Feature Request: Usage Limit Visibility and Threshold Alerts

[saidev-pbi-fabric]

Summary

Add the ability to view the 5-hour usage limit percentage directly in Claude Code CLI, and configure alerts when usage reaches certain thresholds (e.g., 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%).

Problem

Currently, users must manually navigate to claude.ai > Settings > Usage to check their 5-hour usage limit. There's no way to:

1. See usage percentage within the CLI
2. Get notified when approaching the limit
3. Plan work sessions based on remaining capacity

This leads to unexpected rate limiting mid-task, which disrupts workflow.

Proposed Solution

1. New /usage command

Display current 5-hour usage limit status:

$ /usage
Claude Usage (5-hour window)
================================
Used:      31% (resets in 2h 45m)
Remaining: 69%

[||||||||....................] 31%

2. Usage indicator in status bar (optional)

Show a small usage indicator in the Claude Code interface, similar to how /context shows token usage.

3. Configurable threshold alerts

Allow users to set alerts in settings:

{
  "usage_alerts": {
    "enabled": true,
    "thresholds": [20, 40, 60, 80],
    "notification_type": "inline"
  }
}

When a threshold is crossed, display an inline message:

⚠️ Usage alert: 40% of 5-hour limit reached (resets in 3h 12m)

Benefits

• Better planning: Users can pace their work knowing remaining capacity
• No surprises: Avoid hitting limits unexpectedly during critical tasks
• Improved UX: Reduces context-switching to check usage in browser
• Professional workflows: Teams can better manage shared usage limits

Alternatives Considered

• Manual browser checking: Current workaround, but disruptive
• External scripts with Task Scheduler: Works but requires setup and doesn't show real data
• OpenTelemetry monitoring: Overkill for individual users

Additional Context

This would require exposing the 5-hour usage data via an internal API that Claude Code can query. The data already exists (shown in claude.ai settings), so it's a matter of making it accessible in the CLI.

Environment

• Claude Code CLI
• All platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux)

[github-actions]

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