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Migrate to Claude Agent SDK

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official-docs claude-code-cli

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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Migrate to Claude Agent SDK

Guide for migrating the Claude Code TypeScript and Python SDKs to the Claude Agent SDK

Overview

The Claude Code SDK has been renamed to the Claude Agent SDK and its documentation has been reorganized. This change reflects the SDK's broader capabilities for building AI agents beyond just coding tasks.

What's Changed

Aspect Old New
Package Name (TS/JS) @anthropic-ai/claude-code @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk
Python Package claude-code-sdk claude-agent-sdk
Documentation Location Claude Code docs API Guide → Agent SDK section

Documentation Changes: The Agent SDK documentation has moved from the Claude Code docs to the API Guide under a dedicated Agent SDK section. The Claude Code docs now focus on the CLI tool and automation features.

Migration Steps

For TypeScript/JavaScript Projects

1. Uninstall the old package:

```bash theme={null} npm uninstall @anthropic-ai/claude-code


**2. Install the new package:**

```bash theme={null}
npm install @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk

3. Update your imports:

Change all imports from @anthropic-ai/claude-code to @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk:

```typescript theme={null} // Before import { query, tool, createSdkMcpServer } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-code";

// After import { query, tool, createSdkMcpServer } from "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk";


**4. Update package.json dependencies:**

If you have the package listed in your `package.json`, update it:

Before:

```json theme={null}
{
  "dependencies": {
    "@anthropic-ai/claude-code": "^0.0.42"
  }
}

After:

```json theme={null} { "dependencies": { "@anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk": "^0.2.0" } }


That's it! No other code changes are required.

### For Python Projects

**1. Uninstall the old package:**

```bash theme={null}
pip uninstall claude-code-sdk

2. Install the new package:

```bash theme={null} pip install claude-agent-sdk


**3. Update your imports:**

Change all imports from `claude_code_sdk` to `claude_agent_sdk`:

```python theme={null}
# Before
from claude_code_sdk import query, ClaudeCodeOptions

# After
from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions

4. Update type names:

Change ClaudeCodeOptions to ClaudeAgentOptions:

```python theme={null}

Before

from claude_code_sdk import query, ClaudeCodeOptions

options = ClaudeCodeOptions(model="claude-opus-4-7")

After

from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions

options = ClaudeAgentOptions(model="claude-opus-4-7")


**5. Review [breaking changes](#breaking-changes)**

Make any code changes needed to complete the migration.

## Breaking changes

<Warning>
  To improve isolation and explicit configuration, Claude Agent SDK v0.1.0 introduces breaking changes for users migrating from Claude Code SDK. Review this section carefully before migrating.
</Warning>

### Python: ClaudeCodeOptions renamed to ClaudeAgentOptions

**What changed:** The Python SDK type `ClaudeCodeOptions` has been renamed to `ClaudeAgentOptions`.

**Migration:**

```python theme={null}
# BEFORE (claude-code-sdk)
from claude_code_sdk import query, ClaudeCodeOptions

options = ClaudeCodeOptions(model="claude-opus-4-7", permission_mode="acceptEdits")

# AFTER (claude-agent-sdk)
from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions

options = ClaudeAgentOptions(model="claude-opus-4-7", permission_mode="acceptEdits")

Why this changed: The type name now matches the "Claude Agent SDK" branding and provides consistency across the SDK's naming conventions.

System prompt no longer default

What changed: The SDK no longer uses Claude Code's system prompt by default.

Migration:

```typescript TypeScript theme={null} // BEFORE (v0.0.x) - Used Claude Code's system prompt by default const result = query({ prompt: "Hello" });

// AFTER (v0.1.0) - Uses minimal system prompt by default // To get the old behavior, explicitly request Claude Code's preset: const result = query({ prompt: "Hello", options: { systemPrompt: { type: "preset", preset: "claude_code" } } });

// Or use a custom system prompt: const result = query({ prompt: "Hello", options: { systemPrompt: "You are a helpful coding assistant" } }); ```

```python Python theme={null} # BEFORE (v0.0.x) - Used Claude Code's system prompt by default async for message in query(prompt="Hello"): print(message)

# AFTER (v0.1.0) - Uses minimal system prompt by default # To get the old behavior, explicitly request Claude Code's preset: from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions

async for message in query( prompt="Hello", options=ClaudeAgentOptions( system_prompt={"type": "preset", "preset": "claude_code"} # Use the preset ), ): print(message)

# Or use a custom system prompt: async for message in query( prompt="Hello", options=ClaudeAgentOptions(system_prompt="You are a helpful coding assistant"), ): print(message) ```

Why this changed: Provides better control and isolation for SDK applications. You can now build agents with custom behavior without inheriting Claude Code's CLI-focused instructions.

Settings Sources No Longer Loaded by Default

What changed: The SDK no longer reads from filesystem settings (CLAUDE.md, settings.json, slash commands, etc.) by default.

Migration:

```typescript TypeScript theme={null} // BEFORE (v0.0.x) - Loaded all settings automatically const result = query({ prompt: "Hello" }); // Would read from: // - ~/.claude/settings.json (user) // - .claude/settings.json (project) // - .claude/settings.local.json (local) // - CLAUDE.md files // - Custom slash commands

// AFTER (v0.1.0) - No settings loaded by default // To get the old behavior: const result = query({ prompt: "Hello", options: { settingSources: ["user", "project", "local"] } });

// Or load only specific sources: const result = query({ prompt: "Hello", options: { settingSources: ["project"] // Only project settings } }); ```

```python Python theme={null} # BEFORE (v0.0.x) - Loaded all settings automatically async for message in query(prompt="Hello"): print(message) # Would read from: # - ~/.claude/settings.json (user) # - .claude/settings.json (project) # - .claude/settings.local.json (local) # - CLAUDE.md files # - Custom slash commands

# AFTER (v0.1.0) - No settings loaded by default # To get the old behavior: from claude_agent_sdk import query, ClaudeAgentOptions

async for message in query( prompt="Hello", options=ClaudeAgentOptions(setting_sources=["user", "project", "local"]), ): print(message)

# Or load only specific sources: async for message in query( prompt="Hello", options=ClaudeAgentOptions( setting_sources=["project"] # Only project settings ), ): print(message) ```

Why this changed: Ensures SDK applications have predictable behavior independent of local filesystem configurations. This is especially important for:

Current SDK releases have reverted this default for query(): omitting the option once again loads user, project, and local settings, matching the CLI. Pass settingSources: [] in TypeScript or setting_sources=[] in Python if your application depends on the isolated behavior described above. Python SDK 0.1.59 and earlier treated an empty list the same as omitting the option, so upgrade before relying on setting_sources=[]. See What settingSources does not control for inputs that are read even when settingSources is [].

Why the Rename?

The Claude Code SDK was originally designed for coding tasks, but it has evolved into a powerful framework for building all types of AI agents. The new name "Claude Agent SDK" better reflects its capabilities:

Getting Help

If you encounter any issues during migration:

For TypeScript/JavaScript:

  1. Check that all imports are updated to use @anthropic-ai/claude-agent-sdk
  2. Verify your package.json has the new package name
  3. Run npm install to ensure dependencies are updated

For Python:

  1. Check that all imports are updated to use claude_agent_sdk
  2. Verify your requirements.txt or pyproject.toml has the new package name
  3. Run pip install claude-agent-sdk to ensure the package is installed

Next Steps