Feature Request: Add defaultSessionColor setting to auto-apply color on startup

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Apr 19, 2026 by Jaganath-MSJ Closed Apr 23, 2026

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

When starting Claude Code sessions, I need to manually run /color green each time to apply my preferred session color. This is a repetitive friction point in my workflow. There's no way to set a persistent default session color across all sessions, so I have to remember to run the command at the start of every session or accept the default color. This is especially frustrating in projects where I use session color as a visual indicator (e.g., green for production work, red for experimental work).

Proposed Solution

Add a defaultSessionColor setting to Claude Code's configuration files (.claude/settings.json, .claude/settings.local.json, or ~/.claude/settings.json) that automatically applies a color when a session starts.

Example:
{
"defaultSessionColor": "green"
}

The session color would apply automatically without requiring a manual /color command. The user should still be able to override it with /color during the session if needed.

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

Medium - Would be very helpful

Feature Category

Configuration and settings

Use Case Example

I'm working on the calendar-simple library project. I want all my sessions in this project to start with a green color to visually distinguish them from other projects (which might use different colors).

Current workflow:

  1. Start Claude Code session
  2. Type /color green manually
  3. Begin work

Desired workflow:

  1. Start Claude Code session (automatically green)
  2. Begin work

This saves a small repetitive step and reduces mental overhead, especially useful when switching between multiple projects with different color schemes.

Additional Context

  • The /color command already exists and works perfectly; this would simply automate it on session start
  • Similar to how other settings like model, theme, and language have defaults that apply automatically
  • This aligns with Claude Code's philosophy of reducing friction through configuration
  • Could support: "defaultSessionColor": "green" or potentially null/undefined to disable auto-coloring

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