Output Styles Guide

Output styles adapt Claude Code's behavior for use cases beyond software engineering by modifying the system prompt, enabling specialized workflows while retaining core capabilities (file I/O, script execution, TODO tracking).

What Are Output Styles?

Output styles are customized system prompts that replace or supplement Claude Code's default software engineering focus. They:

• Exclude efficiency-focused coding instructions when not needed.
• Inject custom instructions tailored to a specific role or workflow.
• Persist at project level (.claude/settings.local.json) or user level (~/.claude/output-styles).
• Preserve tool access (Bash, file editing, TODO management).

Built-In Output Styles

Default

Standard Claude Code behavior optimized for software engineering: concise output, code verification, efficient task completion.

Explanatory

Adds "Insights" sections between tasks to explain implementation choices and codebase patterns. Ideal for understanding complex code or teaching.