Interactive Mode

Interactive mode is the default claude REPL: a persistent terminal session that keeps conversation history, tool state, and context window alive across many turns.

Why it matters

Most real work is iterative — you read a diff, refine the ask, approve a Bash call, course-correct. A one-shot call (one-shot-print-mode-p) throws all of that away each invocation. Interactive mode keeps the same context window and permission grants warm, so the agent remembers what it just edited and you amortise the cost of loading the codebase into context across a whole task instead of paying it per prompt.

How it works

Running claude with no -p opens the REPL bound to your launch directory. Inside it:

• Plain text is a prompt; a line starting with / is a slash command (see built-in-slash-commands); @ triggers file path completion to attach files.
• Submit with Enter; insert a literal newline with \ + Enter or Option/Alt+Enter. Esc interrupts the agent mid-turn without killing the session.
• Each Bash/Edit tool call pauses for approval unless pre-granted via permission-modes; Shift+Tab cycles permission modes (e.g. into plan-mode or accept-edits).
• A live status line shows the model, token/context usage, and cost; /cost and /context print details.

Action	Key / command
Interrupt current turn	Esc
Cancel / clear input line	Ctrl+C (twice to quit)
Edit prior message	Esc twice, then arrows
Cycle permission mode	Shift+Tab
Reset context	/clear (see managing-context-clear-compact)

Example

cd ~/code/api && claude          # REPL opens, scoped to ./api
> find where rate limiting is enforced
  …Claude greps, Reads middleware/ratelimit.go, summarises…
> now add a 429 test for it
  …proposes Edit, asks to run `go test ./...` — you approve…
> Esc                            # you change your mind mid-run
> actually use table-driven tests

The second and third prompts reuse the context loaded by the first — no re-grepping the repo.

Pitfalls

• Context creep. Long sessions silently fill the window; watch /context and use /compact or /clear before it auto-compacts at an awkward point.
• Ctrl+C muscle memory. One Ctrl+C clears the input line, not the agent — use Esc to actually stop a running turn.
• Forgetting the cwd boundary. The REPL only reaches its launch subtree; --add-dir is required to touch sibling repos.
• Treating it like chat. It executes tools on your real shell — review each approval; don’t blind-approve in a loop.

See also

• one-shot-print-mode-p
• keyboard-shortcuts-vim-mode
• managing-context-clear-compact