This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ahmed Kadiwala
Ever had ChatGPT forget half your project mid-way? 😅 You start coding, things are going great… and suddenly, ChatGPT stops remembering what you did earlier. Annoying, right?
The good news: there’s a super simple way to keep your coding conversations going smoothly—even for big projects—without losing any progress. 🚀
🤔 Why This Happens
Every AI model, including ChatGPT, has a context window 🧠.
Think of it like short-term memory. Once you cross that limit, the model starts forgetting older parts of the conversation to make space for the new ones.
Some AI tools like Claude try to compress older messages automatically. But with ChatGPT, you need to handle this yourself if you want to keep the conversation alive.
🛠️ The 5-Step Hack to Continue Long Coding Conversations
Here’s the workflow I use to make sure ChatGPT never loses track of my projects:
1️⃣ Start with a Project Summary
At the start of a new chat, give ChatGPT a quick one-paragraph overview of your project. For example:
📝 “We’re building a Django backend with user authentication, REST APIs, Docker deployment, Bandit security checks, and test cases. The code should be modular, clean, and production-ready.”
This keeps things light but gives enough context for ChatGPT to help effectively.
2️⃣ Keep Big Code Files Outside ChatGPT
📂 Don’t paste your entire codebase every time. Store it on GitHub or locally.
Then just say:
“Refer to the models.py file from earlier. Now write views.py for the same project.”
This saves chat space and keeps the focus on the part you’re working on.
3️⃣ Split Big Code into Smaller Pieces
🧩 Large code requests often get cut off. Break them into chunks like:
- 📄 models.py
- 📄 views.py
- 📄 urls.py
- 📄 tests.py
Generate one at a time. Later, you can combine everything into a full project.
4️⃣ Save a Summary Before Ending a Session
Before closing ChatGPT, ask it for a short summary 🗒️ of what you did.
Next time you continue, paste this summary and say:
“Here’s what we did last time. Let’s continue from here.”
Boom—context restored instantly.
5️⃣ Use Local Editors for Real Coding
For actual development, use VS Code or PyCharm 💻.
Call in ChatGPT only for specific tasks like writing a feature, fixing a bug 🐞, or optimizing code performance.
🎯 Conclusion
ChatGPT is a fantastic coding assistant, but long conversations can hit limits fast. 🚧
By using project summaries, splitting code, and saving progress, you can keep building big projects without losing context.
Next time ChatGPT forgets something, don’t panic—just restart with a summary and keep coding like nothing happened. 🙌
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Ahmed Kadiwala
Ahmed Kadiwala | Sciencx (2025-09-08T14:32:00+00:00) Never Hit the ChatGPT Limit Again: 5 Hacks for Long Coding Conversations 🚀. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/09/08/never-hit-the-chatgpt-limit-again-5-hacks-for-long-coding-conversations-%f0%9f%9a%80/
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