Output Styles Reference

Control response verbosity and detail level.

Overview

Six levels from non-technical explanations to minimal expert mode.

Level 0: ELI5

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-0-eli5.md

Audience: Non-technical stakeholders

Characteristics:

• Simple language
• No jargon
• Analogies
• Step-by-step explanations
• Visual descriptions

Example output:

Think of authentication like a building security guard.
When you show your ID (password), the guard (server)
checks it against the list (database) and gives you
a visitor badge (token) to wear around.

---

Level 1: Junior Developer

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-1-junior.md

Audience: New developers, students

Characteristics:

• Detailed explanations
• Code with comments
• Links to documentation
• Concept explanations
• Common mistakes highlighted

Example output:

// Create a new user in the database
// We use 'await' because database operations are asynchronous
const user = await User.create({
  email: email,      // From the request body
  password: hash,    // Password after hashing (never store plain text!)
});

// Learn more: https://docs.example.com/user-creation

---

Level 2: Mid-Level Developer

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-2-mid.md

Audience: Developers with 2-5 years experience

Characteristics:

• Balanced detail
• Some context
• Best practices mentioned
• Trade-offs discussed

Example output:

const user = await User.create({ email, password: hash });
// Consider adding indexes on email for query performance
// See: src/models/user.ts for schema definition

---

Level 3: Senior Developer (Default)

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-3-senior.md

Audience: Experienced developers

Characteristics:

• Concise
• Assumes knowledge
• Focus on important details
• Minimal explanation

Example output:

const user = await User.create({ email, password: hash });

---

Level 4: Tech Lead

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-4-lead.md

Audience: Technical leaders, architects

Characteristics:

• Architectural focus
• System implications
• Trade-off analysis
• Scaling considerations

Example output:

User creation: standard pattern. Consider:
- Rate limiting for signup abuse
- Email verification flow
- GDPR compliance for EU users

---

Level 5: Expert

File: .claude/output-styles/coding-level-5-god.md

Audience: Domain experts

Characteristics:

• Minimal
• Code-focused
• No hand-holding
• Just the answer

Example output:

await User.create({ email, password: hash });

---

Setting Default Style

In CLAUDE.md or conversation:

Use output level 3 (senior) for all responses.

Or reference style file:

Follow the style in .claude/output-styles/coding-level-3-senior.md

Per-Request Override

[Level 1] Explain how this authentication works.

Or:

Explain this like I'm a junior developer.

Related

• Skills Reference - Available skills
• Configuration - Setup options