--settings
A Claude Code CLI flag, read out of the shipped bundle. It has been in the build since v2.1.138, including the newest one read.
What it is
Path to a settings JSON file or an inline JSON string. Values you set here override the same keys in your settings.json files for this session. Keys you omit keep their file-based values. The file must be a regular file no larger than 2 MiB. See [settings precedence](/docs/en/settings#settings-precedence)
Anthropic's own wording. Read off CLI reference, captured 2026-08-28.
Presence across releases
| Releases | Reading | Declared type | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1.245 – 2.1.250 5 releases | never mined | — | — |
| 2.1.138 – 2.1.243 95 releases | in the build | — | — |
A row reading never mined is a release with no archived bundle behind it. Nothing was read out of it, so nothing here says whether the name was in it. A declared type or a default is only ever what that release's own bundle stated.
Changelog entries naming it
-
v2.1.247Cloud working-tree upload refuses when git is missing or when project settings steer git
Cloud upload refuses when git is missing or your project settings set git-related environment variables.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.232
sandbox.ripgrepis ignored when set by project settingsA repo's settings can no longer point sandboxed search at an arbitrary ripgrep binary.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.229Settings fix prompt notes that --settings is read once
Fixes to a file passed via
--settingsare noted as taking effect next session.named in this entry
-
v2.1.229Self-hosted runner accepts a settings file, and rejects hooks and orchestrator mode on Windows
The runner can pass a settings file to sessions; its Windows hooks guard never actually fires.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.219New sandbox setting: network.strictAllowlist
Set strictAllowlist to have the sandbox flat-out deny hosts outside your allowed domains instead of prompting.
named in this entry
Documentation pages
- CLI reference reference table Claude Code CLI
- Orchestrate teams of Claude Code sessions mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Manage multiple agents with agent view mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Share session output as artifacts mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Configure auto mode mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Claude Code changelog mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Deploy Claude apps gateway on AWS mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Explore the .claude directory mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Commands mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Message your other Claude Code sessions mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Error reference mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Speed up responses with fast mode mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Run Claude Code programmatically mentions it Claude Code CLI
A reference table page is one whose own table defines this name, and it is where the description above came from. A page that mentions it carries the name somewhere in its text and may say nothing about it at all. Every page carrying it.
Read out of the published npm bundle release by release, and out of Anthropic's own documentation as this site captured it. Nothing on this page is a description anybody here wrote about what the CLI flag does. All CLI flags.