CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD is a Claude Code environment variable: Brief mode specifically for upload operations. Likely suppresses progress details when uploading files or context to the session. Added between v2.1.70 and v2.1.72 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.70 and v2.1.72
Category	Other
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

Claude Code v2.1.72 — 6 New Environment Variables: Brief Mode, Cron Control & Two-Stage Classifier

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF: Toggle brief/concise output mode — shorter responses from Claude.
CLAUDE_CODE_ARTIFACT_DIRECT_UPLOAD
CLAUDE_CODE_MORNING_BRIEF_PROMPT
ANTHROPIC_BETAS: Comma-separated beta feature headers.
ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS: Custom HTTP headers (newline-separated Key: Value).
ANTHROPIC_FEDERATION_RULE_ID
ANTHROPIC_ORGANIZATION_ID
ANTHROPIC_WORKSPACE_ID

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD do?

Brief mode specifically for upload operations. Likely suppresses progress details when uploading files or context to the session.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD?

Added between v2.1.70 and v2.1.72 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_BRIEF_UPLOAD=value), or add it to the "env" object in ~/.claude/settings.json to apply it to every session.

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.