Claude Code mods: the best ones to install and how they work

On October 1, 2026, Anthropic opened its doors to everyone. Claude Code mods, and in just a few days the community has published over a thousand. The problem is that most are experiments, games, or duplicates. In this guide, you'll find Claude Code's best mods really useful, divided by objective, what they do and whether they work alone or need to be launched with a command.

What are Claude Code mods?

The mods by Claude Code These are plugins that change the way Claude Code looks and behaves. They're written in JavaScript or TypeScript and react to session events: a prompt being sent, a tool being launched, a part of the interface being drawn. For each event, a mod can observe, modify, or respond on behalf of Claude Code.

As compared to skill, hook And MCP server, the mods run inside Claude Code: that's why they are the only ones that can draw in the interface, that is, adding panels next to the chat, status lines above the prompt, buttons, and new commands. Claude Code 2.1.287 or later and are active by default, both in the Terminal and in the Code tab of the Claude desktop app.

Instrument	Things	When to choose it
Mod	Code that runs inside Claude Code	Do you want a panel, a command or to change an event?
Hook	Script launched on an event	Do you want to block or record an action with a script?
Skill	Instructions in a SKILL.md file	Always repeat the same instructions to Claude
MCP Server	External service that gives tools to Claude	Claude needs to connect to an external system

If you are just starting out with the tool, start with our practical guide to Claude Code: Mods are the next step, when you want to adapt it to your way of working.

How to install a mod

A mod is installed like any other Claude Code plugin: Add the author's marketplace and then install the mod by name. Within a session you use /plugin marketplace add And /plugin install, from the terminal the same commands with claude plugin front. For example, for a monitoring mod:

claude plugin marketplace add Arunjay4213/claude-mods claude plugin install context-lens@claude-mods

• If you install from a terminal with an open session, run /reload-plugins to upload it immediately.
• With /plugin See which mods are active in the session and you can deactivate them one by one.
• To start a session without any mods installed use claude --safe-mode.

Once installed, each mod loads with each session. The practical difference is another: some they work alone, others you can call up with a command when needed. For each mod, you'll find the instructions below.

The integrated mod to activate immediately

Some features of Claude Code are already mods, like the panel /diff and loading AGENTS.md files. One is turned off by default, however, and it's worth turning it on.

you-should-know

Start a lateral agent that has your back while Claude works on long tasks: when it finds something you might miss, it leaves you a note above the prompt. It activates once with /plugin enable cc-plugin-you-should-know@builtin, then it's automatic.

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Which mods help save tokens and control costs?

This is the most useful category for those who use Claude Code every day. Here it is useful to distinguish between the mods that show consumption and those that they act to reduce them.

Cache Keeper

It tells you if the chat cache Is it still hot or has it cooled down and how much would it cost to restart from cold? It keeps long conversations hot, asks for confirmation before an expensive send, collects all chats on a message board and passes the work to a new chat. It is one of the four mods published by Nate Herk. Usage: Automatic, with the /cache, /keepwarm, /board, and /handoff commands for actions.

context-lens, quota-meter and token-ledger

Three status lines Read: how much context you have left and how many turns are left until compaction, how far along you are with your plan quota, how much the session cost. They can be found in the repo. claude-mods. Usage: automatic, with /context for detail.

cctop

The full version: a dashboard Task manager-style next to the chat with context padding, tokens, costs, cache, limits, tool latency, and subagents. Useful if you run long sessions and want to understand where the money is going. It's available on GitHub. Use: side panel.

budget guard

The only one that puts a real spending ceiling: warns you when you're approaching the cost or plan window limit, then blocks the tools and asks for confirmation before the next prompt. This is a limit that a prompt can't give you. Usage: automatic, limits are set with /guard.

webfetch-cache

If Claude rereads the same web address with the same request in the same session, it responds from the cache without retrying the call. It's small but effective for search queries. Available at AI Templates. Use: automatic.

Productivity Mods

These mods don't change what Claude can do, but how much time do you waste between one shift and another.

Next Steps

Shared by an engineer from Claude Code's team, at the end of the shift it shows a small panel with two or three successive actions Suggested based on what just happened. Choose one with a click, or close it and decide for yourself. Usage: automatic.

Goal Meter

Transform the command /goal in a progress bar built on Claude's plan, with estimated time and goals from all chats in a single panel. Perfect if you launch multiple goals in parallel. Usage: Automatic when using /goal, the full panel opens with /goals.

claude-queue

While Claude works, write /q followed by the next command: it goes into a reorderable queue above the prompt and starts as soon as the turn ends. Trivial to say, but it saves you from staring at the screen. Usage: on command.

buffer-pane

A draft panel Where to prepare the next prompts while the shift is still in progress, saved to a folder between sessions. Use: Panel to open when needed.

aside

With /aside Open a side chat on the session that the main thread doesn't see: you can ask "what just changed?" without filling the context with questions. Use: on command.

agent-flow

With /flow shows a real-time updated tree of the subagent running, so you always know who's doing what. Use: on command.

cc-pr-tracker

Holds yours pull request above the prompt with merge status, required revisions and checks, and notifies you when anything changes. Requires the connected GitHub CLI. Usage: automatic.

Mods for reading and reviewing Claude's work

The terminal is not the most convenient place to read long replies or check changes. These mods bring the overhaul into Claude Code, without jumping from one window to another.

replay theater

It is one of the example mods published by Anthropic in the repository claude-code-playground: adds the command /replay which retraces the file changes made by Claude in the last shift, one at a time. Use: on command.

claude-review

Show Claude's latest reply in a reading panel next to the conversation and follows it as it is written. Useful when replies are longer than the screen. Use: panel.

review-pane

Show the diff of each modified file: you comment on individual lines, send the comments back to Claude, and he responds to each one. It's the closest thing to a review with comments Shared document style. Usage: panel.

terminal browser

A browser inside Claude Code, next to the chat, to view sites, HTML previews, and GitHub pull requests. Claude can also control it. Very convenient for website developers. Use: panel.

Security and Privacy Mods

blast-radius

Another official Anthropic example mod: Block a risky command Like an rm-rf or a force push, it shows you what would change and lets you use the buttons to choose whether to proceed or cancel. Usage: automatic.

Collision Guard

If you work with multiple chats on the same project, it notifies you when another session has just made a change. the same file and lets you choose whether to proceed, move to a separate worktree, or cancel. Usage: automatic.

Recording Mode

Hides the sensitive data on screen While Claude continues to work with the real ones. Perfect for demos, video tutorials, and client calls. Use: On command, turn it on while recording.

secret editor

Replaces secret keys, email addresses, and IP addresses with placeholders before the model reads them, and puts them back when the next tool needs them. The model never sees the key. Usage: Automatic.

Are mods safe?

A mod is code that runs with your permissions And it's not isolated in a sandbox. It can read and write files, launch programs, make network requests, read environment variables, see every prompt, and even approve an action before being asked. The only thing it can't touch is the permissions window.

Before installing one, download the files and launch claude plugin validate About the folder: This lists the events the mod intercepts and what it asks to do, without running it. A mod that displays a clock has no reason to read your files. The community catalog awesome-claude-code-mods does this check every night on all public mods.

Only install mods from authors and marketplaces you trust, and in the company consider having the administrator manage them: with the Team and Enterprise plans you can decide which mods are allowed.

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How to create a mod by asking Claude

Often, the mod you need doesn't exist yet. The good news is that you don't have to write it yourself: just describe it in a session and Claude will prepare it with the built-in plugin creation skill. For example:

Create a mod that displays the current git branch above the prompt.

You approve the files one at a time, activate it for the session, and watch it update as you request changes. The mod you create lasts only for that session: to keep it, you copy the folder elsewhere and upload it with --plugin-dir. Plus, a mod written in front of your eyes is also the easiest to trust.

Summary table: automatic or command-controlled?

Mod	What is it for?	How to use
you-should-know	Report things you might miss	Automatic
Cache Keeper	Chat cache and costs	Automatic + commands
context-lens	Context, share and cost	Automatic
cctop	Complete consumption dashboard	Panel
budget guard	Spending ceiling	Automatic
webfetch-cache	Avoid double web reading	Automatic
Next Steps	Suggested actions at the end of the turn	Automatic
Goal Meter	Progress of /goal	Automatic + /goals
claude-queue	Command queue	On command (/q)
buffer-pane	Draft prompts	Panel
aside	Side chat	On command (/aside)
agent-flow	Subagent tree	On command (/flow)
cc-pr-tracker	Pull requests always visible	Automatic
replay theater	Review last round changes	On command (/replay)
claude-review	Reading the answers	Panel
review-pane	Review with comments	Panel
terminal browser	Browser inside Claude Code	Panel
blast-radius	Block risky commands	Automatic
Collision Guard	Conflicts between chats on the same file	Automatic
Recording Mode	Hide sensitive data on screen	On command
secret editor	Hides secrets from the model	Automatic

Curiosity: Mods for waiting

Not all mods are designed to work. Two of the most popular ones are meant to pass the time while Claude thinks, and they clearly demonstrate the extent of customization.

• cc-arcade: Nine games above the prompt, from Tetris to Snake, with a pet that grows thanks to Claude's tests and commits. The game pauses when the round ends.
• Mindful Claude: A guided breathing exercise appears while Claude works and disappears when the response arrives. This is the most starred mod repo on GitHub.

Conclusion

The Claude Code mods These are the most interesting new additions to the tool since the arrival of plugins: they transform Claude Code into a custom environment. The advice is to start with a few mods that solve a real problem, such as Cache Keeper and budget-guard for costs, Next Steps and Goal Meter for productivity, blast-radius for security, and always check them before installing them.

If you want to understand how to use Claude and other AI tools in your company's processes, take a look at our artificial intelligence consulting for companies. A few well-chosen mods are worth more than a hundred installed out of curiosity.