[DOCS] CLI flag `--replay-user-messages` required for file checkpointing but not in CLI reference
Documentation Type
Missing documentation (feature not documented)
Documentation Location
https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/file-checkpointing
Section/Topic
The file checkpointing guide references replay-user-messages as a required flag, but the CLI Reference page does not document this flag.
Current Documentation
The file checkpointing guide states (multiple times):
extra_args={"replay-user-messages": None} # Required to receive checkpoint UUIDs
And in the options table:
| Receive checkpoint UUIDs |extra_args={"replay-user-messages": None}|extraArgs: { 'replay-user-messages': null }| Required to get user message UUIDs in the stream |
What's Wrong or Missing?
The --replay-user-messages flag is documented as required for file checkpointing functionality, but:
- It does not appear in the CLI Reference (https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference)
- Users must pass an undocumented flag through
extra_argsto use a documented feature - There's no explanation of what this flag does or why it's needed
This creates a confusing situation where users must use an undocumented internal flag to implement a documented SDK feature.
Suggested Improvement
Option A: Document the flag (minimum fix)
Add --replay-user-messages to the CLI Reference with description:
Include user messages with UUIDs in the response stream. Required for file checkpointing to identify rewind points.
Option B: Improve SDK abstraction (preferred)
Modify enable_file_checkpointing=True to automatically set replay-user-messages internally, so users don't need to pass undocumented flags:
# Current (confusing)
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
enable_file_checkpointing=True,
extra_args={"replay-user-messages": None} # Why is this needed?
)
# Improved (clear)
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
enable_file_checkpointing=True # Handles everything
)
Impact
Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand
Additional Context
Affected Pages:
| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/file-checkpointing | 61, 102, 189, 197, 210, 221, 322, 356, 411, 461, 582, 638, 764, 766 | 13+ occurrences requiring this undocumented flag |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/cli-reference | N/A | Flag is NOT documented here |
Total scope: 1 page uses undocumented flag; 1 page missing documentation
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