writing-statuslines

You can customize the Claude Code status line by creating executable scripts that process JSON input via stdin and output a single line of text to stdout, displaying real-time session context like model, workspace, cost, and token usage.

A custom Claude Code status line can display dynamic contextual information including the model name, current working directory, session cost, context window usage, and the active Git branch.

Status line scripts receive session data by reading JSON input piped through stdin, which the script then parses to extract session details and outputs a formatted single line of text to stdout.

Python is used for the setup script and reference generation, but the status line itself only requires an executable script capable of processing JSON input via stdin and returning a single text line to stdout.

Yes, the custom status line updates automatically based on conversation messages, providing real-time contextual information about the current session without interrupting your workflow.

The status line script must output exactly a single line of text to stdout from the JSON stdin input, limiting the display to a concise one-line format rather than a multi-line interface.