CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EDIT_REMOVAL_CAP

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EDIT_REMOVAL_CAP is a Claude Code environment variable: Caps how much a single autonomous edit can remove before it's held for a human. A direct answer to the runaway-refactor failure where an agent "simplifies" by deleting large blocks. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

How to set it

For one session, export it in the shell that starts Claude Code:

export CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EDIT_REMOVAL_CAP=<value>
claude

To apply it to every session, add it to the env object of a settings file:

// ~/.claude/settings.json
{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EDIT_REMOVAL_CAP": "<value>"
  }
}

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code v2.1.209 — Auto Mode Grows Up
• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models

Related variables

• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EDIT_REMOVAL: Governs whether Auto mode may delete content as part of an edit.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_CLASSIFY_EDITS: Turns the classification pass on: every edit runs through the classifier before it touches disk.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_EXTERNAL_PERMISSIONS: Hands permission decisions to an external policy engine instead of the built-in prompt.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_GIT_STATUS: Feeds the working tree's git status into the classifier's context.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_GIT_STATUS_LIMIT: Bounds how much of that status is included, so the classifier prompt doesn't balloon in large or messy repos.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_GIT_STATUS_UPLOADS: Controls whether git-status context is uploaded to the classification service.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_OUTCOME_CODES: Structured outcome codes for the classifier's verdicts instead of free text.
• CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_REPO_VISIBILITY: Lets behavior depend on whether the repo is public or private.

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.