[FEATURE] Setting to keep the custom status line visible at all times (during AskUserQuestion, bash `!` input, permission prompts, autocomplete)

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

Problem

The custom statusLine is hidden during several transient UI states: the ! bash-input
mode, the AskUserQuestion picker, autocomplete suggestions, the help menu, and permission
prompts. The docs describe this as intentional ("It temporarily hides during certain UI
interactions, including autocomplete suggestions, the help menu, and permission prompts").
There is currently no opt-out.

For those of us who put persistent context in the status line, losing it during an
interaction removes that context exactly when it is most useful. Two concrete cases:

1. Re-attaching to a session. I run many concurrent Claude instances and frequently attach

to one without remembering which agent it is or what it is doing. My status line carries
the identifying information that tells me at a glance. If I attach mid-interaction (a
pending AskUserQuestion, a permission prompt), the one piece of UI that would orient me is
the piece that is hidden.

1. Writing a ! command. My status line shows the current working directory and git state,

which is often exactly what I am reasoning about while composing a shell command. I
sometimes want to read or even copy/paste portions of it into the command. Hiding it the
moment I enter ! input mode removes that reference right when I need it.

Environment

• Claude Code CLI (terminal)

Proposed Solution

Add a statusLine setting to keep the status line rendered across all UI states, rather than
hiding it during these interactions. For example:

"statusLine": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh",
    "alwaysVisible": true
}

Alternative Solutions

Currently relying on a custom agent view in my agent orchestrator to infer some of the information from my status line, or exiting AskUserQuestion, bash ! input, etc. modes to see the status line again.

Priority

Low - Nice to have

Feature Category

Interactive mode (TUI)

Use Case Example

1. I want to run git push after an agent has made changes to some local tooling, but I'm not sure if I am in the repo directory or my agent root. My status line would tell me.
2. An agent is asking me a question that depends on git state, I want to be able to quickly see whether we have uncommitted changes or are ahead of main. My status line would tell me.
3. I want to run a command for my agent orchestration layer that depends on the name of the current agent. My status line would tell me.

Additional Context

Closely related to, but different scope/purpose than

• https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/21349.

Similar to previously closed issues (due to inactivity/duplication):

• https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/20484
• https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues/34996