[FEATURE] quick account switching between multiple Claude accounts
Preflight Checklist
- [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
- [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)
Problem Statement
Many developers working as freelancers or contractors maintain two separate Claude accounts: a personal subscription (Pro/Max) for their own projects, and a Team/Enterprise account provided
by their client organization.
Currently, switching between accounts requires running /logout and re-authenticating each time, which is cumbersome and breaks the workflow when context-switching between personal and
professional work throughout the day.
Proposed Solution
A named account profile system, similar to what AWS CLI (aws configure --profile) or GitHub CLI (gh auth switch) offer:
- claude auth add <profile-name> — save a second account under a named profile
- claude auth switch <profile-name> — instantly switch the active account
- claude auth list — list all saved profiles and highlight the active one
This would store multiple credential sets locally (as already done in ~/.claude/.credentials.json) and simply switch the active one, with no re-authentication required.
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
High - Significant impact on productivity
Feature Category
CLI commands and flags
Use Case Example
Impact:
This affects a large segment of Claude Code's power users — freelance developers, contractors, and consultants who regularly work across multiple organizational contexts in a single day.
- 9:00 AM — Personal work: Serge opens his terminal to work on a side project. He runs claude auth switch personal and Claude Code is now authenticated with his personal Pro account. He
gets assistance on his own codebase.
- 10:30 AM — Client work begins: Serge switches to a mission for his client Acme Corp, who provides a Team account. He runs claude auth switch acme-corp — no browser, no login prompt,
instant switch. Claude Code is now authenticated under the Acme Corp Team account, with the correct billing and permissions.
- 12:00 PM — Back to personal: During lunch break, Serge resumes his side project. One command: claude auth switch personal. Done.
- 3:00 PM — Second client: Serge has a second client, Beta Inc., also with a Team account. He runs claude auth switch beta-inc and seamlessly continues work under that organization's
account.
▎ Without this feature, each of these switches requires /logout + browser authentication + waiting — at least 2 minutes lost each time, and up to 8+ interruptions per day.
Additional Context
_No response_
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