ENABLE_BTW

Updated October 13, 2026 by Alex Sorokoletov

ENABLE_BTW is a Claude Code environment variable: Enable "by the way" suggestions. Its release history is not tracked here. It is not in the official reference.

Status	Present in v2.1.294
Category	Feature toggles
Official docs	Not listed

How to set it

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

export ENABLE_BTW=<value>
claude

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

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

Related variables

CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_AWAY_SUMMARY: Enables generation of a summary when the user returns after being away from an active session.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_CFC: Enable Claude for Chrome browser automation.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_PROMPT_SUGGESTION: Enables a prompt suggestion feature in the Claude Code UI.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_SDK_FILE_CHECKPOINTING: Enable file checkpointing in SDK mode.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TASKS: Enable the task system.
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_XAA: Enables an internal feature flagged as "XAA." The acronym is opaque, but the ENABLE_ prefix and proximity to other experimental flags suggest this is an opt-in capability still under development.
ENABLE_BETA_TRACING_DETAILED: Enable detailed beta tracing.
ENABLE_PROMPT_CACHING_1H

Frequently asked questions

What does ENABLE_BTW do?

Enable "by the way" suggestions

Which Claude Code version has ENABLE_BTW?

Its release history is not tracked here.

How do I set ENABLE_BTW?

Export it before starting Claude Code (export ENABLE_BTW=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.