Documentation 2025-12-16 21:01 UTC to 2025-12-17 15:02 UTC

5## CLI commands5## CLI commands

6 6 

7| Command | Description | Example |7| Command | Description | Example |

8| :--------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------ |8| :------------------------------ | :--------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------ |

9| `claude` | Start interactive REPL | `claude` |9| `claude` | Start interactive REPL | `claude` |

10| `claude "query"` | Start REPL with initial prompt | `claude "explain this project"` |10| `claude "query"` | Start REPL with initial prompt | `claude "explain this project"` |

11| `claude -p "query"` | Query via SDK, then exit | `claude -p "explain this function"` |11| `claude -p "query"` | Query via SDK, then exit | `claude -p "explain this function"` |

12| `cat file \| claude -p "query"` | Process piped content | `cat logs.txt \| claude -p "explain"` |12| `cat file \| claude -p "query"` | Process piped content | `cat logs.txt \| claude -p "explain"` |

13| `claude -c` | Continue most recent conversation | `claude -c` |13| `claude -c` | Continue most recent conversation | `claude -c` |

14| `claude -c -p "query"` | Continue via SDK | `claude -c -p "Check for type errors"` |14| `claude -c -p "query"` | Continue via SDK | `claude -c -p "Check for type errors"` |

15| `claude -r "<session-id>" "query"` | Resume session by ID | `claude -r "abc123" "Finish this PR"` |15| `claude -r "<session>" "query"` | Resume session by ID or name | `claude -r "auth-refactor" "Finish this PR"` |

16| `claude update` | Update to latest version | `claude update` |16| `claude update` | Update to latest version | `claude update` |

17| `claude mcp` | Configure Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers | See the [Claude Code MCP documentation](/en/mcp). |17| `claude mcp` | Configure Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers | See the [Claude Code MCP documentation](/en/mcp). |

18 18 

46| `--permission-prompt-tool` | Specify an MCP tool to handle permission prompts in non-interactive mode | `claude -p --permission-prompt-tool mcp_auth_tool "query"` |46| `--permission-prompt-tool` | Specify an MCP tool to handle permission prompts in non-interactive mode | `claude -p --permission-prompt-tool mcp_auth_tool "query"` |

47| `--plugin-dir` | Load plugins from directories for this session only (repeatable) | `claude --plugin-dir ./my-plugins` |47| `--plugin-dir` | Load plugins from directories for this session only (repeatable) | `claude --plugin-dir ./my-plugins` |

48| `--print`, `-p` | Print response without interactive mode (see [SDK documentation](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/agent-sdk) for programmatic usage details) | `claude -p "query"` |48| `--print`, `-p` | Print response without interactive mode (see [SDK documentation](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/agent-sdk) for programmatic usage details) | `claude -p "query"` |

49| `--resume`, `-r` | Resume a specific session by ID, or by choosing in interactive mode | `claude --resume abc123 "query"` |49| `--resume`, `-r` | Resume a specific session by ID or name, or show an interactive picker to choose a session | `claude --resume auth-refactor` |

50| `--session-id` | Use a specific session ID for the conversation (must be a valid UUID) | `claude --session-id "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"` |50| `--session-id` | Use a specific session ID for the conversation (must be a valid UUID) | `claude --session-id "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"` |

51| `--setting-sources` | Comma-separated list of setting sources to load (`user`, `project`, `local`) | `claude --setting-sources user,project` |51| `--setting-sources` | Comma-separated list of setting sources to load (`user`, `project`, `local`) | `claude --setting-sources user,project` |

52| `--settings` | Path to a settings JSON file or a JSON string to load additional settings from | `claude --settings ./settings.json` |52| `--settings` | Path to a settings JSON file or a JSON string to load additional settings from | `claude --settings ./settings.json` |

563 563 

564## Resume previous conversations564## Resume previous conversations

565 565 

566Suppose you've been working on a task with Claude Code and need to continue where you left off in a later session.566When starting Claude Code, you can resume a previous session:

567 567 

568Claude Code provides two options for resuming previous conversations:568* `claude --continue` continues the most recent conversation in the current directory

569* `claude --resume` opens a conversation picker or resumes by name

569 570 

570* `--continue` to automatically continue the most recent conversation571From inside an active session, use `/resume` to switch to a different conversation.

571* `--resume` to display a conversation picker572 

573Sessions are stored per project directory. The `/resume` picker shows sessions from the same git repository, including worktrees.

574 

575### Name your sessions

576 

577Give sessions descriptive names to find them later. This is a best practice when working on multiple tasks or features.

572 578 

573<Steps>579<Steps>

574 <Step title="Continue the most recent conversation">580 <Step title="Name the current session">

575 ```bash theme={null}581 Use `/rename` during a session to give it a memorable name:

576 claude --continue582 

583 ```

584 > /rename auth-refactor

577 ```585 ```

578 586 

579 This immediately resumes your most recent conversation without any prompts.587 You can also rename any session from the picker: run `/resume`, navigate to a session, and press `R`.

580 </Step>588 </Step>

581 589 

582 <Step title="Continue in non-interactive mode">590 <Step title="Resume by name later">

591 From the command line:

592 

583 ```bash theme={null}593 ```bash theme={null}

584 claude --continue --print "Continue with my task"594 claude --resume auth-refactor

585 ```595 ```

586 596 

587 Use `--print` with `--continue` to resume the most recent conversation in non-interactive mode, perfect for scripts or automation.597 Or from inside an active session:

588 </Step>

589 598 

590 <Step title="Show conversation picker">

591 ```bash theme={null}

592 claude --resume

593 ```599 ```

600 > /resume auth-refactor

601 ```

602 </Step>

603</Steps>

594 604 

595 This displays an interactive conversation selector with a clean list view showing:605### Use the session picker

596 606 

597 * Session summary (or initial prompt)607The `/resume` command (or `claude --resume` without arguments) opens an interactive session picker with these features:

598 * Metadata: time elapsed, message count, and git branch

599 608 

600 Use arrow keys to navigate and press Enter to select a conversation. Press Esc to exit.609**Keyboard shortcuts in the picker:**

601 </Step>610 

602</Steps>611| Shortcut | Action |

612| :-------- | :------------------------------------------------ |

613| `↑` / `↓` | Navigate between sessions |

614| `→` / `←` | Expand or collapse grouped sessions |

615| `Enter` | Select and resume the highlighted session |

616| `P` | Preview the session content |

617| `R` | Rename the highlighted session |

618| `/` | Search to filter sessions |

619| `A` | Toggle between current directory and all projects |

620| `B` | Filter to sessions from your current git branch |

621| `Esc` | Exit the picker or search mode |

622 

623**Session organization:**

624 

625The picker displays sessions with helpful metadata:

626 

627* Session name or initial prompt

628* Time elapsed since last activity

629* Message count

630* Git branch (if applicable)

631 

632Forked sessions (created with `/rewind` or `--fork-session`) are grouped together under their root session, making it easier to find related conversations.

603 633 

604<Tip>634<Tip>

605 Tips:635 Tips:

606 636 

607 * Conversation history is stored locally on your machine637 * **Name sessions early**: Use `/rename` when starting work on a distinct task—it's much easier to find "payment-integration" than "explain this function" later

608 * Use `--continue` for quick access to your most recent conversation638 * Use `--continue` for quick access to your most recent conversation

609 * Use `--resume` when you need to select a specific past conversation639 * Use `--resume session-name` when you know which session you need

610 * When resuming, you'll see the entire conversation history before continuing640 * Use `--resume` (without a name) when you need to browse and select

641 * For scripts, use `claude --continue --print "prompt"` to resume in non-interactive mode

642 * Press `P` in the picker to preview a session before resuming it

611 * The resumed conversation starts with the same model and configuration as the original643 * The resumed conversation starts with the same model and configuration as the original

612 644 

613 How it works:645 How it works:

616 2. **Message Deserialization**: When resuming, the entire message history is restored to maintain context648 2. **Message Deserialization**: When resuming, the entire message history is restored to maintain context

617 3. **Tool State**: Tool usage and results from the previous conversation are preserved649 3. **Tool State**: Tool usage and results from the previous conversation are preserved

618 4. **Context Restoration**: The conversation resumes with all previous context intact650 4. **Context Restoration**: The conversation resumes with all previous context intact

619 

620 Examples:

621 

622 ```bash theme={null}

623 # Continue most recent conversation

624 claude --continue

625 

626 # Continue most recent conversation with a specific prompt

627 claude --continue --print "Show me our progress"

628 

629 # Show conversation picker

630 claude --resume

631 

632 # Continue most recent conversation in non-interactive mode

633 claude --continue --print "Run the tests again"

634 ```

635</Tip>651</Tip>

636 652 

637***653***

74| `disableAllHooks` | Disable all [hooks](/en/hooks) | `true` |74| `disableAllHooks` | Disable all [hooks](/en/hooks) | `true` |

75| `model` | Override the default model to use for Claude Code | `"claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"` |75| `model` | Override the default model to use for Claude Code | `"claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"` |

76| `statusLine` | Configure a custom status line to display context. See [`statusLine` documentation](/en/statusline) | `{"type": "command", "command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh"}` |76| `statusLine` | Configure a custom status line to display context. See [`statusLine` documentation](/en/statusline) | `{"type": "command", "command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh"}` |

77| `fileSuggestion` | Configure a custom script for `@` file autocomplete. See [File suggestion settings](#file-suggestion-settings) | `{"type": "command", "command": "~/.claude/file-suggestion.sh"}` |

77| `outputStyle` | Configure an output style to adjust the system prompt. See [output styles documentation](/en/output-styles) | `"Explanatory"` |78| `outputStyle` | Configure an output style to adjust the system prompt. See [output styles documentation](/en/output-styles) | `"Explanatory"` |

78| `forceLoginMethod` | Use `claudeai` to restrict login to Claude.ai accounts, `console` to restrict login to Claude Console (API usage billing) accounts | `claudeai` |79| `forceLoginMethod` | Use `claudeai` to restrict login to Claude.ai accounts, `console` to restrict login to Claude Console (API usage billing) accounts | `claudeai` |

79| `forceLoginOrgUUID` | Specify the UUID of an organization to automatically select it during login, bypassing the organization selection step. Requires `forceLoginMethod` to be set | `"xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"` |80| `forceLoginOrgUUID` | Specify the UUID of an organization to automatically select it during login, bypassing the organization selection step. Requires `forceLoginMethod` to be set | `"xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"` |

188 The `attribution` setting takes precedence over the deprecated `includeCoAuthoredBy` setting. To hide all attribution, set `commit` and `pr` to empty strings.189 The `attribution` setting takes precedence over the deprecated `includeCoAuthoredBy` setting. To hide all attribution, set `commit` and `pr` to empty strings.

189</Note>190</Note>

190 191 

192### File suggestion settings

193 

194Configure a custom command for `@` file path autocomplete. The built-in file suggestion uses fast filesystem traversal, but large monorepos may benefit from project-specific indexing such as a pre-built file index or custom tooling.

195 

196```json theme={null}

197{

198 "fileSuggestion": {

199 "type": "command",

200 "command": "~/.claude/file-suggestion.sh"

201 }

202}

203```

204 

205The command runs with the same environment variables as [hooks](/en/hooks), including `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR`. It receives JSON via stdin with a `query` field:

206 

207```json theme={null}

208{"query": "src/comp"}

209```

210 

211Output newline-separated file paths to stdout (currently limited to 15):

212 

213```

214src/components/Button.tsx

215src/components/Modal.tsx

216src/components/Form.tsx

217```

218 

219**Example:**

220 

221```bash theme={null}

222#!/bin/bash

223query=$(cat | jq -r '.query')

224your-repo-file-index --query "$query" | head -20

225```

226 

191### Settings precedence227### Settings precedence

192 228 

193Settings apply in order of precedence. From highest to lowest:229Settings apply in order of precedence. From highest to lowest:

34| `/pr-comments` | View pull request comments |34| `/pr-comments` | View pull request comments |

35| `/privacy-settings` | View and update your privacy settings |35| `/privacy-settings` | View and update your privacy settings |

36| `/release-notes` | View release notes |36| `/release-notes` | View release notes |

37| `/resume` | Resume a conversation |37| `/rename <name>` | Rename the current session for easier identification |

38| `/resume [session]` | Resume a conversation by ID or name, or open the session picker |

38| `/review` | Request code review |39| `/review` | Request code review |

39| `/rewind` | Rewind the conversation and/or code |40| `/rewind` | Rewind the conversation and/or code |

40| `/sandbox` | Enable sandboxed bash tool with filesystem and network isolation for safer, more autonomous execution |41| `/sandbox` | Enable sandboxed bash tool with filesystem and network isolation for safer, more autonomous execution |

151The extension doesn't yet have full feature parity with the CLI. If you need CLI-only features, you can run `claude` directly in VS Code's integrated terminal.151The extension doesn't yet have full feature parity with the CLI. If you need CLI-only features, you can run `claude` directly in VS Code's integrated terminal.

152 152 

153| Feature | CLI | VS Code Extension |153| Feature | CLI | VS Code Extension |

154| ------------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |154| ----------------- | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |

155| Slash commands | [Full set](/en/slash-commands) | Subset (type `/` to see available) |155| Slash commands | [Full set](/en/slash-commands) | Subset (type `/` to see available) |

156| MCP server config | Yes | No (configure via CLI, use in extension) |156| MCP server config | Yes | No (configure via CLI, use in extension) |

157| Checkpoints | Yes | Coming soon |157| Checkpoints | Yes | Coming soon |

158| `#` memory shortcut | Yes | No |

159| `!` bash shortcut | Yes | No |158| `!` bash shortcut | Yes | No |

160| Tab completion | Yes | No |159| Tab completion | Yes | No |

161 160