Output styles

output-styles Changed · +4 / -2 lines

 
 Claude Code's **Default** output style is the existing system prompt, designed to help you complete software engineering tasks efficiently.
 
-There are three additional built-in output styles:
+There are four additional built-in output styles:
 
 * **Proactive**: Claude executes immediately, makes reasonable assumptions instead of pausing for routine decisions, and prefers action over planning. This is stronger autonomous-execution guidance than [auto mode](/docs/en/permission-modes#eliminate-prompts-with-auto-mode) applies, and it works without changing your permission mode, so your permission mode still decides what runs without asking you.
 
+* **Concise**: Claude leads with the result, skips preamble and narration, and keeps responses short by default, while doing the engineering work as thoroughly as in the Default style. When you ask for an explanation or more detail, Claude answers in full. Claude always keeps the complete content of error reports, security warnings, and confirmations for destructive actions. Requires Claude Code v2.1.237 or later.
+
 * **Explanatory**: Provides educational "Insights" in between helping you complete software engineering tasks. Helps you understand implementation choices and codebase patterns.
 
 * **Learning**: Collaborative, learn-by-doing mode where Claude will not only share "Insights" while coding, but also ask you to contribute small, strategic pieces of code yourself. Claude Code will add `TODO(human)` markers in your code for you to implement.

 
 Output styles apply to the main conversation only: a [subagent runs its own system prompt](/docs/en/sub-agents#what-loads-at-startup), so styles don't change how subagents respond. A [fork](/docs/en/sub-agents#fork-the-current-conversation) is the exception, because it inherits the parent's full system prompt.
 
-Token usage depends on the style. Adding instructions to the system prompt increases input tokens, though prompt caching reduces this cost after the first request in a session. The built-in Explanatory and Learning styles produce longer responses than Default by design, which increases output tokens. For custom styles, output token usage depends on what your instructions tell Claude to produce.
+Token usage depends on the style. Adding instructions to the system prompt increases input tokens, though prompt caching reduces this cost after the first request in a session. The built-in Explanatory and Learning styles produce longer responses than Default by design, which increases output tokens, and the Concise style does the opposite by instructing Claude to keep responses short by default. For custom styles, output token usage depends on what your instructions tell Claude to produce.
 
 ## Comparisons to related features
 

output-styles First recorded · 124 lines, first recorded

# Output styles ## Built-in output styles ## Change your output style ## Create a custom output style ### Frontmatter ## How output styles work ## Comparisons to related features ## Related resources

The first capture of this source. The page was already there, and this is what it said.

# Output styles

> Adapt Claude Code for uses beyond software engineering

Output styles change how Claude responds, not what Claude knows. They modify the system prompt to set role, tone, and output format. Use one when you keep re-prompting for the same voice or format every turn, or when you want Claude to act as something other than a software engineer.

A custom output style adds your instructions to the system prompt and lets you choose whether to keep Claude Code's built-in software engineering instructions. Keep them when you're changing how Claude communicates but still coding, like always answering with a diagram. Leave them out when Claude isn't doing software engineering at all, like a writing assistant or data analyst.

For instructions about your project, conventions, or codebase, use [CLAUDE.md](/docs/en/memory) instead.

## Built-in output styles

Claude Code's **Default** output style is the existing system prompt, designed to help you complete software engineering tasks efficiently.

There are three additional built-in output styles:

* **Proactive**: Claude executes immediately, makes reasonable assumptions instead of pausing for routine decisions, and prefers action over planning. This is stronger autonomous-execution guidance than [auto mode](/docs/en/permission-modes#eliminate-prompts-with-auto-mode) applies, and it works without changing your permission mode, so you still see permission prompts before tools run.

* **Explanatory**: Provides educational "Insights" in between helping you complete software engineering tasks. Helps you understand implementation choices and codebase patterns.

* **Learning**: Collaborative, learn-by-doing mode where Claude will not only share "Insights" while coding, but also ask you to contribute small, strategic pieces of code yourself. Claude Code will add `TODO(human)` markers in your code for you to implement.

## Change your output style

Pick a style in one of these ways:

* **Terminal**: run `/config` and select **Output style** to pick a style from a menu. Claude Code saves your selection to `.claude/settings.local.json` at the [local project level](/docs/en/settings).
* **Desktop app**: set the `outputStyle` field in a settings file, for example `.claude/settings.local.json`, the file the terminal menu writes. When you run `/config` there, Claude Code [opens **Settings > Claude Code**](/docs/en/desktop#what’s-not-available-in-desktop) rather than a menu.

<Note>The standalone `/output-style` command was deprecated in v2.1.73 and removed in v2.1.91. Use `/config` or edit the `outputStyle` setting directly.</Note>

To set a style without the menu, edit the `outputStyle` field directly in a settings file:

```json theme={null}
{
  "outputStyle": "Explanatory"
}
```

Output style is part of the system prompt, which Claude Code reads once at session start. Changes take effect after `/clear` or a new session. See [How Claude Code uses prompt caching](/docs/en/prompt-caching#changing-output-style) for what an output style change does to the cache.

## Create a custom output style

A custom output style is a Markdown file: frontmatter for metadata, then the instructions to add to the system prompt.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Markdown file">
    Save it at one of three levels. The file name becomes the style name unless you set `name` in the frontmatter.

    * User: `~/.claude/output-styles`
    * Project: `.claude/output-styles`
    * Managed policy: `.claude/output-styles` inside the [managed settings directory](/docs/en/settings#settings-files)

    Project output styles load from every `.claude/output-styles/` between the working directory and the repository root. When more than one of these nested directories defines a style with the same name, Claude Code uses the one closest to the working directory.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add frontmatter and instructions">
    Decide whether to keep Claude Code's software engineering instructions. Set `keep-coding-instructions: true` if you're changing how Claude communicates but still want it coding the same way. Leave it out if Claude won't be doing software engineering.

    This example leads every explanation with a diagram while keeping Claude's coding behavior:

    ```markdown theme={null}
    ---
    name: Diagrams first
    description: Lead every explanation with a diagram
    keep-coding-instructions: true
    ---

    When explaining code, architecture, or data flow, start with a Mermaid diagram showing the structure, then explain in prose.

    ## Diagram conventions

    Use `flowchart TD` for control flow and `sequenceDiagram` for request paths. Keep diagrams under 15 nodes.
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Switch to your style">
    Run `/config` in the terminal and select your style under **Output style**, or set `outputStyle` in a settings file to the style's name. It takes effect after `/clear` or the next time you start a session.
  </Step>
</Steps>

[Plugins](/docs/en/plugins-reference) can also ship output styles in an `output-styles/` directory.

### Frontmatter

Output style files support these frontmatter fields:

| Frontmatter                | Purpose                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Default                 |
| :------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------- |
| `name`                     | Name of the output style, if not the file name                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Inherits from file name |
| `description`              | Description of the output style, shown in the `/config` picker                                                                                                                                                                                           | None                    |
| `keep-coding-instructions` | Keep Claude Code's built-in software engineering instructions                                                                                                                                                                                            | `false`                 |
| `force-for-plugin`         | Plugin output styles only: 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. | `false`                 |

## How output styles work

Output styles directly modify Claude Code's system prompt.

* Claude Code adds each output style's custom instructions to the end of the system prompt.
* All output styles trigger reminders for Claude to adhere to the output style instructions during the conversation.
* 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`.

Output styles apply to the main conversation only: a [subagent runs its own system prompt](/docs/en/sub-agents#what-loads-at-startup), so styles don't change how subagents respond. A [fork](/docs/en/sub-agents#fork-the-current-conversation) is the exception, because it inherits the parent's full system prompt.

Token usage depends on the style. Adding instructions to the system prompt increases input tokens, though prompt caching reduces this cost after the first request in a session. The built-in Explanatory and Learning styles produce longer responses than Default by design, which increases output tokens. For custom styles, output token usage depends on what your instructions tell Claude to produce.

## Comparisons to related features

Several features customize how Claude Code behaves. Output styles modify the system prompt directly and apply to every response. The others add instructions without changing the default system prompt, or scope them to a specific task.

| Feature                  | How it works                                                 | Use it when                                                             |
| :----------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Output styles            | Modifies the system prompt                                   | You want a different role, tone, or default response format every turn  |
| [CLAUDE.md](/docs/en/memory)  | Adds a user message after the system prompt                  | Claude should always know your project conventions and codebase context |
| `--append-system-prompt` | Appends to the system prompt without removing anything       | You want a one-off addition for a single invocation                     |
| [Agents](/docs/en/sub-agents) | Runs a subagent with its own system prompt, model, and tools | You want a separately scoped helper for a focused task                  |
| [Skills](/docs/en/skills)     | Loads task-specific instructions when invoked or relevant    | You have a reusable workflow                                            |

## Related resources

* [Settings](/docs/en/settings): where the `outputStyle` field lives and how settings precedence works
* [Permission modes](/docs/en/permission-modes): how the Proactive style compares to auto mode
* [Plugins](/docs/en/plugins): package and distribute output styles alongside skills, hooks, and agents
* [Debug your configuration](/docs/en/debug-your-config): diagnose why an output style isn't taking effect