{"version":"2.1.271","anchor":"new-side-question-control-request-type-in-the-repl-bridge","canonical_anchor":"new-side-question-control-request-type-in-the-repl-bridge","heading":"Side questions: hosts can now ask the running session an out-of-band question","tier":"use","area":"SDK","scope":null,"heads_up":null,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.271\/e\/new-side-question-control-request-type-in-the-repl-bridge","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.271","markdown":"### Side questions: hosts can now ask the running session an out-of-band question\n\nEmbedding hosts and remote\/cloud sessions can ask Claude Code a side question mid-session, with progress updates, cancellation, and a timeout\n\n**What**\n\n- A new `side_question` control request lets an embedding host (an app or SDK hosting a Claude Code session) ask the running session a question outside the normal conversation flow, including a history of prior question\/response pairs.\n\n- The host must supply an `onSideQuestion` callback to answer these questions, and can report progress while working on an answer.\n\n- Each side question is tracked and cancellable: requests are keyed by request ID with an abort signal, and duplicate deliveries for the same request are ignored.\n\n- If nothing answers within a deadline (660000ms, about 11 minutes), Claude Code returns a synthetic \"no answer available\" response instead of hanging.\n\n- A new `side_question` telemetry event records when this feature is used.\n\n**Why** This lets a host application (for example a remote or cloud session, or an SDK-based integration) pull information from a running Claude Code session without interrupting it, while making sure a slow or missing host answer can't stall the session indefinitely.\n\n- Area: SDK\n- Names: `side_question`\n- Tier: Use it now\n- Useful: 3\/5\n- Signal: 3\/5"}