[DOCS] Interactive mode docs omit interrupted-prompt Up-arrow history behavior

Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode

Section/Topic

"General controls" and "Command history"

Current Documentation

The docs currently say:

Ctrl+C | Cancel current input or generation | Standard interrupt Esc | Interrupt Claude | Stop the current response or tool call mid-turn so you can redirect. Claude keeps the work done so far

And later:

Claude Code maintains command history for the current session: Input history is stored per working directory Input history resets when you run /clear to start a new session. The previous session's conversation is preserved and can be resumed. * Use Up/Down arrows to navigate (see keyboard shortcuts above)

What's Wrong or Missing?

The interactive reference does not say what happens when a user presses Ctrl+C or Esc before Claude has produced any response.

In v2.1.141, Claude Code fixed interrupted prompts being dropped from Up-arrow history before any response. That behavior is important for recoverability, but the main interactive docs still describe Ctrl+C/Esc only as interrupt keys and describe Up-arrow history only in general terms.

As a result, users have to infer from changelog notes whether an interrupted prompt is discarded, restored for editing, or kept in prompt history for later recall.

Suggested Improvement

Add one explicit note to interactive-mode near the interrupt shortcuts or the command-history section, for example:

If you press Ctrl+C or Esc before Claude has returned any response text, Claude Code preserves that prompt instead of dropping it. The input is restored so you can edit and resubmit it, and you can recall it later with Up-arrow history.

If there are exceptions, document them there too (for example, sessions started with CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_PROMPT_HISTORY=1).

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

| Page | Line(s) | Context |
|------|---------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/interactive-mode | 27-39, 213-218 | Defines Ctrl+C / Esc behavior and command-history navigation, but not interrupted-prompt preservation |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/quickstart | 309-313 | Mentions ↑ for command history without clarifying that interrupted prompts are recoverable |
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-directory | 1515-1518 | Describes history.jsonl as the backing file for Up-arrow recall, but not that pre-response interrupts are retained |

Total scope: 3 pages affected

Exact changelog entry (v2.1.141):

Fixed prompts cancelled with Ctrl+C/Esc before any response being dropped from Up-arrow history

Related cross-reference:

| Page | Context |
|------|---------|
| https://code.claude.com/docs/en/whats-new/2026-w13 | Weekly digest already says "Interrupting before any response restores your input automatically," so the durable reference gap is in the main interactive/history docs |