claude-hud — What is it?

Claude HUD is a plugin for Claude Code that provides real-time insights into the context usage, active tools, running agents, and todo progress within a project.

⭐ 19,951 Stars 🍴 887 Forks JavaScript Author: jarrodwatts
Source: README View on GitHub →

Why it matters

Claude HUD is gaining attention due to its comprehensive real-time monitoring capabilities for Claude Code users, addressing the need for better visibility into project activities and status. Its integration with Claude Code's statusline API and customizable options make it a unique tool for developers looking to enhance their workflow.

Source: README, project traits

Core Features

Context Usage

Displays the current usage of the context window, helping users monitor how much of their context is being utilized.

Source: README
Tool Activity

Monitors and shows the activities of tools being used within Claude Code, such as reading, editing, and searching files.

Source: README
Agent Tracking

Tracks and displays the status of subagents running in Claude Code, providing insights into their activities.

Source: README
Todo Progress

Visualizes the progress of tasks within a project, allowing users to track completion in real-time.

Source: README
Customizable Layout

Users can customize the layout of the HUD, choosing from different presets or manually configuring the display of various elements.

Source: README
Color Customization

Users can customize the colors of various elements in the HUD, enhancing readability and personalization.

Source: README

Architecture

The architecture of Claude HUD is inferred to be modular, with a clear separation of concerns. It uses Claude Code's statusline API to receive and display information. The code structure suggests a focus on configuration management and data parsing, with a clear separation between the configuration interface and the display logic.

Source: Code tree + dependency files

Tech Stack

infra: Not enough information.  |  key_deps: typescript, c8, @types/node  |  language: JavaScript  |  framework: Not enough information.

Source: Dependency files + code tree

Quick Start

1. Add the marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add jarrodwatts/claude-hud` 2. Install the plugin: `/plugin install claude-hud` 3. Configure the statusline: `/claude-hud:setup` 4. Restart Claude Code to load the new statusLine config.
Source: README Installation/Quick Start

Use Cases

1. Developers using Claude Code to manage complex projects can benefit from Claude HUD's real-time monitoring features to keep track of project status and progress. 2. Teams working collaboratively on Claude Code projects can use Claude HUD to ensure everyone is aware of the current context and activities.

Source: README

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • Strength 1: Provides real-time insights into Claude Code projects
  • Strength 2: Highly customizable to suit individual preferences
  • Strength 3: Integrates seamlessly with Claude Code's statusline API

Limitations

  • Limitation 1: Limited information on the project's architecture and technical stack
  • Limitation 2: May require some configuration to achieve the desired display layout
Source: Synthesis of README, code structure and dependencies

Latest Release

v0.0.12 (2026-04-04): Added Chinese (`zh`) HUD labels as an explicit opt-in, guided language selection in `/claude-hud:config`.

Source: GitHub Releases

Verdict

Claude HUD is a valuable tool for Claude Code users seeking enhanced visibility and control over their project activities. Its real-time monitoring and customization options make it a suitable choice for developers and teams looking to optimize their workflow within Claude Code.

Source: Synthesis
Transparency Notice
This page is auto-generated by AI (a large language model) from the following public materials: GitHub README, code tree, dependency files and release notes. Analyzed at: 2026-04-19 10:29. Quality score: 85/100.

Data sources: README, GitHub API, dependency files