{"name":"CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPLORE_PLAN_AGENTS","slug":"claude-code-disable-explore-plan-agents","family":"env","title":"Environment variables","noun":"environment variable","description":"Set to `1` to disable the built-in [Explore and Plan subagents](\/docs\/en\/sub-agents#built-in-subagents). Claude explores with its search tools or the general-purpose subagent instead, and [plan mode](\/docs\/en\/permission-modes#analyze-before-you-edit-with-plan-mode) reads files directly rather than launching Explore and Plan agents. Custom subagents named `Explore` or `Plan` are unaffected. To remove every built-in subagent type in the Agent SDK or non-interactive mode, use `CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS` instead. Requires Claude Code v2.1.198 or later","description_source":"docs","described_by":{"doc":"claude-code\/env-vars","title":"Environment variables"},"presence":{"first_seen":"2.1.198","removed_in":null,"in_current_build":true,"newest_mined":"2.1.309","builds":100,"mined_builds":150,"first_cited":{"version":"2.1.221","released_at":"2026-08-03 22:16:25","spans":1}},"aliases":[],"entries":[{"version":"2.1.221","anchor":"explore-plan-agents-no-longer-read-a-remote-gate","heading":"Explore\/plan agents no longer read a remote gate","line":"Explore and plan agents are now always on unless you set the disable environment variable yourself.","released_at":"2026-08-03 22:16:25","reason":"named in this entry, found in this entry's text"}],"entries_total":1,"docs":[{"source":"claude-code","path":"env-vars","title":"Environment variables","documented":true},{"source":"claude-code","path":"sub-agents","title":"Create custom subagents","documented":false}],"docs_total":2,"gates":[],"related":[{"name":"CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPLORE_INHERIT_CAP","slug":"claude-code-disable-explore-inherit-cap","description":"The Explore agent no longer has its model capped when using non-Anthropic API providers"}],"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/reference\/env\/claude-code-disable-explore-plan-agents","family_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/reference\/env.json"}