never used. Switch off the dead weight before your next project.

Bonus: watch the Context card in the session panel. Type /context for a breakdown, and /compact to summarise early when it fills up.

Frequently asked questions

What are nested sessions in Claude Code?

They are sessions that the main session starts for each task when you ask it to run work in parallel. Results return to the main session.

Does a side chat use up my main context?

No. It can read the main thread but doesn’t add to it. It also isn’t saved after you close the app.

What does /advisor do?

It lets a faster model consult a stronger advisor model at key decision points, balancing cost and quality.

What does /skill-doctor show?

Which skills were used, what each costs in context, and which were never invoked, so you can switch them off.