anthropics / anthropics/claude-code

Expose current auth method (subscription vs API key) in status line payload

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area:auth area:statusline enhancement
Dominant language
TypeScript
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Forks
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Description

Feature request

Currently the status line JSON payload (session_id, cwd, model, workspace, version, cost, context_window, output_style, exceeds_200k_tokens) has no field indicating whether the active session is authenticated via a Pro/Max subscription login or via ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (pay-as-you-go).

Why this matters

Per the documented auth precedence, ANTHROPIC_API_KEY silently overrides an active subscription login when both are present. Today the only way to check which credential is actually in use is running /status manually. For users who deliberately set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY temporarily (e.g., prefixing a single command to burn through a subscription usage spike via pay-as-you-go), there's no persistent, glanceable indicator of which billing mode is active — making it easy to lose track and unintentionally rack up API charges in a later session, or conversely think you're on API billing when you're actually still on the subscription.

Request

Add a field to the statusLine payload (e.g., auth_mode: "subscription" | "api_key", or similar) so a custom status line script can display it, the same way cost and model are already surfaced.

Related: #24679 (requesting account/email in the payload) was closed as a duplicate — this request is specifically about auth method, not account identity, so filing separately.

Contributor guide

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First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing how the statusLine JSON payload is assembled and how /status determines the active authentication method. Add a field distinguishing subscription login from ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, then verify that custom status line scripts receive the value alongside fields such as cost and model.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
authentication, cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
67/100

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