Claude Mods Starter Kit

What are Claude Mods?

Updated October 2026. Mods are a new feature, so compatibility and setup requirements may change.

Think of Mods as custom upgrades for Claude Code. They let you build dashboards, monitor several AI agents at once, add safety checks and make your own productivity tools.

• Want a dashboard showing what your AI agents are doing? Build a Mod.
• Want Claude to ask before running a risky command? Build a Mod.
• Want to see how much of your AI session you have used? Build a Mod.
• Want buttons and shortcuts for tasks you repeat? Build a Mod.

Mods are different from prompts and skills. A skill tells Claude how to do a task. A Mod can change Claude Code's interface or behaviour directly.

Mods work inside Claude Code, in its supported terminals and in the desktop app. They are not part of ordinary Claude chat.

Getting started

1. 01
   Open Claude Code

   You need Claude Code installed and working, in a supported terminal or the desktop app. New to it? Follow Anthropic's setup guide, linked below.

2. 02
   Check your version

   Mods need Claude Code 2.1.287 or later. Run claude --version in your terminal and update if yours is older. Mods are switched on by default in supported versions.

3. 03
   Ask Claude to build your first Mod

   Open a session in a new, throwaway practice project, paste one of the five prompts below, and let Claude generate the files and help you test them.

claude --version

A Mod built inside a session is not necessarily installed for good. Once you are happy with it, ask Claude to package and install it (see Keep your Mods, below).

Mod 1: The Multi-Agent Coordinator

Coordinate several Claude sessions working on different parts of one project. Say you are building a website: one session researches the structure, another builds a prototype, a third reviews the output.

Instead of copying everything between chats, a coordinating Mod starts, monitors and manages those sessions for you.

Help me build a Claude Code Mod called Session Coordinator.

I want to manage multiple Claude Code sessions from one place.

The Mod should:
- Let me create helper sessions and assign each one a task.
- Show which sessions are running, waiting or finished.
- Let me send instructions to a helper session.
- Return each helper's results to my main session.
- Ask for approval before creating sessions or allowing potentially destructive actions.
- Avoid having multiple sessions edit the same files simultaneously.

First check which capabilities my version of Claude Code supports, explain any dependencies, and give me a simple implementation plan.

Build the smallest working version first. Keep permissions restrictive, then test it using a practice project.

• How to test it. Create a small sample project and give two helper sessions separate, read-only tasks. Check that their results come back to the main session.

Existing example:

Mod 2: The Live AI Dashboard

A visual overview of what Claude Code is doing, instead of a stream of text.

• What your AI agents are working on
• Which tasks are running or waiting
• Recent activity and tool calls
• Context usage and session cost estimates

Build me a Claude Code Mod called Activity Dashboard.

I want a simple dashboard inside Claude Code that shows what's happening during my session.

Include:
- My current model and session status.
- A list of active agents and their tasks.
- A recent activity feed.
- Context usage and cost information where available.
- Clear indicators when something needs my approval.

Keep the design clean and easy to understand.

Use Claude Code's supported UI components and session events. Do not invent unavailable metrics or make unnecessary model calls.

Start with a basic working version, validate it and show me how to open the dashboard.

• How to test it. Ask Claude Code to work on a sample project and open your dashboard while it runs. Check that the activity and usage information update.

Existing example:

Mod 3: The Safety Guard

Claude Code can run commands, change files and make changes to projects. A safety Mod checks certain operations before they happen, explains the likely impact and gives you the choice to approve or cancel.

Build me a Claude Code Mod called Safety Guard.

I want an additional safety check before potentially destructive terminal commands run.

It should:
- Detect common risky commands, including recursive deletion, destructive Git operations and force pushes.
- Explain the command in plain English.
- Show which files or changes may be affected, where this can be checked safely.
- Offer Proceed and Cancel actions.
- Default to Cancel if a safe decision cannot be obtained.
- Never automatically approve a risky operation.

Start with a small, clearly defined set of commands.

Keep Claude Code's existing permission settings in place.

Explain which operations this guard cannot detect.

Test it using harmless sample files and simulated commands, without deleting anything important.

• How to test it. Use a throwaway test folder. Ask Claude to simulate a risky command and check that the approval step appears before anything happens.

A safety Mod is an extra warning layer, not a complete security system. It does not replace proper permission settings, backups or human review.

Existing example:

Mod 4: The Usage and Context Tracker

On a long project it helps to know how full your context window is and whether you are close to a limit. A Mod can show that without you having to keep asking.

Create a Claude Code Mod called Usage Tracker.

I want a small status display above my prompt showing:

- My current context window usage as a percentage.
- A simple progress bar.
- A warning when the context window is getting full.
- The current model.
- Session usage or cost information, where supported.

Update it automatically after each turn.

Keep it compact so it doesn't distract from my work.

Use Claude Code's available session usage data. If a metric isn't available, omit it rather than estimating it.

Build and validate the Mod, then explain how I can customise the display.

• How to test it. Send a few prompts, look through files in your test project and check that the display updates.

Existing examples:

Mod 5: The Custom Project Control Panel

A mini control panel for tasks you do often. This is where Mods get interesting for creators, marketers and business owners.

Say you use Claude Code to run a content project. You could have shortcuts for checking project files, writing a content brief or reviewing recent changes, all built around how you work.

Help me create a Claude Code Mod called Project Control Panel.

I want a simple interface inside Claude Code with shortcuts for common tasks.

Start with four controls:

1. Project Overview: summarise the purpose and structure of my current project.
2. Recent Changes: show what files have changed recently.
3. Content Brief: ask me for a topic, then create a structured content brief.
4. Project Checklist: show a checklist I can update as I work.

Use supported Claude Code UI components and commands.

Every action should show what it will do before making changes.

Ask for confirmation before writing or modifying files.

First identify which controls can be implemented with Mods in my installed version. Explain any limitations and build a minimal working prototype.

Keep the interface easy to understand and make it possible to add more shortcuts later.

• How to test it. Open a practice project, use Project Overview, then generate a sample content brief. Check the output and that file changes ask for your approval.

This one is a design prompt rather than a copy of an existing Mod. For inspiration, see Anthropic's official Mods guide in the resources below.

How to keep and reuse your Mods

Once Claude has built a Mod you like, you will want it in future sessions. Mods use Claude Code's plugin system, so a Mod can be packaged into a plugin folder, tested and installed with Claude Code's plugin tools.

Ask Claude Code:

Help me turn the Mod we just built into a reusable Claude Code plugin.

Validate the plugin, explain which files it contains and show me how to install it for future sessions.

Review the permissions and actions it can perform before installing anything.

Do not overwrite an existing plugin without asking.

A Mod runs code with wide access to your local Claude Code environment. Only install third-party Mods from sources you trust, and review their permissions and code first.

Useful resources

Community Mods are third-party software. Listing them here is not a security endorsement.

Final tip: start small

You do not need to build all five. Start with the Usage Tracker or the Dashboard, because they are the easiest to understand and show off. Once something works, ask Claude to improve it one feature at a time.

The most useful Mod is not the most complicated one. It is the one that makes something you do regularly faster, easier or safer.

Common questions

• I can't find Mods in my normal Claude chat. Mods are part of Claude Code, not ordinary Claude chat. Open Claude Code and check your version is 2.1.287 or later.
• Claude built a Mod, but it disappeared after the session. Some generated Mods only load for that session. Ask Claude to package the Mod as a plugin and install it so it is there next time.
• The dashboard doesn't appear. Check your Claude Code version, that the plugin is installed, that your terminal or app is supported, and any error messages. Some dashboard features depend on terminal width or rendering support.
• Claude says a feature isn't supported. Mods are new and the way they work may change. Ask Claude to check what your installed version supports and suggest the closest thing it can build.
• Can I install several Mods? Yes, but Mods can react to the same events or use the same part of the screen. Add them one at a time, test each one and watch for conflicts.
• Will Mods save me tokens? Not automatically. A simple display Mod may only read usage information that already exists, while a Mod that starts extra agents or models can increase usage. Check how a Mod works before assuming it cuts costs.