Environment variables
AutoMode environment variables: turn off the router, bar or guardian, force a policy, override the thinking guard, and the provider variables it reads.
Environment switches apply last, so they win over config.json and plugin settings.
| Variable | Values | Effect |
|---|---|---|
AUTOMODE_ROUTER | off | Turn routing off everywhere. |
AUTOMODE_POLICY | auto, legacy | Force the routing policy. |
AUTOMODE_UI | off | Hide the bar. Routing goes on. |
AUTOMODE_GUARDIAN | off, observe, recommend, assist, auto | Set the guardian mode. off leaves the rest of AutoMode running. |
AUTOMODE_GUARDIAN_CONFIG | A JSON object | Guardian keys over config.json, for a test profile or one machine. Unknown keys are ignored. |
AUTOMODE_SIGNALS | off | Stop reading the signals file that stands in for hooks Claude Code skips under managed settings. |
AUTOMODE_THINKING_GUARD | on, off | Override the guard that leaves effort alone where a thinking setting could make the API refuse an effort change. |
Variables AutoMode reads but never sets
| Variable | Why |
|---|---|
CLAUDE_CODE_USE_VERTEX, CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK, CLAUDE_CODE_USE_FOUNDRY, ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL | To tell the provider. Off the Anthropic API, the router runs in shadow. |
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_EXPERIMENTAL_BETAS | With it set, an effort change may not keep the cache, so effort is priced like a switch. |
MAX_THINKING_TOKENS | 0 turns the thinking guard on. |
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | Only to test whether it is set, so AutoMode can tell a plan from an API key. It never stores or sends the value. |
HOME | To find the data folder. |
AutoMode never calls $.env.set. See Review it before you install it.
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Prompt commands
Steer one Claude Code prompt with AutoMode am: commands. Force a model or effort, run or skip the workflow, continue after a pause, restore after /clear.
The Concise output style
AutoMode's optional Concise output style: short sentences, the answer first. Measured at 10% fewer output tokens, with code and quotes kept exact.