Feature request: expose skill invocations in the statusline API
Problem
The statusline (HUD) currently tracks low-level tool calls (Edit, Read, Grep, Bash, etc.) via display.showTools. This is useful for seeing what Claude is doing mechanically, but it doesn't surface the higher-level intent: which skills (slash commands) were invoked during a session.
For users with many custom skills configured, knowing "which skills were used" is far more informative than "which tools were called." A skill like /investigate-report or /manage-pr conveys intent and workflow stage at a glance, while a stream of Edit/Read/Grep calls does not.
Proposed solution
Add a new data dimension to the statusline API that tracks skill invocations, so statusline plugins (e.g. claude-hud) can display them. Something like:
- A
display.showSkillsconfig option (parallel todisplay.showTools) - The statusline receives skill name and status (running/completed) alongside tool activity
- Example display:
⚡ investigate-report | ✓ manage-pr
This could coexist with or replace the tool activity line depending on user preference.
Alternatives considered
- Relying on tool activity alone: works for debugging but loses the "what workflow am I in" signal.
- Custom line workaround: users could manually set
display.customLinebut this is static and doesn't update automatically.
Additional context
Skills are a first-class concept in Claude Code with a dedicated invocation mechanism (/skill-name). Surfacing them in the statusline would make the HUD more useful for users who build skill-driven workflows.
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