Claude docs changes for March 23rd, 2026 [diff]

Executive Summary

  • New --bare mode for headless/scripted Claude Code calls: skips hooks, plugins, MCP servers, CLAUDE.md, and auto memory for faster, reproducible CI/script execution — and will become the default for -p in a future release
  • Channels now support permission relay: two-way channel servers can forward tool approval prompts to you remotely (e.g. on your phone) so you can approve or deny without being at the terminal
  • Blocking PreToolUse hooks now take precedence over allow rules, clarifying hook vs. permission rule evaluation order
  • New showClearContextOnPlanAccept setting to restore the "clear context" option on plan accept screens
  • OAuth support for MCP servers extended to include Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD) discovery in addition to Dynamic Client Registration

Claude Code changes

Changed documents

channels [Source]

  • Updated description of behavior when Claude hits a permission prompt while away from terminal: channel servers that declare the permission relay capability can now forward prompts for remote approval. [line 299] [Source]
  • Added security note that the sender allowlist also gates permission relay — only allowlist senders you trust with tool-use approval authority. [line 313] [Source]

channels-reference [Source]

  • Added new capabilities.experimental['claude/channel/permission'] capability field: declaring it opts the channel server in to receiving permission relay requests from Claude Code. [line 222] [Source]
  • Added troubleshooting tips for when a webhook event doesn't reach Claude: how to diagnose "curl succeeds but nothing arrives" vs "connection refused". [line 186] [Source]
  • Major new section: Relay permission prompts (requires v2.1.81+). Covers the full relay flow, notifications/claude/channel/permission_request payload fields, three-step implementation guide (declare capability, handle inbound request, intercept verdict in inbound handler), and a complete webhook.ts example with permission relay, reply tool, sender gating, and SSE event stream. [lines 511-872] [Source]
  • Updated two-way webhook example to use SSE (GET /events) for watching outbound replies live via curl -N. [line 381] [Source]

cli-reference [Source]

  • New --bare flag added: minimal mode that skips auto-discovery of hooks, skills, plugins, MCP servers, auto memory, and CLAUDE.md for faster scripted calls. Sets CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE. [line 35] [Source]

env-vars [Source]

  • Updated CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE description to clarify it disables auto-discovery of hooks, skills, plugins, MCP servers, and auto memory (not just MCP tools/hooks), and that --bare sets this variable. [line 67] [Source]

headless [Source]

  • New "Start faster with bare mode" section documenting --bare: explains what it skips, why it's useful for CI/scripts, what tools remain available, how to supply context explicitly via flags, authentication requirements, and that it will become the default for -p in a future release. [lines 41-69] [Source]

how-claude-code-works [Source]

  • Added "auto memory" to the list of items stored in the context window. [line 110] [Source]

interactive-mode [Source]

  • Expanded Ctrl+O (toggle verbose output) description: it also expands MCP read and search calls that otherwise collapse to a single summary line (e.g. "Queried slack"). [line 20] [Source]

mcp [Source]

  • Clarified OAuth setup: Claude Code now also supports MCP servers that use a Client ID Metadata Document (CIMD) instead of Dynamic Client Registration, and discovers these automatically. [line 1380] [Source]

permissions [Source]

  • Clarified that a blocking PreToolUse hook (exit code 2) takes precedence over allow rules — the block applies even when an allow rule would otherwise permit the call. Includes guidance on combining an allow rule with a selective blocking hook. [line 193] [Source]

settings [Source]

  • New showClearContextOnPlanAccept setting: shows the "clear context" option on the plan accept screen. Defaults to false; set to true to restore the option. [line 184] [Source]

API changes

Changed documents

remote-mcp-servers [Source]

  • Several new MCP servers added to the directory: Aiwyn Tax (federal & state tax returns), Base44 (app building/management), Bigdata.com (real-time financial data), Calendly (event scheduling), Common Room (GTM Copilot), Intuit TurboTax (tax refund estimates), Qlik (data analytics), and tldraw (sketching/diagramming with Claude).
  • Clockwise (scheduling) removed from the MCP server list.