Claude Code Headless Mode

Use this skill when the job should be executed through Claude Code itself, not solved inline. Focus on commands and workflows that match current stable Claude Code behavior.

Requirements

• Install and authenticate the Claude Code CLI (claude) on the target machine.
• Treat the installed CLI's claude --help output as the compatibility source of truth.

Core Rules

• Treat claude --help on the target machine as the compatibility floor. CLI flags move faster than blog posts and copied examples.
• Permission rule syntax varies by build. Anthropic docs often show forms like Bash(git diff *), while the installed claude 2.1.71 help on this machine still shows Bash(git:*). Mirror the syntax shown by the target machine's claude --help.
• Default to the model the user already configured through /model, settings, or ANTHROPIC_MODEL.
• Do not add --model unless the user explicitly asked for a model override or the workflow must pin a model for reproducibility.
• Prefer --append-system-prompt over --system-prompt unless replacing the default Claude Code behavior is intentional.
• Default to safe automation. If the user wants a truly unattended run, use explicit permission rules or dontAsk; reserve bypassPermissions for isolated environments.

Quick Verification