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HomeDocsClaude Code CLI 8 Oct 2026
One change · claude-code

Output styles changedoutput-styles

Nearest release: v2.1.294, published under an hour after upstream edited the page. Shown because the two are within 24 hours of each other. Nothing here says the release caused the edit.

Upstream edited this page at 8 Oct 2026 03:42 UTC, give or take a minute or two: the time comes from Anthropic’s own sitemap rather than from a commit. This site recorded the change at 8 Oct 2026 03:58 UTC.

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First seen 14 Aug 2026 this site's first read of the page
Recorded edits15to this page, all time

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163163| :- | :- | :- |
164164| `name` | No | Name of the output style, shown in the `/config` picker. Default: the file name |
165165| `description` | No | Description of the output style, shown in the `/config` picker |
166| `keep-coding-instructions` | No | Set to `true` to keep Claude Code's built-in software engineering instructions alongside your style. Default: `false` |
166| `keep-coding-instructions` | No | Set to `true` to keep Claude Code's section of built-in software engineering instructions, which only the full system prompt includes, alongside your style. See [How output styles work](#how-output-styles-work). Default: `false` |
167167| `force-for-plugin` | No | Plugin output styles only. Set to `true` to apply this style automatically whenever the plugin is enabled, without requiring users to select it. Overrides the user's `outputStyle` setting. If multiple enabled plugins set this, Claude Code uses the first one loaded. Default: `false` |
168168 
169169<span id="comparisons-to-related-features" />
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190190An output style changes the instructions Claude Code gives Claude.
191191 
192192* Claude Code sends the active style's instructions with every request.
193* Custom output styles leave out Claude Code's built-in software engineering instructions, such as how to scope changes, write comments, and verify work, unless `keep-coding-instructions` is set to `true`.
193* On the full system prompt, custom output styles leave out Claude Code's section of built-in software engineering instructions, such as how to scope changes, write comments, and verify work, unless `keep-coding-instructions` is set to `true`. The shorter system prompt doesn't include that section, so the field has no effect there. To rely on the field, set [`CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE_SYSTEM_PROMPT`](/docs/en/env-vars#variables) to `0`, which selects the full prompt on any model.
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195Output styles apply to the main conversation and to a [fork](/docs/en/sub-agents#fork-the-current-conversation), which inherits the parent's full conversation and system prompt. Other [subagents run their own system prompt](/docs/en/sub-agents#what-loads-at-startup), so styles don't change how they respond.
195Output styles apply to the main conversation and to a [fork](/docs/en/sub-agents#fork-the-current-conversation), which inherits the parent's whole conversation and system prompt. Other [subagents run their own system prompt](/docs/en/sub-agents#what-loads-at-startup), so styles don't change how they respond.
196196 
197197Token usage depends on the style. A style's instructions add input tokens, though prompt caching reduces this cost after the first request in a session.
198198 
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