Skip to main content

Debugging

When things are not working as expected:

  • Run /doctor for diagnostics. It checks your installation, configuration, and common issues.
  • Use background terminal tasks for processes that produce logs (dev servers, watchers). This gives Claude better visibility into what is happening.
  • Provide screenshots when debugging visual issues. Claude Code can read images.
  • Check /mcp to verify MCP server connections if external tools are not responding.

Environment tips​

  • Use a standalone terminal (iTerm2, Alacritty, Windows Terminal) rather than your IDE's built-in terminal. IDE terminals can cause stability issues with long-running sessions.
  • Enable the status line to monitor context usage, active model, and session cost at a glance.
  • Use /fast mode for quick, straightforward tasks. It uses the same model but with faster output. Note that fast mode is billed to extra usage from the first token.