Agent skill

Claude Code Statusline Writer

Guides writing and debugging Claude Code status line scripts that read session JSON from stdin and print one line of text.

Apache-2.0Auto-check passedDevelopment

Install Claude Code Statusline Writer

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .claude/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .claude/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .agents/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .agents/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .cursor/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .cursor/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git --path output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .gemini/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .gemini/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .github/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .github/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install lexler/skill-factory writing-statuslines --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines .opencode/skills/writing-statuslines && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "writing-statuslines" agent skill from https://github.com/lexler/skill-factory/tree/main/output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines into .opencode/skills/writing-statuslines/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "writing-statuslines", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: writing-statuslines
GitHub stars: 239
Token cost: ~872 tokens
SKILL.md length: 254 words
Files: 3 (incl. scripts, references)
Skills in repo: 25
Repo updated: Aug 26, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: Apache-2.0

At a glance

Guides writing and debugging Claude Code status line scripts that read session JSON from stdin and print one line of text.

Creating a custom status line that shows model, cost and context usage
SKILL.md covers Setup, What Status Lines Are, Configuration and How It Works, plus 6 more sections
Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls python
Debugging a status line that prints nothing or the wrong text

What it does

A Claude Code status line is a script that shows context at the bottom of the interface, refreshed when messages change and at most every 300 ms. It is registered under statusLine in the user-level or project-level settings.json, receives session JSON on stdin and prints one line; the first line of stdout is used, ANSI colors work, the script must be executable, and stderr is ignored.

Useful input fields include the model display name, the workspace current and project directories, cumulative session cost, and context window used and remaining percentages, with current usage possibly null before any message. Constraints are one line, a quick exit and caching for anything expensive, and a scannable result with three to four data points at most.

Listed anti-patterns are cramming in too much, not consuming stdin, running git or API calls on every refresh, printing several lines, forgetting chmod +x and writing to stderr. Scripts can be tested by piping mock JSON into them. A bundled update-docs.py refreshes the Anthropic reference, and a reference file has bash, Python and Node examples.

When your agent uses it

Creating a custom status line that shows model, cost and context usage
Debugging a status line that prints nothing or the wrong text
Adding git branch info to a status line without slowing it down

Example prompts

“Write a status line script that shows the model name and how much context I have used.”
“My statusline script outputs nothing. Help me debug it with mock JSON.”
“Add the session cost to my status line, with colors.”

Requirements

Claude Code with a statusLine entry in settings.json
A shell such as bash, and the ability to make scripts executable

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 8017333. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
- python
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Claude Code Statusline Writer loads about 872 tokens when it runs, and up to ~3k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 33 tokens; SKILL.md has 254 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~33
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~872
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them: ~3k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from lexler/skill-factory at commit 8017333, republished under its Apache-2.0 licence (© lexler). 254 words, ~872 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/writing-statuslines/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.

name: writing-statuslines
description: Writes Claude Code status line scripts. Use when creating, customizing, or debugging statusline configurations.

STARTER_CHARACTER = 📊

Setup

Update the reference docs to get the latest from Anthropic:

bash

python ~/.claude/skills/writing-statuslines/scripts/update-docs.py

What Status Lines Are

Custom scripts that display contextual information at the bottom of Claude Code's interface. Updated when conversation messages change, at most every 300ms.

Configuration

Add to ~/.claude/settings.json (user-level) or .claude/settings.json (project-level):

json

{
  "statusLine": {
    "type": "command",
    "command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh",
    "padding": 0
  }
}

padding is optional. Set to 0 to let the status line reach the terminal edge.

How It Works

Claude Code passes session context as JSON via stdin to the script
First line of stdout becomes the status line text
ANSI color codes supported
Script must be executable (chmod +x)
Only stdout is used (not stderr)

JSON Input Schema

The script receives this via stdin:

json

{
  "hook_event_name": "Status",
  "session_id": "abc123...",
  "transcript_path": "/path/to/transcript.json",
  "cwd": "/current/working/directory",
  "model": {
    "id": "claude-opus-4-1",
    "display_name": "Opus"
  },
  "workspace": {
    "current_dir": "/current/working/directory",
    "project_dir": "/original/project/directory"
  },
  "version": "1.0.80",
  "output_style": {
    "name": "default"
  },
  "cost": {
    "total_cost_usd": 0.01234,
    "total_duration_ms": 45000,
    "total_api_duration_ms": 2300,
    "total_lines_added": 156,
    "total_lines_removed": 23
  },
  "context_window": {
    "total_input_tokens": 15234,
    "total_output_tokens": 4521,
    "context_window_size": 200000,
    "used_percentage": 42.5,
    "remaining_percentage": 57.5,
    "current_usage": {
      "input_tokens": 8500,
      "output_tokens": 1200,
      "cache_creation_input_tokens": 5000,
      "cache_read_input_tokens": 2000
    }
  }
}

context_window.current_usage may be null if no messages have been sent yet.

Key Fields

model.display_name — short model name ("Opus", "Sonnet")
workspace.current_dir / workspace.project_dir — may differ when working in subdirectories
cost.total_cost_usd — cumulative session cost
context_window.used_percentage / remaining_percentage — pre-calculated, ready to display
context_window.current_usage — raw token counts from the last API call

Constraints

Output exactly one line
Runs every 300ms at most — expensive operations must be cached
Keep it scannable: glanceable in under a second
Script must exit cleanly and quickly

Anti-Patterns

Cramming too much info — pick 3-4 data points max
Not consuming stdin (script must read it even if it doesn't use all fields)
Expensive uncached operations (git commands, API calls) on every invocation
Multiple output lines (only first line is used)
Forgetting chmod +x
Writing to stderr instead of stdout

Testing

Test scripts manually with mock JSON:

bash

echo '{"model":{"display_name":"Sonnet"},"workspace":{"current_dir":"/test"},"cost":{"total_cost_usd":0.05},"context_window":{"used_percentage":42.5}}' | ./statusline.sh

Reference

references/anthropic-statusline.md - Complete reference with examples in bash, python, and node

Files

SKILL.md and 2 other files (scripts, references) in output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines of lexler/skill-factory.

SKILL.md
references/anthropic-statusline.md
scripts/update-docs.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 8017333

Compare with similar skills

Claude Code Statusline Writer next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Claude Code Statusline Writer compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Claude Code Statusline Writer this skilllexler/skill-factory	239	—	~872	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	1 mo ago
Hns Moaiadk Dev Referencemodu-ai/moai-adk	1.2k	—	~937	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
CLI DeveloperJeffallan/claude-skills	12k	1 repos	~1.2k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	6 days ago
Nerd Font Icon Lookupmalob/nix-config	463	—	~697	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	5 days ago
Hugging Face API Tool Builderhuggingface/skills	11k	2 repos	~1.5k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	yesterday
New Mac Setupswyxio/skills	175	—	~4.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	4 days ago

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Questions about Claude Code Statusline Writer

What does Claude Code Statusline Writer do?

Guides writing and debugging Claude Code status line scripts that read session JSON from stdin and print one line of text. A Claude Code status line is a script that shows context at the bottom of the interface, refreshed when messages change and at most every 300 ms.json, receives session JSON on stdin and prints one line; the first line of stdout is used, ANSI colors work, the script must be executable, and stderr is ignored.

When should I use Claude Code Statusline Writer?

Claude Code Statusline Writer fits situations like: creating a custom status line that shows model, cost and context usage; debugging a status line that prints nothing or the wrong text; adding git branch info to a status line without slowing it down.

How do I install Claude Code Statusline Writer in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines in lexler/skill-factory) into .claude/skills/writing-statuslines in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Claude Code Statusline Writer in Codex?

Run `npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (output_skills/ai/claude-code/writing-statuslines in lexler/skill-factory) into .agents/skills/writing-statuslines in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Claude Code Statusline Writer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add lexler/skill-factory --skill writing-statuslines -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/writing-statuslines, .gemini/skills/writing-statuslines, .github/skills/writing-statuslines and .opencode/skills/writing-statuslines in your project.

What does Claude Code Statusline Writer need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Claude Code Statusline Writer needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (python). Our summary lists: Claude Code with a statusLine entry in settings.json; A shell such as bash, and the ability to make scripts executable.

Does Claude Code Statusline Writer access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Claude Code Statusline Writer safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Claude Code Statusline Writer use?

Claude Code Statusline Writer is published under the Apache-2.0 licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Claude Code Statusline Writer use?

About 872 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 2.1k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Claude Code Statusline Writer?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Claude Code Statusline Writer: Hns Moaiadk Dev Reference (modu-ai/moai-adk, 1.2k stars), CLI Developer (Jeffallan/claude-skills, 12k stars), Nerd Font Icon Lookup (malob/nix-config, 463 stars) and Hugging Face API Tool Builder (huggingface/skills, 11k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Claude Code Statusline Writer?

lexler (a GitHub user) maintains it in lexler/skill-factory, which has 239 GitHub stars. The repository holds 25 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 26, 2026.

Source: lexler/skill-factory on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Claude Code Statusline Writer

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Requirements

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Setup

What Status Lines Are

Configuration

How It Works

JSON Input Schema

Key Fields

Constraints

Anti-Patterns

Testing

Reference

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from lexler/skill-factory

Related

Questions about Claude Code Statusline Writer