Use Claude Code features in the SDK changedagent-sdk/claude-code-features
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7070Each source loads settings from a specific location, where `<cwd>` is the working directory you pass via the `cwd` option, or the process's current directory if unset. For the full type definition, see [`SettingSource`](/docs/en/agent-sdk/typescript#settingsource) (TypeScript) or [`SettingSource`](/docs/en/agent-sdk/python#settingsource) (Python).
7171
72| Source | What it loads | Location |
73| :---------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
72| Source | What it loads | Location |
73| :- | :- | :- |
7474| `"project"` | Project `settings.json` and hooks; project CLAUDE.md and `.claude/rules/*.md`; project skills, commands, and subagents | `<cwd>/.claude/` for `settings.json` and hooks; `<cwd>` and every parent directory for CLAUDE.md and rules; `<cwd>` and every parent directory up to the repository root for skills, commands, and subagents, plus the `.claude/skills/`, `.claude/commands/`, and `.claude/agents/` folders of each directory you pass through the `additionalDirectories` or `add_dirs` option, which the SDK passes to Claude Code as [`--add-dir`](/docs/en/permissions#additional-directories-grant-file-access-not-configuration) |
75| `"user"` | User `settings.json`; user CLAUDE.md and `~/.claude/rules/*.md`; user skills, commands, and subagents | `~/.claude/` for `settings.json`, CLAUDE.md, and rules; `~/.claude/skills/`, `~/.claude/commands/`, and `~/.claude/agents/` for skills, commands, and subagents |
76| `"local"` | CLAUDE.local.md, `.claude/settings.local.json` | `<cwd>/.claude/` for `settings.local.json`; `<cwd>` and every parent directory for CLAUDE.local.md |
75| `"user"` | User `settings.json`; user CLAUDE.md and `~/.claude/rules/*.md`; user skills, commands, and subagents | `~/.claude/` for `settings.json`, CLAUDE.md, and rules; `~/.claude/skills/`, `~/.claude/commands/`, and `~/.claude/agents/` for skills, commands, and subagents |
76| `"local"` | CLAUDE.local.md, `.claude/settings.local.json` | `<cwd>/.claude/` for `settings.local.json`; `<cwd>` and every parent directory for CLAUDE.local.md |
7777
7878Omitting `settingSources` is equivalent to `["user", "project", "local"]`.
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8383
8484`settingSources` covers user, project, and local settings. A few inputs are read regardless of its value:
8585
86| Input | Behavior | To disable |
87| :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
88| Managed policy settings | Endpoint-managed policy, such as an MDM plist, registry policy, or managed settings file, loads from the host. [Server-managed settings](/docs/en/server-managed-settings) are fetched on an [eligible configuration](/docs/en/server-managed-settings#platform-availability) when the session authenticates with a qualifying credential, such as an organization OAuth login, a directly configured API key, or a `user_oauth` [Anthropic profile](/docs/en/authentication#anthropic-profiles-and-federation-credentials) | Endpoint policy: remove the managed settings file, plist, or registry policy from the host. Server-managed settings: an [Owner](/docs/en/server-managed-settings#access-control) in your Claude organization controls them; you can't disable them from the SDK |
89| `~/.claude.json` global config | Always read | Relocate with `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` in `env` |
90| Auto memory at `~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/` | Loaded into the system prompt at session start. The agent writes new memories there with the standard `Write` and `Edit` tools rather than a dedicated memory tool, so those tools must be enabled for the agent to save memories | Set `autoMemoryEnabled: false` in settings, or `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1` in `env` |
91| [claude.ai MCP connectors](/docs/en/mcp#use-mcp-servers-from-claude-ai) | Loaded when the session authenticates with your claude.ai login. Not loaded when `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` holds a token from [`claude setup-token`](/docs/en/authentication#generate-a-long-lived-token), which can only make model requests. Passing `mcpServers: {}` does not suppress the connectors | Set `strictMcpConfig: true`, [`disableClaudeAiConnectors: true`](/docs/en/mcp#disable-claude-ai-connectors) in settings, or `ENABLE_CLAUDEAI_MCP_SERVERS=false` in `env` |
92| [`sandbox.credentials`](/docs/en/sandboxing#protect-credentials) `deny` entries and file `mask` entries in `~/.claude/settings.json` | When the [command sandbox](/docs/en/sandboxing) runs, Claude Code applies the `deny` entries and keeps the `credentials.files` `mask` entries as restrictions even when `settingSources` excludes user settings. Claude Code uses these entries only to narrow what sandboxed commands can access | Remove the entries from `~/.claude/settings.json` |
86| Input | Behavior | To disable |
87| :- | :- | :- |
88| Managed policy settings | Endpoint-managed policy, such as an MDM plist, registry policy, or managed settings file, loads from the host. [Server-managed settings](/docs/en/server-managed-settings) are fetched on an [eligible configuration](/docs/en/server-managed-settings#platform-availability) when the session authenticates with a qualifying credential, such as an organization OAuth login, a directly configured API key, or a `user_oauth` [Anthropic profile](/docs/en/authentication#anthropic-profiles-and-federation-credentials) | Endpoint policy: remove the managed settings file, plist, or registry policy from the host. Server-managed settings: an [Owner](/docs/en/server-managed-settings#access-control) in your Claude organization controls them; you can't disable them from the SDK |
89| `~/.claude.json` global config | Always read | Relocate with `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR` in `env` |
90| Auto memory at `~/.claude/projects/<project>/memory/` | Loaded into the system prompt at session start. The agent writes new memories there with the standard `Write` and `Edit` tools rather than a dedicated memory tool, so those tools must be enabled for the agent to save memories | Set `autoMemoryEnabled: false` in settings, or `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1` in `env` |
91| [claude.ai MCP connectors](/docs/en/mcp#use-mcp-servers-from-claude-ai) | Loaded when the session authenticates with your claude.ai login. Not loaded when `CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN` holds a token from [`claude setup-token`](/docs/en/authentication#generate-a-long-lived-token), which can only make model requests. Passing `mcpServers: {}` does not suppress the connectors | Set `strictMcpConfig: true`, [`disableClaudeAiConnectors: true`](/docs/en/mcp#disable-claude-ai-connectors) in settings, or `ENABLE_CLAUDEAI_MCP_SERVERS=false` in `env` |
92| [`sandbox.credentials`](/docs/en/sandboxing#protect-credentials) `deny` entries and file `mask` entries in `~/.claude/settings.json` | When the [command sandbox](/docs/en/sandboxing) runs, Claude Code applies the `deny` entries and keeps the `credentials.files` `mask` entries as restrictions even when `settingSources` excludes user settings. Claude Code uses these entries only to narrow what sandboxed commands can access | Remove the entries from `~/.claude/settings.json` |
9393
9494<Warning>
9595 Do not rely on default `query()` options for multi-tenant isolation. Because the inputs above are read regardless of `settingSources`, an SDK process can pick up host-level configuration and per-directory memory. For multi-tenant deployments, run each tenant in its own filesystem and set `settingSources: []` plus `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORY=1` in `env`. [Server-managed settings](/docs/en/server-managed-settings) are fetched when the process authenticates with an organization credential; filesystem isolation does not remove them. See [Secure deployment](/docs/en/agent-sdk/secure-deployment).
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101101
102102### CLAUDE.md load locations
103103
104| Level | Location | When loaded |
105| :-------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
106| Project (root) | `<cwd>/CLAUDE.md` or `<cwd>/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | `settingSources` includes `"project"` |
107| Project rules | `<cwd>/.claude/rules/*.md` and `.claude/rules/*.md` in every parent directory | `settingSources` includes `"project"` |
108| Project (parent dirs) | `CLAUDE.md` files in directories above `cwd` | `settingSources` includes `"project"`, loaded at session start |
109| Project (child dirs) | `CLAUDE.md` files in subdirectories of `cwd` | `settingSources` includes `"project"`, loaded on demand when the agent reads a file in that subtree |
110| Local | `<cwd>/CLAUDE.local.md` and `CLAUDE.local.md` in every parent directory | `settingSources` includes `"local"` |
111| User | `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | `settingSources` includes `"user"` |
112| User rules | `~/.claude/rules/*.md` | `settingSources` includes `"user"` |
104| Level | Location | When loaded |
105| :- | :- | :- |
106| Project (root) | `<cwd>/CLAUDE.md` or `<cwd>/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | `settingSources` includes `"project"` |
107| Project rules | `<cwd>/.claude/rules/*.md` and `.claude/rules/*.md` in every parent directory | `settingSources` includes `"project"` |
108| Project (parent dirs) | `CLAUDE.md` files in directories above `cwd` | `settingSources` includes `"project"`, loaded at session start |
109| Project (child dirs) | `CLAUDE.md` files in subdirectories of `cwd` | `settingSources` includes `"project"`, loaded on demand when the agent reads a file in that subtree |
110| Local | `<cwd>/CLAUDE.local.md` and `CLAUDE.local.md` in every parent directory | `settingSources` includes `"local"` |
111| User | `~/.claude/CLAUDE.md` | `settingSources` includes `"user"` |
112| User rules | `~/.claude/rules/*.md` | `settingSources` includes `"user"` |
113113
114114All levels are additive: if both project and user CLAUDE.md files exist, the agent sees both. There is no hard precedence rule between levels; if instructions conflict, the outcome depends on how Claude interprets them. Write non-conflicting rules, or state precedence explicitly in the more specific file ("These project instructions override any conflicting user-level defaults").
115115
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267267
268268### When to use which hook type
269269
270| Hook type | Best for |
271| :---------------------------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
272| **Filesystem** (`settings.json`) | Sharing hooks between CLI and SDK sessions. Supports `"command"` (shell scripts), `"http"` (POST to an endpoint), `"mcp_tool"` (call a connected MCP server's tool), `"prompt"` (LLM evaluates a prompt), and `"agent"` (spawns a verifier agent). These fire in the main agent and any subagents it spawns. |
273| **Programmatic** (callbacks in `query()`) | Application-specific logic, structured decisions, and in-process integration. These also fire inside subagents. The hook input, the callback's first argument, carries `agent_id` and `agent_type` fields that identify which agent fired the hook. |
270| Hook type | Best for |
271| :- | :- |
272| **Filesystem** (`settings.json`) | Sharing hooks between CLI and SDK sessions. Supports `"command"` (shell scripts), `"http"` (POST to an endpoint), `"mcp_tool"` (call a connected MCP server's tool), `"prompt"` (LLM evaluates a prompt), and `"agent"` (spawns a verifier agent). These fire in the main agent and any subagents it spawns. |
273| **Programmatic** (callbacks in `query()`) | Application-specific logic, structured decisions, and in-process integration. These also fire inside subagents. The hook input, the callback's first argument, carries `agent_id` and `agent_type` fields that identify which agent fired the hook. |
274274
275275<Note>
276276 The TypeScript SDK supports additional hook events beyond Python, including `SessionStart`, `SessionEnd`, `TeammateIdle`, and `TaskCompleted`. See the [hooks guide](/docs/en/agent-sdk/hooks) for the full event compatibility table.
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282282
283283The Agent SDK gives you access to several ways to extend your agent's behavior. If you're unsure which to use, this table maps common goals to the right approach.
284284
285| What you want to do | Use | SDK surface |
286| :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :-------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
287| Set project conventions your agent always follows | [CLAUDE.md](/docs/en/memory) | `settingSources: ["project"]` loads it automatically |
288| Give the agent reference material it loads when relevant | [Skills](/docs/en/agent-sdk/skills) | `settingSources` + `skills` option |
289| Run a reusable workflow (deploy, review, release) | [User-invocable skills](/docs/en/agent-sdk/skills) | `settingSources` + `skills` option |
290| Delegate an isolated subtask to a fresh context (research, review) | [Subagents](/docs/en/agent-sdk/subagents) | `agents` parameter + `allowedTools: ["Agent"]` |
291| Coordinate multiple Claude Code instances with shared task lists and direct inter-agent messaging | [Agent teams](/docs/en/agent-teams) | Not directly configured via SDK options. Agent teams are a CLI feature where one session acts as the team lead, coordinating work across independent teammates |
292| Run deterministic logic on tool calls (audit, block, transform) | [Hooks](/docs/en/agent-sdk/hooks) | `hooks` parameter with callbacks, or shell scripts loaded via `settingSources` |
293| Give Claude structured tool access to an external service | [MCP](/docs/en/agent-sdk/mcp) | `mcpServers` parameter |
285| What you want to do | Use | SDK surface |
286| :- | :- | :- |
287| Set project conventions your agent always follows | [CLAUDE.md](/docs/en/memory) | `settingSources: ["project"]` loads it automatically |
288| Give the agent reference material it loads when relevant | [Skills](/docs/en/agent-sdk/skills) | `settingSources` + `skills` option |
289| Run a reusable workflow (deploy, review, release) | [User-invocable skills](/docs/en/agent-sdk/skills) | `settingSources` + `skills` option |
290| Delegate an isolated subtask to a fresh context (research, review) | [Subagents](/docs/en/agent-sdk/subagents) | `agents` parameter + `allowedTools: ["Agent"]` |
291| Coordinate multiple Claude Code instances with shared task lists and direct inter-agent messaging | [Agent teams](/docs/en/agent-teams) | Not directly configured via SDK options. Agent teams are a CLI feature where one session acts as the team lead, coordinating work across independent teammates |
292| Run deterministic logic on tool calls (audit, block, transform) | [Hooks](/docs/en/agent-sdk/hooks) | `hooks` parameter with callbacks, or shell scripts loaded via `settingSources` |
293| Give Claude structured tool access to an external service | [MCP](/docs/en/agent-sdk/mcp) | `mcpServers` parameter |
294294
295295Every feature you enable adds to your agent's context window. For per-feature costs and how these features layer together, see [Extend Claude Code](/docs/en/features-overview#understand-context-costs).
296296
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