Anthropic released Claude Code 2.1.296 with subagent auto-compaction and a Read option

The default limit on MCP tool descriptions rises from 2,048 to 4,096 characters.

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Check our sources · 6 facts from 1 source

Anthropic released Claude Code 2.1.296 on 9 October 2026. It adds an autoCompactWindow setting to subagent frontmatter and to --agents definitions, so a subagent can compact its context earlier than the main conversation's window, and an environment variable, CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL, to run every workflow agent on one model.

The Read tool gets an allow_large option so Claude can read a text file past the usual size limits. The /cost command, the status line, --max-budget-usd and the SDK's cost figures now price Sonnet 5.5 cache reads. The default limit on MCP tool descriptions sent up front, and on MCP server instructions, goes from 2,048 to 4,096 characters.

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1 Claude Code v2.1.296 release notesAnthropic · 9 Oct 2026 · 6 facts

Open the source archived copy

Claude Code release v2.1.296 was published on the project's GitHub releases page on 9 October.

published_at: 2026-10-09T19:28:59Z
cite
The release notes say: "Added `autoCompactWindow` to subagent frontmatter and `--agents` definitions", so a subagent can auto-compact earlier than the main conversation's window.

Added `autoCompactWindow` to subagent frontmatter and `--agents` definitions, so a subagent can auto-compact earlier than the main conversation's window
cite
The release notes say: "Added `CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL` to run every workflow agent on one model".

Added `CLAUDE_CODE_WORKFLOW_SUBAGENT_MODEL` to run every workflow agent on one model
cite
The release notes say: "Added an `allow_large` option to the Read tool so Claude can read a text file past the usual size limits".

Added an `allow_large` option to the Read tool so Claude can read a text file past the usual size limits
cite
The release notes say: "Updated `/cost`, the status line, `--max-budget-usd` and the SDK's cost figures to price Sonnet 5.5 cache reads".

Updated `/cost`, the status line, `--max-budget-usd` and the SDK's cost figures to price Sonnet 5.5 cache reads
cite
The release notes say: "Changed the default limit on MCP tool descriptions sent up front and on MCP server instructions from 2,048 to 4,096 characters".

Changed the default limit on MCP tool descriptions sent up front and on MCP server instructions from 2,048 to 4,096 characters
cite

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