CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG

Updated October 14, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG is a Claude Code environment variable. Added in v2.1.286 and still present in v2.1.295. It is listed in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.295
Added	Added in v2.1.286
Category	Debugging
Official docs	Listed

How to set it

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

export CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOG_LEVEL: Set debug logging verbosity level.
CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIR: Custom directory for debug logs.
CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_REPAINTS: Enables debug logging for terminal repaint operations.
CLAUDE_DEBUG: Enable debug logging.
DEBUG
CLAUDE_RUNNER_DEBUG_LOG_PATH
ANTHROPIC_LOG: SDK internal logging level.
ANTHROPIC_PROFILE

Frequently asked questions

Which Claude Code version has CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG?

Added in v2.1.286 and still present in v2.1.295.

How do I set CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export CLAUDE_CODE_YOU_SHOULD_KNOW_DEBUG=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.