›_ Claude Code Issues
Claude Code Issues / Fix

Diagnostic entry point · 40 error strings indexed

Claude Code isn't working. Start here.

Most Claude Code failures are environmental, not model bugs — and the fastest route to the cause is not a new tool. It is running the checks that already ship, then matching the exact string your terminal printed against what 12,045 other reports say about it.

40 error strings · 12,045 reports indexed · 2,443 workaround leads · data through August 30, 2026

Four steps, in this order

Ordered by how much each step rules out. Step 1 separates service failures from account limits and malformed requests before any local configuration is changed.

  1. Classify the API response before touching your config

    A 500 or 529 is service-scoped: check service status and wait before changing local files. A 429 is account-scoped: stop parallel retries and check usage, plan limits and shared credentials. A 400 is api-scoped: inspect the malformed request instead of waiting for an outage to clear.

    Check current issue-report activity →
  2. Run the built-in checker

    Claude Code ships its own diagnostic: /doctor in session (/checkup since v2.1.205), or claude doctor from the terminal when a session will not start. It validates installation health, settings files and hook schemas.

  3. Look up your exact error string

    Copy the error line verbatim and find it among 40 indexed strings. Each page shows how many people report it, whether it is growing or converging, which builds are affected, and the workarounds posted in the threads.

    Browse errors by exact message →
  4. Narrow by platform when the error is environment-specific

    Path, permission and MCP failures often depend on the OS and install method. 95 platform-by-area pages separate a Windows-only fault from a universal one.

    Browse platform-specific reports →

The checks that already ship

Claude Code has a built-in diagnostic. Run these before installing anything — they cost nothing and cover the common faults. Each row also states what the command does not tell you, because a clean report is routinely mistaken for proof that configuration is fine.

Command coverage per Anthropic's troubleshooting documentation. Commands and aliases change between releases — /help in your build is authoritative.

Find your error, then read its scope

Paste your error line into search, or pick the scope it belongs to below. The scope is the most useful thing to learn first: it tells you whether to wait, re-authenticate, check your network, or edit local configuration.

No clean error line? Start from the surface

Silent failures — a hook that never fires, an MCP server that never appears — often print nothing. These are the areas where configuration problems actually surface, ranked by how many reports are still open.

  1. Authentication & login failures

    10,428 reports 2,377 open

  2. MCP server connection issues

    9,294 reports 1,465 open

  3. Hooks & automation

    8,328 reports 1,288 open

  4. Installation & update problems

    4,121 reports 583 open

  5. Permission denied errors

    2,494 reports 481 open

  6. Network & proxy errors

    1,923 reports 446 open

When the built-in checker says you're fine

138 issues in this tracker name /doctor, /checkup or claude doctor in their title — 6 still open. False positives on valid config, misreported install paths and checks that hang are all documented. A clean report narrows the search; it does not end it.

Ranked by community engagement, from the 34 reports with a full page here.

Common questions

Is there a one-command fix for Claude Code?
Yes, and it ships with Claude Code: run /doctor in session (aliased /checkup since v2.1.205) or claude doctor from the terminal when a session will not start. It validates installation health, settings files, hook schemas and unused extensions. What it does not do is resolve which settings scope won, flag a value overridden by an environment variable, or trace why a registered hook fails to fire — those still need the manual steps on this page.
What should I do when /doctor reports everything is fine but Claude Code is still broken?
Move to the error string. Copy the exact line your terminal printed and look it up among 40 indexed strings covering 12,045 reports. The triage scope on each page tells you whether the cause is the service, your account, the network, an integration or your machine — which decides whether local edits can help at all.
Does /doctor ever get it wrong?
It can. 138 issues in this tracker name /doctor, /checkup or claude doctor in their title, 6 of them still open — including false positives on valid MCP config, misreported install paths and keychain misdiagnosis. Treat a clean report as one data point, not proof.
Do you upload my configuration anywhere?
No. This page is static HTML with no analytics and no telemetry. There is nothing to install and nothing runs against your machine — the checks listed here are Anthropic's own commands, executed locally by you.
Is this an official Anthropic troubleshooting page?
No. This is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. The built-in command descriptions come from Anthropic's published documentation; everything else is derived from the public anthropics/claude-code issue tracker.