Docs Getting Started

Power Claude in 5 minutes

This is the fast path from zero to a first win: Claude Health Check (pc proof / #proofscan) on your local history, then recover or protect a session — the same quickstart you get from pc onboard and the VS Code “Get Started” walkthrough. Multi-seat capacity and the optional Auto-Rotation Engine come after that proof.

Install Power Claude

Add the extension (VS Code / Cursor) or the CLI (npm).
Power Claude ships as a VS Code / Cursor extension and a companion `pc` CLI. Install either — they share one local config under ~/.power-claude and stay in sync.
- VS Code / Cursor: search “Power Claude” in the Extensions view, or install from the Marketplace / Open VSX.
- CLI / headless: install the npm package, then run `pc install` once to wire up the launcher and hooks.
```
pc install
```
first-time setup: creates ~/.power-claude, the launcher shim, and rate-limit hooks
If anything ever goes wrong, `pc emergency` (or the status-bar life-ring) instantly restores a clean, un-proxied Claude Code. It always works.
Download options →
Scan your recent Claude sessions

Claude Health Check — personal proof from YOUR history in under 60 seconds.
Before license keys, extra accounts, or feature tours: Power Claude analyzes your local Claude Code history and shows unfinished, stalled, or interrupted sessions. Everything stays on your machine — no prompts or project paths leave.
```
pc proof
```
Claude Health Check / Proof Mode — scan recent sessions
- Counts unfinished / limit-or-interrupt sessions and quiet stalled time.
- Picks the most recent recoverable session as your first win.
- No account pool setup required for the scan.
Primary product value is still money savings (right-size vs Max + Token Saver). This step proves reliability first so you feel the product before pricing.
Recover or protect one session

One safe, visible action — resume unfinished work or arm protection.
Pick one personal win. Recover the most recent unfinished session, or arm same-profile protection so the next long job keeps going when you walk away.
```
pc proof --recover
```
recover the top unfinished session from the health check
```
pc proof --protect
```
record protection intent for future sessions (watchdog + auto-resume)
- After a win: optionally review Power Claude, or share an anonymized counts-only card (`pc proof --share`).
- Sharing never includes prompts, code, filenames, or account details.
Keep Power Claude active

Leave protection on — then unlock savings and multi-seat capacity when ready.
You have a real win. Keep Power Claude installed and protection active. When you want the primary money-savings path — multi-seat capacity you own, Token Saver, and optional Auto-Rotation Engine — continue with license activation and accounts below.
- Savings remains the main value prop ($115+/mo vs Max math for multi-seat capacity you own).
- Auto-Rotation Engine is optional, OFF by default, grey-area automation — enable only after the warning.
- Manual multi-account and same-profile recovery always work without the engine.
Emergency clean path anytime: `pc emergency` restores un-proxied Claude Code.
Activate your license

Paste your key to unlock multi-account features and Power mode.
Find your activation key in your account area, then activate this machine. A free trial works without a key; activation lifts trial limits and registers this device against your plan.
```
pc activate <key>
```
registers this machine; run `pc license info` to confirm
- Your key lives in the account area linked below.
- Activate is per-machine; use `pc deactivate` to free a seat before moving to a new device.
Find your key →
Add your Claude account(s)

Link one or more Claude logins for the rotator to draw from.
Power Claude rotates across the Claude accounts you link. Add at least one; add several to keep working straight through a single account's rate-limit window.
```
pc add
```
interactive: names the profile and runs the Claude OAuth login
- Each account is stored locally under ~/.power-claude/profiles (mode 0600) — never uploaded.
- Re-authenticate an expired login any time with `pc relogin <name>` (or `--all`).
- List what is linked and its health with `pc list`.
Auto-Rotation Engine (recommended)

Preferred for multi-account continuity. OFF until you acknowledge the grey-area warning.
The Auto-Rotation Engine is the highest-value Power Claude capability: when a Claude seat hits a rate-limit or health signal, the engine selects the next healthy account you own so work continues. Manual multi-account still works — you switch yourself — but you leave that continuity benefit off until you enable the engine.
Install default is OFF (you must opt in). Enabling is the recommended path for most multi-account users, only after a firm warning: automated rotation is a fuzzy/grey compliance area, NOT Anthropic-approved. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. OAuth is designed so Power Claude does not control subscription OAuth as a third-party vault; that is not a guarantee against enforcement.
- Recommended: enable after reading the warning (VS Code Setup Guide button, or `pc rotation engine enable --i-understand`).
- Alternative: Keep Manual multi-account — you rotate with UI / `pc switch` / `pc rotate`.
- Status is always visible: `pc rotation status` and the dashboard badge (ON / OFF / PAUSED).
- Disable anytime: `pc rotation engine disable`. Kill-switch pause: `pc rotation off`.
- Evidence later: `pc rotation appeal-kit` and optional scrubbed `pc rotation export-audit`.
```
pc rotation warning
```
print the firm grey-area warning text (read before enable)
```
pc rotation engine enable --i-understand
```
CLI opt-in after warning
```
pc rotation status
```
shows Auto-Rotation Engine ON/OFF and kill-switch
Read: Architecture A vs B multi-account guide · Does Power Claude violate Anthropic ToS? · Is my Claude account safe? Full policy: docs/product/rotation-modes.md
Manual rotate & proxy (when engine ON)

Manual switch anytime; start the engine path only if you opted in.
Manual: `pc rotate` / `pc switch` move among your accounts when you choose. If you enabled the Auto-Rotation Engine, start the local engine with `pc serve` (or extension proxy.autoStart) so classic automatic handoff can run — same functionality as the original rotator, with the OAuth boundary described in the warning.
```
pc serve
```
starts the rotation engine process (only useful when Auto-Rotation Engine is ON)
- Check status: `pc rotation status` and `pc status`.
- Tune throughput with `pc balanced` or `pc parallel` when the engine is active.
- Emergency clean path: `pc emergency` restores un-proxied Claude Code.
Tailor Power Claude to you

Pick how hands-on you want it — then let it fine-tune itself over time.

Power Claude can learn your preferences as you work and set the matching options for you — no settings spelunking. A short, occasional question (at most one at the end of a session) is all it takes; it stops asking once it is confident, and you can turn it off any time.
Turn it off any time: powerClaude.calibration.enabled (or the per-setting toggles) in Settings → Power Claude. `pc emergency off` disables everything at once.
Everyday safety controls

Pause, resume, recover — without losing any data.
Three controls cover almost everything. None of them delete data — they flip a sentinel the whole system reads, so a pause is always instantly reversible.
- `pc emergency` — full stop + restore clean Claude Code. The one to reach for in a panic.
- `pc disable` / `pc enable` — pause and resume rotation while staying installed.
- `pc doctor` — health check that diagnoses and offers to fix common issues.
```
pc doctor
```
run this first whenever something looks off
The VS Code status bar shows a life-ring button that maps to `pc emergency` — one click from any panic.
Objective Mode (on by default)

Multi-step requests run to completion — hands-free, with safety rails.
Power Claude ships with Objective Mode ON. When you give a clearly multi-step request — "finish all the failing tests", "keep going until the build is green" — it becomes a standing objective, and Power Claude keeps the turn going toward it instead of stopping to hand you a "remaining tasks" list.
- Not done yet → it auto-continues. This is mostly token-free: a deterministic classifier decides park-vs-continue, and only an ambiguous completion check ever consults a small fast model.
- Objective met → it stops with a ⚡ "objective complete" notice.
- Genuinely blocked (a missing credential, an approval gate, a destructive action, a real decision) → it stops and asks you, exactly like before.
Only clearly multi-step requests auto-start an objective — a one-off question never kicks off an autonomous loop. Turn it off with the setting powerClaude.autoNudge.objectiveMode, and remember per-objective turn and time caps always apply.
Read the docs →
Optimize your setup

One-click toggles to tune Power Claude for how you work.
Optional, one-click optimizations. Each button flips a real setting — turn on what fits how you work; everything is reversible from the dashboard or VS Code Settings. (In the terminal, run the matching command from the dashboard or settings instead.)
- Token Saver — trim low-signal noise (logs, command output, diffs, JSON) out of what Claude reads before it's forwarded, so more of the capacity you already pay for goes to real work. On by default; set how aggressive from the Token Saver panel.
- Warm Compacting — skip Claude Code's long compaction pause: Power Claude pre-summarizes the earlier conversation in the background (sidecar-only, never in your live context) and swaps it in near the wall. On by default (free, no license required); fail-open, so it silently falls back to normal compaction if ever unsafe.
- Auto-resume sessions — let Claude Code continue through stalls and rate-limit waits instead of waiting on you.
- Detached Sessions (experimental · Pro) — keep a turn running when your browser tab sleeps, refreshes, or you close the window; the dashboard reattaches and replays what you missed.
Detached Sessions needs Linux with a systemd --user manager; on other hosts the toggle stays disabled. It's experimental — leave it off until you've tried it on a session you can watch.
Go deeper

Power Mode, auto-resume, token saver, and the full docs.
You're set up. When you're ready, the online docs cover the features that make Power Claude pay for itself — and you can always return there.
- Power Mode — push more accounts harder for parallel-heavy work.
- Auto-resume — let Claude Code continue through pauses and rate-limit waits.
- Token Saver & session resilience — keep long sessions cheap and crash-proof.
Read the docs →

Next: browse the settings reference to tune Power Claude to your workflow.

Install Power Claude

Scan your recent Claude sessions

Recover or protect one session

Keep Power Claude active

Activate your license

Add your Claude account(s)

Auto-Rotation Engine (recommended)

Manual rotate & proxy (when engine ON)

Tailor Power Claude to you

Everyday safety controls

Objective Mode (on by default)

Optimize your setup

Go deeper