[Feature Request] Setting to auto-expand tool output (default verbose mode)

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Feb 14, 2026 by mrbonezy Closed Feb 15, 2026

Problem

When running Bash commands that produce multiline output, Claude Code collapses the output with a "+N lines (ctrl+o to expand)" message. While this is useful for verbose commands, it creates friction for commands where the output is the primary deliverable.

Example use case: A custom skill that shows PR status in a formatted table. The script outputs ~10 lines with colors (using tput), but users see:

Bash(~/.claude/skills/pr-status/status.sh PROJ-1234)
  # PROJ-1234 PR Stack (Live Status)
  PR                     | Title
  ... +9 lines (ctrl+o to expand)

The user must press Ctrl+O every time to see the full output, which defeats the purpose of a quick status check.

Requested Feature

Add a setting to configure default verbose/expanded output behavior. For example:

{
  "defaultVerboseOutput": true
}

Or more granular control:

{
  "toolOutputDisplayLines": 50
}

This would set the threshold before collapsing, allowing users who prefer seeing full output to configure it once rather than pressing Ctrl+O every session.

Current Workaround

Press Ctrl+O at the start of each session to toggle verbose mode. This is session-specific and resets when starting a new Claude Code session.

Additional Context

  • The collapsed view is great for commands with hundreds of lines of output
  • But for intentionally short, formatted output (status displays, tables, summaries), collapsing creates unnecessary friction
  • A configurable threshold would let users choose their preferred behavior

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