Ascending sounds scary because it resets your bakery. It's actually the main way the game keeps getting faster.
What ascending does
When you ascend, your cookies, buildings and normal upgrades are wiped, and you start again from a single cookie. In exchange you earn heavenly chips, a permanent currency based on how many cookies you've baked across your whole run. Each chip also gives a small permanent boost to your production, and you can spend chips on heavenly upgrades that make later runs smoother. Your achievements stay with you.
When to ascend for the first time
Your first chips show up once you've baked about a trillion cookies in total. Many players wait until their income has clearly slowed, rather than ascending the second the option appears. A good sign it's time: you're waiting a long time for each upgrade and have a decent number of chips ready to claim.
What to expect from the next run
- The early game goes by far quicker, because of the permanent boost and any upgrades you bought.
- You'll reach your old production level in a fraction of the time.
- Your save keeps your prestige, so export a backup before you start experimenting.
Where to find it
The Legacy button in the game's menu lets you ascend. You'll see a preview of how many chips you'd earn before you confirm, and you can spend them in the heavenly upgrade tree before starting your next bake.
Still deciding what to buy before you get there? Start with the buildings guide.