[FEATURE] Pin prompt/composer box to bottom of terminal pane (CLI TUI)
Preflight
- [x] Searched existing issues; no exact match for pinning the input/composer region to the terminal bottom
- [x] Single feature request
Problem Statement
In long Claude Code CLI sessions, the conversation transcript and tool output dominate the terminal. When I scroll up to read earlier messages, command output, or diffs, the prompt/composer input area is not anchored to the bottom of the viewport. I have to scroll back down to see what I’m typing or to access controls (model, permissions, queue, etc.).
This hurts everyday workflows:
- Reviewing prior context while composing the next message
- Debugging with lots of bash/tool output above the input
- Using split or short terminal panes where vertical space is scarce
Related pain exists around scroll behavior (#25042, #826) but this request is specifically about layout: a fixed bottom input region with scrollable history above.
Proposed Solution
Add a TUI layout mode (preferably default-on) that pins the composer/prompt box to the bottom of the terminal pane:
- Fixed bottom band for the input UI (multiline prompt, shortcuts, mode indicators).
- Scrollable transcript region above for messages, tool use, and stderr/stdout — only this area scrolls.
- No occlusion: pinned chrome must not cover the last lines of transcript; use a visible separator and/or reserve explicit row count.
- Configuration (example):
{
"tui": {
"pinComposerToBottom": true,
"composerMinRows": 3
}
}
Optional: pin a slim status/footer row directly above the composer (cwd, model, context %, cost).
Alternative Solutions
- Manually resizing the terminal and relying on auto-scroll — does not keep input visible when reading history.
- Running Claude Code in a separate tmux pane for input only — awkward, loses integrated approvals and UI hints.
- Desktop app chat pane — not available when using headless/SSH/remote dev on CLI only.
Priority
High — meaningful daily productivity impact for terminal-first users.
Environment
- OS: macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Interface: Claude Code CLI / TUI
Additional context
Parity with IDE-style agent UIs (e.g. Cursor composer) where the prompt stays fixed at the bottom while content scrolls above. Willing to help validate UX or provide recordings.
This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗