claude-hud-statusline — Claude Code skill: live HUD
Keeps a status line under your prompt showing how full the context window is, which tools and subagents are running, and how far the todo list has got.
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a claude-codeWhat claude-hud-statusline does
The skill puts a permanent status line in your terminal. The top row carries the model name, the project and the current git branch; below it sit bars for context and subscription usage. Turn on the expanded layout and you also get activity rows: file reads and edits, searches, running subagents with their names and elapsed time, and todo progress.
Token figures come straight from Claude rather than from a guess, so the bar matches the real window, including large-context sessions. Tool and agent activity is read from the transcript and refreshed roughly every 300 ms. No second window, no tmux — it hooks into the built-in statusline API.
You need Claude v1.0.80+ plus Node.js 18+ or Bun. On Linux an EXDEV: cross-device link not permitted error during setup means you have to set TMPDIR first, or the install stops there. Settings live in ~/.claude/plugins/claude-hud/config.json: element order, path depth, colors, and how the context value is written. Edit that file carefully — a JSON syntax slip and the config silently stops applying.
What it helps with
- see how much context is left without opening another pane
- watch which files the agent is reading and editing right now
- tell which subagents are running and how long they have been at it
- track todo completion as a session moves along
- keep the git branch and dirty state in view while working
Example prompts for the agent
- Set up the claude-hud statusline in compact mode
- Show active tools and running subagents in the HUD
- Turn on todo progress and git status in claude-hud
How to install claude-hud-statusline
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/claude-hud-statusline/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install reason-machines/trending-skills claude-hud-statusline2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --path skills/claude-hud-statuslineManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about claude-hud-statusline
How do I install claude-hud-statusline in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add reason-machines/trending-skills --skill claude-hud-statusline -a claude-code inside a Claude session, then open ~/.claude/skills/claude-hud-statusline/SKILL.md.
What does claude-hud-statusline do?
It adds a persistent status line below the input prompt: context window fill, subscription usage, active tools, subagents, todo progress and git state.
What does the skill need to run?
Claude v1.0.80+ and Node.js 18+ or Bun. On Linux you may need to set TMPDIR if setup fails with EXDEV: cross-device link not permitted.
