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Sweep 22 Sep 2026 · 17:19Z Build v2.1.280 501 read Stable v2.1.267 Latest v2.1.280 Next v2.1.280 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt Unofficial
Claude Code v2.1.277 ·

TaskOutput tool removed; task output is now read via the Read tool

The TaskOutput tool was removed; background task output is now read through the Read tool, and its max-length setting was retired

TierYou'll noticehow much it should matter to you
Useful2my rating, 1 to 5
Signal1worth watching, 1 to 5
AreaBackground Taskswhat it touches
KindRemovedin v2.1.277,
Group of 4 You'll notice

The TaskOutput tool was removed; background task output is now read through the Read tool, and its max-length setting was retired

What

  • The TaskOutput tool has been removed. Its config field's description now says background task output should be read via the Read tool instead.
  • TaskOutput was dropped from the internal tool set used alongside Read, Glob, Grep, NotebookRead, Skill, AskUserQuestion, TaskCreate, TaskGet, TaskList, TaskUpdate, TaskStop, Agent, and TodoWrite.
  • The TASK_MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH environment variable was dropped from the list of recognized/passthrough settings.
  • The function that computes the maximum characters allowed for task output no longer reads a taskOutputMaxChars setting; it now derives the limit from the current output host/target instead.

Why

This consolidates reading background task output onto the Read tool instead of a separate TaskOutput tool, and moves the output-length limit from a fixed global setting to something derived from where the output is being read.

How sure we are
One source agreesOne thing we can check says the same as this entry.
Anthropic's release notes agreeRemoved the deprecated TaskOutput tool; Claude reads a background task's output file with Read instead, and the taskOutputMaxChars setting…

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