Documentation Type

Missing documentation (feature not documented)

Documentation Location

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands

Section/Topic

Built-in /env command documentation, including how it applies to Bash and PowerShell tool commands

Current Documentation

The built-in commands reference says:

Type / in Claude Code to see all available commands, or type / followed by any letters to filter. Not all commands are visible to every user. Some depend on your platform, plan, or environment.

| /config | Open the Settings interface to adjust theme, model, output style, and other preferences. |
| /remote-env | Configure the default remote environment for web sessions started with --remote |
| /status | Open the Settings interface (Status tab) showing version, model, account, and connectivity. |

There is no /env entry anywhere in the built-in commands table.

The tools reference currently documents Bash-specific environment persistence and PowerShell tool setup separately:

Activate your virtualenv or conda environment before launching Claude Code. To make environment variables persist across Bash commands, set CLAUDE_ENV_FILE to a shell script before launching Claude Code, or use a SessionStart hook to populate it dynamically.

On Windows, Claude Code can run PowerShell commands natively instead of routing through Git Bash. This is an opt-in preview.

• "defaultShell": "powershell" in settings.json: routes interactive ! commands through PowerShell. Requires the PowerShell tool to be enabled.
• Auto mode does not work with the PowerShell tool yet
• PowerShell profiles are not loaded

No page currently documents /env, and the PowerShell tool page does not mention that /env now applies to PowerShell commands.

What's Wrong or Missing?

Changelog v2.1.88 says:

/env now applies to PowerShell tool commands (previously only affected Bash)

That is user-visible behavior, but the current docs do not cover it.

Users reading the built-in commands reference cannot discover that /env exists. Users reading the PowerShell tool page cannot tell that /env works there now, or how it relates to Bash-only mechanisms like CLAUDE_ENV_FILE.

Suggested Improvement

Add a /env entry to the built-in commands reference that explains:

• what the command does
• whether its changes are session-scoped or persistent
• which tool commands it affects

Then add a short note in the PowerShell tool section that /env applies to PowerShell tool commands as of v2.1.88, with a cross-reference back to the command docs.

It would also help to clarify how /env differs from:

• settings.json env
• CLAUDE_ENV_FILE
• hook-based environment setup

Impact

Medium - Makes feature difficult to understand

Additional Context

Affected Pages:

Total scope: 2 pages affected

Source: Changelog v2.1.88

Changelog entry: /env now applies to PowerShell tool commands (previously only affected Bash)