CLAUDE_CODE_WEBSEARCH_CITATIONS

Updated October 14, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_WEBSEARCH_CITATIONS is a Claude Code environment variable: Returns web-search results as structured citation blocks carrying source URLs instead of ending the answer with a plain Sources: link list. In a non-interactive session it also joins each run of adjacent text blocks into one and attaches character-span positions for every citation. Added in v2.1.295 and still present in v2.1.296. 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_WEBSEARCH_CITATIONS=<value>
claude

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

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

Release notes that mention it

• Claude Code Version Tracker: Undocumented Env Vars, Feature Gates & Models
• claude-code-env-vars-v2-1-295

Related variables

• BASH_MAX_OUTPUT_LENGTH: Max bash output character length.
• CLAUDE_BASH_MAINTAIN_PROJECT_WORKING_DIR: Maintain consistent working directory across commands.
• CLAUDE_BASH_NO_LOGIN: Replaced by CLAUDE_CODE_SHELL_PREFIX.
• CLAUDE_CODE_BASH_EDIT_DIFF
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_ADVISOR_TOOL: Disables what appears to be an internal advisory tool.
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BG_SHELL_PRESSURE_REAP
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_INLINE_SHELL_RM_PROMPT: Turns off the new prompt that catches a dangerous rm inside an inline bash -c or sh -c script.
• CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_POWERSHELL_CMD_RM_DENY

Frequently asked questions

All variables, searchable: Claude Code environment variables.