policyHelper
A Claude Code settings key, read out of the shipped bundle. It has been in the build since v2.1.138, including the newest one read.
What it is
Run an executable that computes [managed settings](/docs/en/managed-settings#compute-the-policy-with-a-helper-program) at startup
Anthropic's own wording. Read off Claude Code settings 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
-
v2.1.228A policy helper is only honoured from an admin settings source
A policyHelper only runs if it comes from admin settings; anywhere else it is ignored.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.228A policy helper can no longer configure another policy helper
An admin policy helper can no longer chain to another policy helper.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.228Managed settings accept per-OS
policyHelpersAdmins can set a different policy helper program per operating system with a new policyHelpers setting.
named in this entry
-
v2.1.228New
policyHelpersmanaged-settings key for per-OS policy helper executablesSet policyHelpers per platform; WSL falls back to the linux entry, then to the single policyHelper.
named in this entry
Documentation pages
- Claude Code settings reference reference table Claude Code CLI
- Claude Code settings reference table Claude Code CLI
- Agent SDK reference - TypeScript mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Claude apps gateway for Amazon Bedrock, Claude Platform on AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Foundry mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Claude apps gateway configuration mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Deploy managed settings mentions it Claude Code CLI
- Configure server-managed settings 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 settings key does. All settings keys.