CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS is a Claude Code environment variable: Agents that watch a session rather than act in it. The natural counterpart to autonomy: if agents edit on their own, you want independent observers checking the work. Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Added	Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212
Category	Agents and subagents
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

Related variables

CLAUDE_AGENT_SDK_DISABLE_BUILTIN_AGENTS: Disable built-in agent types.
CLAUDE_AGENTS_AUTO_RELAUNCHED_AT: Timestamp set when the agent fleet was automatically relaunched after a crash.
CLAUDE_AGENTS_SELECT: Selects which agents from a fleet configuration are active for this session or job.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AGENTS_FLEET: Kill switch for the entire agent fleet subsystem — no selection, no auto-relaunch, no fleet coordination.
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPLORE_PLAN_AGENTS
CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_AGENT_TEAMS: Enable Agent Teams (the official release of Swarms).
CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_MAX_CONCURRENT_AGENTS
CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SIZE_WARNING_AGENTS

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS do?

Agents that watch a session rather than act in it. The natural counterpart to autonomy: if agents edit on their own, you want independent observers checking the work.

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS?

Added between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212 and still present in v2.1.294.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_EXPERIMENTAL_OBSERVER_AGENTS=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.