Feature Request: Output Verbosity Controls for Tool Results and Diffs

Feature Request: Output Verbosity Controls for Tool Results and Diffs

Summary

Add CLI options to control the verbosity of tool output displays, particularly Edit diffs and file read results. Many workflows would benefit from quieter output modes.

Problem

Claude Code displays full tool outputs by default:

1. Edit diffs - Shows every removed line (red) and added line (green)
2. File reads - Shows file content with line numbers
3. Bash outputs - Shows full command results
4. Search results - Shows all matches with context

While useful for review/learning, this becomes noise in trusted workflows:

| Scenario | Current Behavior | Impact |
|----------|------------------|--------|
| Large refactor (200+ lines) | Wall of red/green diff | User scrolls past, misses important info |
| Routine file updates | Full diff every time | Slows down rapid iteration |
| Reading config files | Shows entire file | Buries the actual response |
| Trusted "just do it" mode | Same verbosity as review mode | Unnecessary friction |

The human operator often doesn't need to see the diff - they asked for the change, they trust the AI, and they can git diff later if needed.

Proposed Solution

Option 1: Global verbosity flag

claude --verbosity quiet    # Minimal output
claude --verbosity normal   # Current behavior (default)
claude --verbosity verbose  # Extra detail (debugging)

Option 2: Per-tool-type controls

claude --diff=summary       # "Edited file.md (+15/-8 lines)"
claude --diff=none          # "Edited file.md"
claude --read-output=truncate:20  # Show first 20 lines only

Option 3: Session toggle command

/quiet          # Suppress tool outputs for this session
/verbose        # Restore full output
/diff off       # Suppress diffs specifically

Option 4: Settings file

// .claude/settings.json
{
  "output": {
    "showDiffs": "summary",      // "full" | "summary" | "none"
    "showFileReads": "truncate", // "full" | "truncate" | "none"
    "maxOutputLines": 50
  }
}

Suggested Verbosity Levels

| Level | Edit Diffs | File Reads | Bash Output |
|-------|------------|------------|-------------|
| quiet | "Edited file.md" | "Read file.md (150 lines)" | Exit code only |
| summary | "+15/-8 lines in file.md" | First 10 lines + "..." | First 20 lines |
| normal | Full diff (current) | Full content (current) | Full output (current) |

Use Cases

Trusted rapid iteration:

"Update all the session files, commit, and push" User doesn't need to see 500 lines of diffs across 5 files - just confirmation it's done.

Large refactors:

"Refactor this module to use the new API" 200-line diff scrolls the important context off screen. A summary would suffice.

Context management workflows (CxMS):

Session files, task files, and logs are updated routinely. Full diffs add no value.

Context

We've implemented "Communication Efficiency" directives in CxMS to reduce AI-generated verbosity (E8). This successfully reduces unnecessary preamble, over-confirmation, and verbose status messages.

However, tool output verbosity is controlled by the CLI, not the AI. Users cannot currently opt out of seeing full diffs and file contents, even when they trust the AI and want faster iteration.

Alternatives Considered

• CLAUDE.md directives: Tried "suppress showing code in output" - only affects AI's chosen text, not tool result displays
• Piping to /dev/null: Loses all output including errors
• Post-hoc review with git: Works but doesn't solve the scroll/noise problem during session

Additional Context

• Windows 11 + PowerShell terminal
• Heavy user of Edit tool (dozens of edits per session)
• Workflow is "trusted mode" - AI has pre-approved operations, minimal review needed
• Related to overall developer experience and session flow

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Would love to hear if others want this or if there are existing workarounds I've missed.