Leveling Up Claude Code with a Killer Statusline
Alright folks, here’s the deal. I’ve been living in Claude Code for a while now (seriously, it’s become my go-to AI coding companion), but something was missing. You know that feeling when you’re deep in a coding session and you start wondering “wait, how much context do I have left?” or “how much is this costing me right now?”
Yeah, me too. Enter: statuslines.
What’s a Statusline Anyway?
Think of it like your car’s dashboard, but for Claude Code. Instead of speed and fuel, you get real-time info about your AI coding session - context remaining, cost tracking, session timers, token usage, all that good stuff. Right there at the bottom of your terminal, updating in real-time.
Pretty slick, right?
The Quest for the Perfect Statusline
So I went hunting for statusline options and let me tell you, the community has been busy. There are like a dozen different implementations out there - powerline styles, minimal modes, Rust-based speed demons, you name it. After checking out a bunch, I landed on hell0github/claude-statusline.
Why this one? It’s got this beautiful multi-layered progress bar system, weekly usage tracking, and the output just looks good. Plus it uses ccusage
under the hood for accurate cost tracking, which is clutch when you’re trying to stay on budget.
How to Install It (The Actually Easy Way)
Here’s the thing - some of these statusline tools have fancy interactive installers that can be a pain on certain setups (looking at you, Termux). So here’s the straightforward way to get this working:
Step 1: Install the Dependencies
First, you need jq
(for parsing JSON) and ccusage
(for cost tracking):
# On Termux (Android)
pkg install jq -y
# On macOS
brew install jq
# On Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install jq
# Install ccusage globally
npm install -g ccusage
Step 2: Grab the Script
Download the statusline script directly from the repo:
mkdir -p ~/.claude
curl -o ~/.claude/statusline.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hell0github/claude-statusline/main/statusline.sh
chmod +x ~/.claude/statusline.sh
Step 3: Configure Claude Code
Create or update your ~/.claude/settings.json
:
{
"statusLine": {
"type": "command",
"command": "~/.claude/statusline.sh"
}
}
Step 4: Restart and Enjoy
Restart Claude Code and boom - you’ve got yourself a fancy statusline showing:
- Context token usage with progress bars
- Cost tracking with percentage indicators
- Weekly usage statistics
- Session timer (time until reset)
- Active concurrent sessions
What You Get
The output looks something like this:
| 0k/168k [░░░░░░░░░░] | $0/$140 [░░│░░░░░░] 0% | weekly 0% | 12AM (4h 43m) | ×1
It’s color-coded, updates in real-time, and gives you all the info you need at a glance. No more wondering if you’re about to hit your context limit or blow your budget.
Other Options Worth Checking Out
While I went with hell0github’s version, there are some other seriously cool options:
- chongdashu/cc-statusline - Interactive setup with multiple layout options
- Owloops/claude-powerline - Vim-style powerline with theme support
- rz1989s/claude-code-statusline - 18+ atomic components you can mix and match
- CCometixLine - Rust-based for maximum speed
Each has its own vibe and feature set. Can’t go wrong with any of ‘em, honestly.
The Bottom Line
If you’re spending serious time in Claude Code, a statusline is a no-brainer. It’s like the difference between driving blind and having a full dashboard of info. Takes five minutes to set up, and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some code to write. And thanks to my new statusline, I know exactly how much context I have left to do it.
Stay curious, fellow code wranglers. 🚀
Got a favorite Claude Code statusline setup? Drop a comment and share your config!