Anthropic· Updated
Anthropic redesigned the /fork command in Claude Code to run background agents that inherit the user's exact session state and prompt cache. This allows developers to delegate sub-tasks to autonomous agents without interrupting their primary terminal session. The update shifts the tool from manual session management toward automated multi-agent orchestration.
/fork command in Claude Code, its terminal-based agentic coding tool (AI that autonomously writes and iterates on code), to launch autonomous background agents. These sub-agents inherit the exact context of the active session—system prompt, tools, history, and model. The background agent executes its task independently and returns the result to the main session.This update streamlines parallel workflows by inheriting the session's prompt cache (storing frequently used data to reduce latency) to make delegation nearly instantaneous. By allowing an agent to fork with full state, Anthropic closes the context gaps that occur during task delegation. This follows a similar pattern seen when OpenAI introduced parallel subagents.
Developers can now use /fork to offload sub-tasks—such as debugging a race condition or scanning for similar issues across the codebase—while continuing work in the primary session. The previous behavior, which copies the conversation transcript to a new session you drive manually, is now available under the /branch command.
We've updated /fork in Claude Code /fork now runs a background agent with your exact context (system prompt, tools, history, model) and prompt cache. The result gets returned to your session. /branch (the old /fork) still copies the transcript to a new session you drive. https://t.co/eMyFrk8PfR
Still wondering? A few quick answers below.
Every HeadsUpAI update is written based on its original source and reviewed before it's published. Read our editorial standards →
