Programmatic Claude Code
Run Claude non-interactively for automation workflows.
Three Interfaces
| Interface | Install | Best For |
|---|---|---|
CLI (-p) | Built-in | Scripts, CI/CD, quick tasks |
| Python SDK | pip install claude-agent-sdk | Custom agents, hooks, multi-turn |
| TypeScript SDK | npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk | Type-safe apps, Node.js |
Core Patterns
One-Shot Task
bash
claude -p "Fix TypeScript errors in src/" \ --allowedTools "Read,Edit,Bash" \ --output-format json
Session Chaining
bash
# Start task, capture session ID result=$(claude -p "Create auth system" --output-format json) session_id=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.session_id') # Continue in same session claude -p "Add tests for auth" --resume "$session_id"
Structured Output
bash
claude -p "List all API endpoints" \
--output-format json \
--json-schema '{"type":"object","properties":{"endpoints":{"type":"array"}}}'
Python Multi-Turn
python
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
allowed_tools=["Read", "Write", "Edit", "Bash"],
permission_mode="acceptEdits"
)
async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
await client.query("Build the component")
async for msg in client.receive_response():
print(msg)
await client.query("Now add tests")
async for msg in client.receive_response():
print(msg)
Key Flags
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
-p "prompt" | Non-interactive mode |
--allowedTools "X,Y" | Auto-approve tools (no prompts) |
--output-format json | Structured output with session_id |
--json-schema '{...}' | Enforce response format |
--resume <id> | Continue specific session |
--continue | Continue most recent session |
Files
- •
README.md- Overview and quick examples - •
harvest-and-build.md- Website cloning automation pipeline
Use Cases
- •CI/CD - Run in GitHub Actions for automated fixes
- •Orchestration - Chain multiple Claude sessions
- •Pipelines - Harvest → Analyse → Build → Validate workflows
- •Scheduled Tasks - Daily security scans, dependency updates