Subcommands

A subcommand is a word after claude that starts a separate job, such as claude doctor. claude --help lists 18 commands. Several more work but the root help does not show them. Each command has its own --help.

Run claude <command>, or claude <command> --help for its options. Each command has its own flags. A command runs only when you call it.

Example

claude --bg "run the full test suite"   # prints a short id
claude agents                           # list background sessions
claude logs <id>                        # read recent output
claude stop <id>                        # stop it, keep the conversation

Commands

Source: the text of claude <command> --help in 2.1.304.

Command	Status	What it does
claude agents	Documented	Opens the agent view to watch and start background sessions, and --json prints the active sessions.
claude attach <id|name>	Documented	Opens a background session.
claude logs <id|name>	Documented	Prints the recent output of a background session.
claude stop <id> (alias kill)	Documented	Stops a background session and keeps the conversation.
claude respawn <id> or --all	Documented	Restarts a background session on the current binary.
claude rm <id>	Documented	Deletes a background session and its worktree when that is safe.
claude daemon [run|status|logs|stop|uninstall]	Documented	Controls the supervisor of background sessions, which the root help does not list.
claude auth login|logout|status	Documented	Signs you in and out, and status exits with 1 when you are not signed in.
claude setup-token	Documented	Makes a long-lived token, and it needs a subscription.
claude auto-mode config|critique|defaults|reset	Documented	Shows or resets the rules of the auto mode classifier.
claude doctor	Documented	Checks your setup and changes nothing.
claude gateway --config <yaml>	Documented	Runs the enterprise gateway.
claude import [codex|gemini|cursor]	Documented	Imports the config of another agent, with --dry-run and --yes.
claude install [stable|latest|version]	Documented	Installs the native build, with --force.
claude update (alias upgrade)	Documented	Updates Claude Code. Package-manager installs update through the package manager.
claude mcp ...	Documented	Manages MCP servers (see MCP).
claude plugin ... (alias plugins)	Documented	Manages plugins (see Plugins).
claude plugin test [dir]	Documented	Runs the tests of a mod.
⚠️ claude purge [path]	Documented	Deletes the state of a project, with --all, --dry-run, -i, and -y.
claude remote-control (alias rc)	Documented	Lets you control local sessions from claude.ai or the mobile app.
claude ultrareview [target]	Documented	Starts a cloud review with many agents, with --json, --post, and --timeout.
claude self-hosted-runner	Documented	Runs cloud sessions on your machine, and the root help does not list it.
claude sandbox	Undocumented	A hidden command, and the docs have no help for it.
claude edit-hook, edit-permission-rules, edit-memory-settings, edit-skill-overrides, edit-sandbox-settings, edit-chrome-settings, drop-worktree-registrations, design-login	Undocumented	Hidden commands that read one JSON edit from stdin with --json, and their text says they serve the VS Code extension.
claude import-conversations <exportPath>	Undocumented	A hidden command that archives an export, with --cwd and --dry-run.

Hidden Commands

The edit-* commands, drop-worktree-registrations, and design-login read one JSON edit from stdin. Their own text says they serve the VS Code extension. Do not build scripts on them.

Related Pages

• CLI Overview
• All Flags
• Auto Mode covers the claude auto-mode commands in depth.