Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.praison.ai/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Overview
Claude Code CLI is Anthropic’s AI-powered coding assistant that can read files, run commands, search the web, edit code, and more. PraisonAI integrates with Claude CLI to use it as an external agent.
Installation
# Install Claude Code CLI
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
# Or using npm
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Authentication
Set your Anthropic API key:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your-api-key
Basic Usage with PraisonAI
--external-agent claude invokes Claude CLI via a manager Agent by default. The manager reasons and calls Claude as a subagent tool. Use --external-agent-direct for pass-through proxy behavior.
# Manager delegation (default — manager reasons + calls claude as subagent tool)
praisonai "Fix the bug in auth.py" --external-agent claude
# Direct proxy (escape hatch — no manager, passes prompt straight to claude)
praisonai "Fix the bug in auth.py" --external-agent claude --external-agent-direct
# With verbose output
praisonai "Refactor this module" --external-agent claude --verbose
CLI Options Reference
Print Mode (Non-Interactive)
| Option | Description |
|---|
-p, --print | Print response and exit (useful for pipes/scripts) |
--output-format <format> | Output format: text (default), json, or stream-json |
--include-partial-messages | Include partial message chunks (with stream-json) |
--input-format <format> | Input format: text (default) or stream-json |
Model Selection
| Option | Description |
|---|
--model <model> | Model alias (sonnet, opus) or full name (claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929) |
--fallback-model <model> | Fallback model when default is overloaded |
System Prompts
| Option | Description |
|---|
--system-prompt <prompt> | Custom system prompt for the session |
--append-system-prompt <prompt> | Append to default system prompt (recommended) |
| Option | Description |
|---|
--allowedTools <tools> | Comma-separated list of allowed tools (e.g., Bash,Edit,Read) |
--disallowedTools <tools> | Comma-separated list of denied tools |
--tools <tools> | Specify available tools: "" (none), default (all), or specific names |
Permission Modes
| Option | Description |
|---|
--permission-mode <mode> | Permission mode for the session |
--dangerously-skip-permissions | Bypass all permission checks (use with caution) |
default - Standard permission behavioracceptEdits - Auto-accept file editsbypassPermissions - Bypass all permission checksplan - Planning mode (no execution)delegate - Delegate decisionsdontAsk - Don’t ask for permissions
Session Management
| Option | Description |
|---|
-c, --continue | Continue the most recent conversation |
-r, --resume [value] | Resume by session ID or open picker |
--fork-session | Create new session ID when resuming |
--no-session-persistence | Disable session persistence |
--session-id <uuid> | Use specific session ID |
Budget & Limits
| Option | Description |
|---|
--max-budget-usd <amount> | Maximum dollar amount for API calls |
MCP Integration
| Option | Description |
|---|
--mcp-config <configs> | Load MCP servers from JSON files |
--strict-mcp-config | Only use MCP servers from --mcp-config |
Additional Options
| Option | Description |
|---|
--add-dir <directories> | Additional directories for tool access |
--verbose | Override verbose mode setting |
--debug | Enable debug mode |
--json-schema <schema> | JSON Schema for structured output validation |
--agents <json> | JSON object defining custom agents |
--settings <file-or-json> | Path to settings JSON file |
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|
claude mcp | Configure and manage MCP servers |
claude plugin | Manage Claude Code plugins |
claude setup-token | Set up authentication token |
claude doctor | Check auto-updater health |
claude update | Check for and install updates |
claude install [target] | Install native build |
Examples
Basic Query
# Simple question
praisonai "What files are in this directory?" --external-agent claude
# Code analysis
praisonai "Analyze the code quality of src/" --external-agent claude
# Allow only read operations
claude -p --allowedTools "Read,Glob,Grep" "Find all TODO comments"
# Deny bash access
claude -p --disallowedTools "Bash" "Review this code"
With Custom System Prompt
claude -p --append-system-prompt "You are a Python expert" "Optimize this function"
JSON Output
claude -p --output-format json "List all functions in main.py"
Continue Session
# Start a session
claude "Create a new feature"
# Continue the session
claude -c "Now add tests for it"
Python Integration
from praisonai.integrations import ClaudeCodeIntegration
# Create integration
claude = ClaudeCodeIntegration(
workspace="/path/to/project",
output_format="json",
model="sonnet"
)
# Execute a task
result = await claude.execute("Refactor the auth module")
print(result)
# Stream output
async for event in claude.stream("Add error handling"):
print(event)
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | Anthropic API key |
CLAUDE_API_KEY | Alternative API key variable |
| Tool | Description |
|---|
Read | Read any file in the working directory |
Write | Create new files |
Edit | Make precise edits to existing files |
Bash | Run terminal commands, scripts, git operations |
Glob | Find files by pattern |
Grep | Search file contents with regex |
WebSearch | Search the web for information |
WebFetch | Fetch and parse web page content |
