Discover CLI Flags Quickly with claude --help

When you can't remember a flag name, claude --help is faster than searching the docs. The output is structured by category and includes descriptions, types, and defaults.

# Full flag reference
claude --help

# Shorter alias
claude -h

The output lists every available flag with its type and default value — --model, --output-format, --max-turns, --debug, and all the rest. Flags are grouped logically so you can scan quickly.

For subcommands, pass --help to the specific command:

# Config subcommand options
claude config --help

# MCP subcommand options
claude mcp --help

A few patterns worth knowing:

# Check your current version before filing a bug report
claude --version

# Validate your setup is healthy
claude doctor

# Run the doctor check in CI to catch misconfigured environments early
claude doctor && echo "Claude Code environment OK"

The doctor command checks your Node version, API key, and environment for common issues. Running both --version and doctor together is the fastest first step when something behaves unexpectedly.

When in doubt, claude --help — it's always accurate and always in sync with your installed version.