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Sweep 22 Oct 2026 · 21:04Z Build v2.1.309 528 read Stable v2.1.308 Latest v2.1.309 Next v2.1.309 Feeds RSS JSON llms.txt llms-full.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

Group of 4 You'll notice Removed
JSON All of v2.1.277
You'll noticeTier: how much it should matter to you
3Useful: my rating, 1 to 5
2Signal: worth watching, 1 to 5
Background TasksArea: what it touches
RemovedKind: in v2.1.277,
Internal ChangesSection of the release

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.

See this entry in the whole of v2.1.277 →

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