Under the hoodTier: how much it should matter to you
4Useful: my rating, 1 to 5
4Signal: worth watching, 1 to 5
Plugin UIArea: what it touches
New FeaturesKind: in v2.1.289,
What probably matters to youSection of the release
What
Plugins can now ask what text the person has selected. In a headless session (one running without Claude Code's own terminal screen), a plugin's $.ui.selection sends a new request, ui_read_selection, to the attached clients, meaning the apps or pages showing the session.
Opt in: a client receives the request only if it lists ui_read_selection under answers when it attaches with ui_attach. Before, that list covered only ui_copy and the prompt requests (ui_prompt_read, ui_prompt_fill, ui_prompt_suggest).
Answers: every client that opted in is asked. The first non-empty selection wins. If no client answers within 5 seconds, the plugin gets nothing.
Where it travels: the request goes only over the host's own pipes, never over the remote transport.
Context: the plugin context object gains a selection entry next to composer.
Why
A plugin can now act on what the person has highlighted in a connected app, while the request stays off the remote connection and only reaches clients that chose to answer it.
