claude-code

Use print mode with claude -p followed by your task prompt. It runs a one-shot task, skips all interactive dialogs, and exits when done. Add --max-turns to cap agentic loops and --allowedTools to restrict tool access.

Add --output-format json to a print mode command to receive a result object with session_id, num_turns, total_cost_usd, and the result text. For validated structured data, pass --json-schema with a JSON schema and parse the structured_output field.

The workspace trust dialog defaults to Yes, so send Enter via tmux send-keys. The bypass-permissions warning defaults to No, so send Down then Enter to select Yes, I accept. Trust dialogs only appear once per directory.

Yes. Use claude -c to continue the most recent conversation in the current directory, or claude -r with a session ID to resume a specific session. In print mode, capture session_id from JSON output and pass it with --resume.

Print mode (-p) runs a single task and exits, ideal for scripting and CI. Interactive mode provides a conversational REPL with slash commands and multi-turn iteration, requiring tmux orchestration when driven programmatically.

The most common cause is hitting the --max-turns limit, which caps agentic loops to prevent runaway execution. Check the subtype field in JSON output: error_max_turns indicates the limit was reached, so raise it for larger tasks.