Flag Reference

Model & Effort flags

--model

• Short form: None
• Argument: <model> — required (alias or full model ID)
• Default: Last selected model, or claude-sonnet-4-6
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: ANTHROPIC_MODEL — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: model — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Sets the model for the current session with an alias for the latest model (sonnet, opus, haiku) or a model’s full name (e.g., claude-opus-4-7-20250219).
• Example: claude --model opus or claude --model claude-sonnet-4-6
• Notes: Aliases resolve to the latest stable version of that model tier.

--effort

• Short form: None
• Argument: <level> — required (enum)
• Default: Inherits from session settings
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: effort — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Set the effort level (thinking depth) for the current session. Options: low, medium, high, xhigh, max. Available levels depend on the model. Session-scoped and does not persist to settings.
• Example: claude --effort high
• Notes: Unsupported values are logged as a warning and ignored.

--max-turns

• Short form: None
• Argument: <count> — required (positive integer)
• Default: No limit
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Limit the number of agentic turns (back-and-forth exchanges) before exiting. Exits with an error when the limit is reached. Print mode only.
• Example: claude -p --max-turns 3 "query"
• Notes: Only applies in print mode (-p).

--max-budget-usd

• Short form: None
• Argument: <amount> — required (decimal)
• Default: None (no limit)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Maximum dollar amount to spend on API calls before stopping. Print mode only.
• Example: claude -p --max-budget-usd 5.00 "query"
• Notes: Only applies in print mode (-p).

--fallback-model

• Short form: None
• Argument: <model> — required (alias or full model ID)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Enable automatic fallback to specified model when default model is overloaded. Print mode only.
• Example: claude -p --fallback-model sonnet "query"
• Notes: Only applies in print mode (-p).

--betas

• Short form: None
• Argument: <headers> — required (space-separated)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Beta headers to include in API requests. API key users only.
• Example: claude --betas interleaved-thinking
• Notes: For Anthropic beta API features.

Invocation mode flags

--print, -p

• Short form: -p
• Argument: [prompt] — optional (string)
• Default: None (interactive mode)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Print response without interactive mode. Runs the agent once and outputs the result. Also called “SDK mode” or “print mode.” See Agent SDK documentation for programmatic usage details.
• Example: claude -p "Explain this code" or cat file.txt | claude -p "analyze"
• Notes: Print mode enables all output-format options (text, json, stream-json). Session persistence is disabled by default in print mode.

--continue, -c

• Short form: -c
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Load the most recent conversation in the current directory and resume it.
• Example: claude -c or claude -c -p "Continue with the next step"
• Notes: Searches for conversations in the current working directory. Use with -p for print-mode resume.

--resume, -r

• Short form: -r
• Argument: <session> — required (UUID or custom name)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Resume a specific session by ID (UUID) or custom name. If no ID/name is given, shows an interactive picker.
• Example: claude -r "auth-refactor" or claude --resume 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000
• Notes: Custom names are set with --name or /rename command during the session.

--fork-session

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None (reuse session ID)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: When resuming a session (with --resume or --continue), create a new session ID instead of reusing the original.
• Example: claude --resume abc123 --fork-session
• Notes: Useful for branching conversations while preserving the original session.

--init

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Run initialization hooks and start interactive mode.
• Example: claude --init
• Notes: Differs from default behavior by explicitly triggering init hooks before REPL.

--init-only

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Run initialization hooks and exit (no interactive session).
• Example: claude --init-only
• Notes: Used for setup workflows that don’t require the REPL.

--maintenance

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Run maintenance hooks and start interactive mode.
• Example: claude --maintenance
• Notes: Distinct from --init; runs maintenance-specific hooks.

--bare

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Minimal mode: skip auto-discovery of hooks, skills, plugins, MCP servers, auto memory, and CLAUDE.md. Claude has access to Bash, file read, and file edit tools only. Faster startup for scripted calls.
• Example: claude --bare -p "query"
• Notes: Sets CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE internally. Use for performance-sensitive workflows.

Invocation mode: Remote & web

--remote

• Short form: None
• Argument: [description] — optional (string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Create a new web session on claude.ai with the provided task description. Prints the session URL and resume command.
• Example: claude --remote "Fix the login bug"
• Notes: Research preview. Requires Claude.ai authentication.

--teleport

• Short form: None
• Argument: [session] — optional (session ID)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Resume a web session in your local terminal.
• Example: claude --teleport
• Notes: Research preview. Allows seamless handoff from claude.ai to terminal.

--remote-control, --rc

• Short form: --rc
• Argument: [name] — optional (string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Start an interactive session with Remote Control enabled so you can also control it from claude.ai or the Claude app. Optionally pass a name for the session.
• Example: claude --remote-control "My Project" or claude --rc
• Notes: Requires BRIDGE_MODE feature flag to be enabled.

--remote-control-session-name-prefix

• Short form: None
• Argument: <prefix> — required (string)
• Default: Machine hostname
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: CLAUDE_REMOTE_CONTROL_SESSION_NAME_PREFIX — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Prefix for auto-generated Remote Control session names when no explicit name is set. Defaults to your machine’s hostname, producing names like myhost-graceful-unicorn.
• Example: claude remote-control --remote-control-session-name-prefix dev-box
• Notes: None.

Session & naming flags

--name, -n

• Short form: -n
• Argument: <name> — required (string)
• Default: Auto-generated descriptive name
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Set a display name for the session, shown in /resume and the terminal title. Resume a named session with claude --resume <name>. The /rename command changes the name mid-session.
• Example: claude -n "my-feature-work"
• Notes: None.

--session-id

• Short form: None
• Argument: <uuid> — required (valid UUID)
• Default: Auto-generated UUID
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Use a specific session ID for the conversation. Must be a valid UUID.
• Example: claude --session-id "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"
• Notes: Useful for CI/CD integrations where session ID must be known in advance. Only works with --continue or --resume when --fork-session is also provided.

--from-pr

• Short form: None
• Argument: <pr> — optional (PR number or URL)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Resume sessions linked to a specific GitHub PR. Accepts a PR number or URL. Sessions are automatically linked when created via gh pr create.
• Example: claude --from-pr 123 or claude --from-pr https://github.com/user/repo/pull/456
• Notes: Requires GitHub authentication.

Git worktree flags

--worktree, -w

• Short form: -w
• Argument: [name] — optional (string)
• Default: Auto-generated name
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Start Claude in an isolated git worktree at <repo>/.claude/worktrees/<name>. If no name is given, one is auto-generated. Enables parallel Claude Code sessions without branch switching.
• Example: claude -w feature-auth or claude -w
• Notes: Requires a git repository. See Common workflows for details.

--tmux

• Short form: None
• Argument: [style] — optional (string)
• Default: auto (iTerm2 native panes if available)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Create a tmux session for the worktree. Requires --worktree. Uses iTerm2 native panes when available on macOS; pass --tmux=classic for traditional tmux.
• Example: claude -w feature-auth --tmux or claude -w feature-auth --tmux=classic
• Notes: Useful for running multiple worktree sessions in parallel.

Directories & scope flags

--add-dir

• Short form: None
• Argument: <paths...> — required (space-separated)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: additionalDirectories — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Add additional working directories for Claude to read and edit files. Grants file access; most .claude/ configuration is not discovered from these directories. Validates each path exists as a directory.
• Example: claude --add-dir ../apps ../lib
• Notes: Can be repeated for multiple directories. Does not auto-discover CLAUDE.md or other configs in added directories.

--setting-sources

• Short form: None
• Argument: <sources> — required (comma-separated)
• Default: user,project,local
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Comma-separated list of setting sources to load: user, project, local. Controls which configuration scopes are read.
• Example: claude --setting-sources user,project
• Notes: Useful for testing specific scopes or excluding local overrides.

--settings

• Short form: None
• Argument: <file/json> — required (path or JSON string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Path to a settings JSON file or a JSON string to load additional settings from. Merged with existing settings.
• Example: claude --settings ./settings.json or claude --settings '{"model":"opus"}'
• Notes: Settings from this flag merge with and override persisted settings.

--file

• Short form: None
• Argument: <specs...> — required (space-separated file_id:relative_path pairs)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: No (SDK feature; visible in --help)
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: File resources to download from the Anthropic Files API at session start. Each spec is a pair file_id:relative_path that tells Claude Code which file to fetch and where to place it in the working directory.
• Example: claude --file file_abc:doc.txt file_def:img.png
• Notes: Requires Files API access. Primarily used by SDK callers that pre-stage resources for a session. Source: main.tsx:1006.

Permissions flags

--permission-mode

• Short form: None
• Argument: <mode> — required (enum)
• Default: default (ask for permission)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: defaultMode — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Begin in a specified permission mode. Accepts: default (ask for permission), acceptEdits (auto-accept file edits), plan (plan-then-execute mode), auto (auto-accept tool use), dontAsk (no notification), bypassPermissions (silent). Overrides defaultMode from settings files.
• Example: claude --permission-mode plan
• Notes: See Permission modes for detailed behavior of each mode.

--dangerously-skip-permissions

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Skip permission prompts. Equivalent to --permission-mode bypassPermissions. See permission modes documentation for what this does and does not skip.
• Example: claude --dangerously-skip-permissions
• Notes: Dangerous. Only use in trusted, automated contexts.

--allow-dangerously-skip-permissions

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Add bypassPermissions to the Shift+Tab mode cycle without starting in it. Lets you begin in a different mode like plan and switch to bypassPermissions later.
• Example: claude --permission-mode plan --allow-dangerously-skip-permissions
• Notes: Safer than --dangerously-skip-permissions because it requires explicit per-action opt-in.

--allowedTools

• Short form: None
• Argument: <tools...> — required (space-separated or permission rule patterns)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: allowedTools — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Tools that execute without prompting for permission. Accepts permission rule syntax for pattern matching (e.g., "Bash(git log *)", "Read"). To restrict which tools are available, use --tools instead.
• Example: claude --allowedTools "Bash(git log *)" "Bash(git diff *)" "Read"
• Notes: See Permission rule syntax for pattern matching.

--disallowedTools

• Short form: None
• Argument: <tools...> — required (space-separated or permission rule patterns)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: disallowedTools — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Tools that are removed from the model’s context and cannot be used.
• Example: claude --disallowedTools "Bash(git log *)" "Bash(git diff *)" "Edit"
• Notes: See Permission rule syntax for pattern matching.

--permission-prompt-tool

• Short form: None
• Argument: <tool> — required (MCP tool name)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Specify an MCP tool to handle permission prompts in non-interactive mode. Allows external systems to approve/deny tool use via MCP.
• Example: claude -p --permission-prompt-tool mcp_auth_tool "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Requires an MCP server to be configured with the tool.

--tools

• Short form: None
• Argument: <tools> — required (comma-separated or special values)
• Default: All built-in tools
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: tools — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Restrict which built-in tools Claude can use. Use "" (empty string) to disable all, "default" for all, or tool names like "Bash,Edit,Read". Comma-separated list of tool names.
• Example: claude --tools "Bash,Edit,Read" or claude --tools ""
• Notes: Different from --disallowedTools: this allowlist restricts availability, not permissions.

System prompt flags

--system-prompt

• Short form: None
• Argument: <text> — required (string)
• Default: Claude Code’s built-in system prompt
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: systemPrompt — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Replace the entire system prompt with custom text. Mutually exclusive with --system-prompt-file.
• Example: claude --system-prompt "You are a Python expert"
• Notes: Use only when you need complete control over the system prompt. Consider --append-system-prompt to preserve built-in capabilities.

--system-prompt-file

• Short form: None
• Argument: <path> — required (file path)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: systemPromptFile — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Load system prompt from a file, replacing the default prompt. Mutually exclusive with --system-prompt.
• Example: claude --system-prompt-file ./custom-prompt.txt
• Notes: File contents completely replace the default system prompt.

--append-system-prompt

• Short form: None
• Argument: <text> — required (string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: appendSystemPrompt — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Append custom text to the end of the default system prompt. Can be combined with either replacement flag.
• Example: claude --append-system-prompt "Always use TypeScript"
• Notes: Recommended for most use cases; preserves Claude Code’s built-in capabilities while adding your requirements.

--append-system-prompt-file

• Short form: None
• Argument: <path> — required (file path)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: appendSystemPromptFile — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Load additional system prompt text from a file and append to the default prompt. Can be combined with either replacement flag.
• Example: claude --append-system-prompt-file ./style-rules.txt
• Notes: Recommended for most use cases. File contents are appended to (not replacing) the default prompt.

--exclude-dynamic-system-prompt-sections

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Move per-machine sections from the system prompt (working directory, environment info, memory paths, git status) into the first user message. Improves prompt-cache reuse across different users and machines running the same task. Only applies with the default system prompt; ignored when --system-prompt or --system-prompt-file is set. Use with -p for scripted, multi-user workloads.
• Example: claude -p --exclude-dynamic-system-prompt-sections "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Useful for batch processing and multi-tenancy scenarios.

MCP & servers flags

--mcp-config

• Short form: None
• Argument: <files...> — required (space-separated paths or JSON strings)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: mcpServers — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Load MCP servers from JSON files or strings (space-separated). Each argument is either a file path or inline JSON configuration.
• Example: claude --mcp-config ./mcp.json or claude --mcp-config '{"server":{"command":"python","args":["script.py"]}}'
• Notes: None.

--strict-mcp-config

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Only use MCP servers from --mcp-config, ignoring all other MCP configurations (from settings, plugins, etc.). Useful for isolated/minimal MCP setup.
• Example: claude --strict-mcp-config --mcp-config ./mcp.json
• Notes: None.

--channels

• Short form: None
• Argument: <servers...> — required (space-separated)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: MCP servers whose channel notifications Claude should listen for in this session. Space-separated list of plugin:<name>@<marketplace> entries. Requires Claude.ai authentication.
• Example: claude --channels plugin:my-notifier@my-marketplace
• Notes: Research preview. Gated by the KAIROS_CHANNELS feature flag, which is part of the internal KAIROS system (the same system that gates the /brief command via KAIROS_BRIEF). Contact your workspace admin or account manager for access.

--dangerously-load-development-channels

• Short form: None
• Argument: <servers...> — required (space-separated)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Enable channels that are not on the approved allowlist, for local development. Accepts plugin:<name>@<marketplace> and server:<name> entries. Prompts for confirmation at startup.
• Example: claude --dangerously-load-development-channels server:webhook
• Notes: Research preview. Development only; shows confirmation dialog.

Plugin flags

--plugin-dir

• Short form: None
• Argument: <paths...> — required (space-separated, repeatable)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Load plugins from a directory for this session only. Each flag takes one path. Repeat the flag for multiple directories: --plugin-dir A --plugin-dir B. When a local plugin has the same name as an installed marketplace plugin, the local copy takes precedence.
• Example: claude --plugin-dir ./my-plugins or claude --plugin-dir ./plugins1 --plugin-dir ./plugins2
• Notes: Local plugins override marketplace plugins. Use for development and testing.

--agent

• Short form: None
• Argument: <name> — required (agent name)
• Default: general-purpose (or last selected)
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: agent — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Specify a custom subagent (from .claude/agents/ or installed plugins) for the current session. Overrides the agent setting.
• Example: claude --agent my-custom-agent
• Notes: See Subagents documentation for defining custom agents.

--agents

• Short form: None
• Argument: <json> — required (JSON string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Define custom subagents dynamically via JSON. Uses the same field names as subagent frontmatter, plus a prompt field for the agent’s instructions.
• Example: claude --agents '{"reviewer":{"description":"Reviews code","prompt":"You are a code reviewer"}}'
• Notes: JSON is parsed and agents are registered for this session only.

--teammate-mode

• Short form: None
• Argument: <mode> — required (enum)
• Default: auto
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: teammateMode — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Set how agent teammates display: auto (default), in-process, or tmux. See Choose a display mode.
• Example: claude --teammate-mode in-process
• Notes: Only applies to agent teams; requires AGENT_TEAMS feature or similar.

Output & format flags

--output-format

• Short form: None
• Argument: <format> — required (enum)
• Default: text
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Specify output format for print mode. Options: text (default), json, stream-json.
• Example: claude -p "query" --output-format json
• Notes: Print mode only.

--input-format

• Short form: None
• Argument: <format> — required (enum)
• Default: text
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Specify input format for print mode. Options: text, stream-json.
• Example: claude -p --input-format stream-json
• Notes: Print mode only. Allows structured input via stdin.

--json-schema

• Short form: None
• Argument: <schema> — required (JSON Schema string)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Get validated JSON output matching a JSON Schema after the agent completes its workflow. Print mode only. See Structured outputs.
• Example: claude -p --json-schema '{"type":"object","properties":{...}}' "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Requires valid JSON Schema.

--include-hook-events

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Include all hook lifecycle events in the output stream. Requires --output-format stream-json.
• Example: claude -p --output-format stream-json --include-hook-events "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Useful for observability and debugging hooks.

--include-partial-messages

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Include partial streaming events in output. Requires --print and --output-format stream-json.
• Example: claude -p --output-format stream-json --include-partial-messages "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Shows incremental model outputs.

--replay-user-messages

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Re-emit user messages from stdin back on stdout for acknowledgment. Requires --input-format stream-json and --output-format stream-json.
• Example: claude -p --input-format stream-json --output-format stream-json --replay-user-messages
• Notes: Print mode only. Useful for logging and verification in automated workflows.

--no-session-persistence

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Disable session persistence so sessions are not saved to disk and cannot be resumed. Print mode only.
• Example: claude -p --no-session-persistence "query"
• Notes: Print mode only. Useful for ephemeral workloads.

Tools & features flags

--chrome

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: chrome — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Enable Chrome browser integration for web automation and testing.
• Example: claude --chrome
• Notes: See Chrome extension documentation.

--no-chrome

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Disable Chrome browser integration for this session.
• Example: claude --no-chrome
• Notes: Overrides the chrome setting for this session.

--ide

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: autoConnectIde — cross-ref to ../Settings/README.md
• Description: Automatically connect to IDE on startup if exactly one valid IDE is available.
• Example: claude --ide
• Notes: Requires a supported IDE (VS Code, JetBrains, etc.) to be running.

--disable-slash-commands

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Disable all skills and commands for this session.
• Example: claude --disable-slash-commands
• Notes: Removes the / command interface; no skills or commands are available.

Debug & diagnostics flags

--debug

• Short form: None
• Argument: [category] — optional (comma-separated or negated)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Enable debug mode with optional category filtering. Examples: "api,hooks" (only api and hooks), "!statsig,!file" (everything except statsig and file).
• Example: claude --debug "api,mcp"
• Notes: Writes debug logs to stderr. Can be combined with --debug-file for file output.

--debug-file

• Short form: None
• Argument: <path> — required (file path)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR (directory, not file) — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Write debug logs to a specific file path. Implicitly enables debug mode. Takes precedence over CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR env var.
• Example: claude --debug-file /tmp/claude-debug.log
• Notes: None.

--verbose

• Short form: None
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: CLAUDE_CODE_VERBOSE — cross-ref to ../ENV/README.md
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Enable verbose logging, shows full turn-by-turn output and intermediate steps.
• Example: claude --verbose
• Notes: More detailed than --debug; shows full agent traces.

Help & version flags

--version, -v

• Short form: -v
• Argument: None (boolean flag)
• Default: None
• Documented in public docs?: Yes — https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference
• Env var equivalent: None
• Settings.json equivalent: None
• Description: Output the version number and exit.
• Example: claude --version or claude -v
• Notes: None.

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