{"version":"2.1.290","anchor":"new-proactivity-startup-level-gated-by-tengu-proactivity","canonical_anchor":"new-proactivity-startup-level-gated-by-tengu-proactivity","heading":"New --proactivity flag sets how much Claude does on its own at startup","tier":"use","area":"Proactivity","scope":"individual","heads_up":false,"url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.290\/e\/new-proactivity-startup-level-gated-by-tengu-proactivity","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.290","markdown":"### New --proactivity flag sets how much Claude does on its own at startup\n\nA `--proactivity` flag picks the proactivity level when Claude Code starts, and `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_PROACTIVITY` turns the selector off\n\n**Unclear.** Whether Anthropic's server switches `tengu_proactivity_selector` off for some accounts is not known; it returned no value for the one account read.\n\n**What**\n\nA flag is an option you add to the command that starts Claude Code. The new `--proactivity` flag chooses how much Claude acts on its own and takes one of three levels, `ask`, `default` or `proactive`, for example `claude --proactivity ask`. It is hidden from `claude --help` but is read if you type it.\n\nThe level is picked in this order:\n\n- a level handed over when Claude Code restarts itself\n\n- the value given with `--proactivity`\n\n- `default`\n\nThe code has a step for a level saved from an earlier session, but in this build it always comes back empty, so nothing is remembered between sessions.\n\nWithout the flag the feature stays off. With it, the selector is on unless `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_PROACTIVITY` is set, the server flag `tengu_proactivity_selector` is off (when the server sends nothing, it is on), Claude Code runs with `--bare`, or `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ATTACHMENTS` is set. If the selector is off and you asked for `ask` without also giving a permission mode, Claude Code starts in manual mode (the default permission mode) and shows \"--proactivity ask isn't available here \u00b7 Started in manual mode\".\n\nWhen it is on, the level does two things:\n\n- **It adds a note Claude reads.** `ask` (labelled low) tells Claude to confirm before changing anything, agree a plan first, and never commit, push or open a pull request unless you confirm it. `default` (medium) tells it to ask only when it truly cannot go on, and still not to commit or push unasked. `proactive` (high) tells it not to ask questions, to commit, push and open pull requests when that is the natural next step, to pick up follow-up work on its own, and to schedule check-ins instead of waiting on slow things. The note says it does not override plan mode, the permission mode, or the rules about destructive actions.\n\n- **It picks the starting permission mode**, unless you gave one yourself with `--permission-mode` or similar. `ask` starts in auto mode where auto mode is available, otherwise in the default mode. `proactive` starts in auto mode where available, otherwise in accept-edits mode. At startup it never picks bypass mode, and `default` leaves the mode alone.\n\nThere is no keyboard shortcut to switch levels in this build. A program driving Claude Code through the SDK can change it mid-session with a `set_proactivity_level` request, once it has turned levels on for the session. That path can reach bypass mode: switching to `proactive` picks bypass when the session allows it (started with `--dangerously-skip-permissions` or `--allow-dangerously-skip-permissions`) unless the request sets `offer_bypass` to false. Cloud-hosted sessions refuse the request.\n\n**Why**\n\nYou can choose before you start how freely Claude acts. `proactive` lets Claude commit, push and open pull requests without asking you first.\n\n- Flag `tengu_proactivity_selector`: Not enough to say (read for one account on one subscription tier against v2.1.290; this account: no value returned, anonymous baseline: no value returned, compiled default: on) These values were read against a different version of Claude Code, so treat them as the nearest reading available instead of one taken on this release.\n- Area: Proactivity\n- Tier: Use it now\n- Useful: 5\/5\n- Signal: 4\/5\n- Scope: individual\n- Heads-up: no"}