CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE is a Claude Code environment variable: Enable interview phase in plan mode. Removed between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212, so current releases ignore it. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Removed between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212
Added	Present since v2.1.69 or earlier
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_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

83 Undocumented Claude Code Environment Variables (v2.1.19)

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_REQUIRED: Require agents to use plan mode for all tasks.
CLAUDE_CODE_PERFORCE_MODE: Activates Perforce VCS integration.
CLAUDE_CODE_SAFE_MODE
CLAUDE_REPL_MODE: Sets the operating mode for the REPL interface.
CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_ARTIFACTS
CLAUDE_CODE_TODO_REMINDER_MODE
ANTHROPIC_BETAS: Comma-separated beta feature headers.
ANTHROPIC_CUSTOM_HEADERS: Custom HTTP headers (newline-separated Key: Value).

Frequently asked questions

What does CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE do?

Enable interview phase in plan mode

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE?

Removed between v2.1.143 and v2.1.212, so current releases ignore it.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_PLAN_MODE_INTERVIEW_PHASE=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.