Claude HUD

A Dashboard for Your AI Coding Assistant
Explained Like You're Five
jarrodwatts/claude-hud · 10.2k stars · MIT License

What Problem Does It Solve?

When you use Claude Code in your terminal, you're typing messages to an AI that writes code for you. But you can't see what's happening behind the scenes.

Think of it this way Imagine driving a car with no dashboard — no speedometer, no fuel gauge, no warning lights. You'd have no idea how fast you're going or when you'll run out of gas. That's what using Claude Code is like without the HUD.

Claude HUD gives your AI assistant a dashboard so you always know what's going on.

What Does It Look Like?

It adds a small, live info bar right below where you type:

$ claude
╭──────────────────────────────────────────────────╮
[Opus | Max] │ my-project git:(main*)
Context █████░░░░░ 45% │ Usage ██░░░░░░░░ 25% (1h 30m / 5h)
╰──────────────────────────────────────────────────╯

Just two lines of text — but packed with useful info!

The Five Gauges

Claude HUD tracks five things at once, like five gauges on your car dashboard:

1. Where You Are

Your project folder and git branch — like a GPS showing your location

2. Context Health

How much "memory" Claude has left — like a fuel gauge

3. Tool Activity

What files Claude is reading or editing — like seeing which apps are running

4. Agent Tracking

Sub-agents working on tasks — like tracking delivery drivers on a map

5. Task Progress

Your to-do list completion — like a homework tracker

The Fuel Gauge: Context Window

Claude can only "remember" a limited amount of text at a time. This is called its context window.

Analogy Think of Claude's brain like a whiteboard. Every message, every file it reads, every response it gives — all gets written on this whiteboard. When the whiteboard fills up, Claude has to start erasing old stuff to make room.

The HUD shows you a progress bar so you know when the whiteboard is getting full:

Context ███░░░░░░░ 30% — Plenty of room!
Context ███████░░░ 70% — Getting full...
Context █████████░ 90% — Almost out! Careful!

The Speedometer: Usage Limits

Claude Pro and Max users get a daily "allowance" of AI time. The HUD shows how much you've used.

Analogy It's like a phone data plan. You get 5 hours of heavy use, and the HUD shows "2h 30m / 5h" so you can pace yourself and not run out before the day ends.

It even shows a 7-day rolling usage so you can see your weekly trend, just like checking your data usage across the billing period.

How Does It Work?

Here's the magic in simple terms:

You type a message │ ▼ Claude Code processes it │ ├──▶ Reads files, runs code, etc. │ ▼ Claude Code sends a "status update" to the HUD plugin (via stdin) │ ▼ The HUD reads it and paints the dashboard on your screen │ ▼ Refreshes every ~300ms (3x per second)

Setting It Up

Three simple steps — like installing an app on your phone:

# Step 1: Add the app store
/plugin marketplace add jarrodwatts/claude-hud

# Step 2: Install it
/plugin install claude-hud

# Step 3: Set it up & restart
/claude-hud:setup

After restarting Claude Code, the HUD appears automatically!

Make It Yours

You can pick how much info you want to see — like choosing between a simple watch and a smartwatch:

Full Mode

Everything on. Tools, agents, todos, git info, usage — the works.

Essential Mode

The important stuff. Context bar, git branch, active tools.

Minimal Mode

Just the basics. Model name and how full your context is.

Custom

Mix and match — toggle each gauge on or off individually.

Why 10,000+ Developers Love It

Bottom line Claude HUD turns a "black box" AI experience into one where you always know what's happening. It's the difference between flying blind and having instruments.

Questions?

github.com/jarrodwatts/claude-hud
10.2k stars · MIT License · Works with Claude Code v1.0.80+
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