Claude Code Output Styles

10 days ago

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Output styles allow Claude Code to be used as any type of agent while retaining core capabilities like running scripts and file operations.
Built-in styles include Default (software engineering), Explanatory (educational insights), and Learning (collaborative coding with human contributions).
Output styles modify Claude Code's system prompt, excluding default code-generation instructions and adding custom ones.
Users can switch styles via `/output-style` menu or direct command, with changes saved at the project level.
Custom output styles can be created with `/output-style:new` and are saved as markdown files for user or project-level use.
Output styles differ from related features like CLAUDE.md and `--append-system-prompt` by completely altering the default system prompt.
Unlike agents or custom slash commands, output styles directly modify the main agent loop's system prompt without additional settings or task-specific contexts.

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