Krakem

Claude Code output styles

Shape every reply.
Set the tone once.

An output style tells Claude Code how to answer for a whole session: length, tone, and format. It changes Claude’s instructions, not what Claude knows about your project.

Concise
Leads with the result and leaves out preamble, narration, and recaps. Errors, warnings, and anything you ask to expand stay in full.
Explanatory
Adds short Insight notes on why Claude made each choice.
Learning
Explains its choices and leaves small pieces of code for you to write.
Proactive
Starts work at once and makes reasonable assumptions instead of asking routine questions.

All four keep Claude Code’s standard coding instructions. Default means no style.

  1. Switch

    In the terminal, run /output-style concise. Run it without a name to list the styles. Or run /config and choose Output style. The command needs Claude Code v2.1.269 or later.

  2. Desktop app

    Add "outputStyle": "Concise" to .claude/settings.local.json, or to ~/.claude/settings.json for all projects. The name is case-sensitive there.

  3. Use it

    The style applies from your next message. Choose default to go back.

Make your own

Save a Markdown file in ~/.claude/output-styles/ for all your projects, or in .claude/output-styles/ for one project. The file name becomes the style name. You can ask Claude Code to write the file; review it before you use it. Restart Claude Code after you create or edit a style.

Example: a plain-language style
plain-language.md
---
description: Short answers in everyday words, with technical terms explained
keep-coding-instructions: true
---

Write for a smart reader who is not a specialist.

- Lead with the answer in one or two sentences.
- Use everyday words. Define a technical term the first time you use it.
- Keep sentences short. Use one term for each thing.
- Use numbered steps when I need to do something.
- Keep code, commands, file names, numbers, and warnings exact.
- Give more detail when I ask for it.

Save it as ~/.claude/output-styles/plain-language.md, restart Claude Code, then run /output-style plain-language. Keep keep-coding-instructions: true if Claude still writes code for you. Without it, a custom style leaves out Claude Code’s built-in software engineering instructions on the full system prompt. The shorter system prompt does not include them, so there the setting has no effect.

CLAUDE.md or an output style?

CLAUDE.md
How Claude should work on your code: scope, simplicity, tests, and honest reporting. It stays loaded whichever style you pick, and a project file can be shared with your team.
Output style
How every reply reads: length, tone, format, or a different role, such as a writing assistant. You switch it with one command.

Use them together. Keep CLAUDE.md for working rules. If answers are too long, try the built-in Concise style before writing your own. Both are instructions Claude follows, not guarantees. Output style docs ↗