Mods let you change how Claude Code looks and works just by describing what you want. You can turn the prompts you type every day into real buttons above the chat, add a panel that shows exactly what Claude changed, and keep tweaking it until it fits the way you work. This guide gives you the exact prompts from my video and shows you how to keep your mod so it's there every time you open Claude.
What a Mod Is
The plan · 5 steps
- 1Open the Claude desktop app, choose Code, and open your project.
- 2Paste the button prompt and let Claude build your mod.
- 3Click Turn them on when Claude asks.
- 4Add the review panel with the second prompt.
- 5Install your mod so it loads in every session.
Before you start
Your account
A paid Claude plan (Pro or higher), since mods live in Claude Code.
Your app
The Claude desktop app, updated to the latest version. Mods don't work in regular Claude chats on the web.
Your first goal
Three working buttons above your chat in under 10 minutes.
A mod is a small add-on that changes Claude Code. You don't write any code yourself. You tell Claude what you want, it builds the mod, and you turn it on.
What mods can do
- Add buttons above the chat that send your favorite instructions with one click.
- Add a panel next to the chat, like a live list of the files Claude changed.
- Add your own commands, status messages and pop-up notes.
- Change how Claude works, like asking you to confirm before it touches certain files.
Where mods work
Mods work in Claude Code, in the desktop app (and the terminal version). Open the Claude desktop app and choose Code at the top.
Heads up: A mod can do anything Claude Code can do on your computer. Only use mods you asked Claude to build or ones from people you trust.
Build Your Button Mod
Open the Claude desktop app, choose Code, and open the project or folder you're working on. Then paste this:
Build me a mod with three buttons above the chat. One to summarize this project, one to list unfinished tasks, and one to check the latest draft for mistakes. Have each button send that instruction into the conversation.
Turn it on
- Claude starts writing the mod. If it asks to approve files, approve them.
- A question pops up: "Turn on the mods Claude writes in this session?" Click Turn them on.
- When Claude finishes its reply, your three buttons appear above the chat.
Click one to try it. Each button sends its instruction, just like you typed it.
Maverick's tip
Want different buttons? Just say what you use every day, like "a button that writes my weekly update" or "a button that turns my notes into a to-do list."
The Trick, Add a Review Panel
Now keep building on it. In the same chat, paste this:
Add a panel next to the chat that shows every file you changed and lets me compare it before and after.
Now when Claude updates your website, your notes or your documents, you can see exactly what it did, file by file, before you move on.
Change anything
Mods aren't fixed. Tell Claude what to change and it updates the mod as soon as it finishes replying.
Change my mod: [WHAT YOU WANT, E.G. MAKE THE BUTTONS SMALLER, ADD A FOURTH BUTTON THAT DRAFTS AN EMAIL ABOUT THIS PROJECT, OR MOVE THE PANEL TO SHOW ONLY TODAY'S CHANGES].
Keep Your Mod for Every Session
A mod Claude builds in a chat only loads in that session. If you reopen the same session, it's still there. To have it in every new session, install it as a plugin. Ask Claude to do it for you:
I want this mod in every Claude Code session, not just this one. Save it as a plugin and walk me through installing it so it loads every time I open Claude Code. Tell me exactly what to click or approve.
Claude will set it up and tell you what to approve. Once it's installed, you can turn it off or on any time from the /plugin menu in Claude Code.
Maverick's tip
Claude can also put your mod on GitHub so friends or teammates can install it with one line. Just ask.
Bonus: Ideas for Your Next Mods
Use any of these as your next prompt, or mix them:
- "Add a button that writes a short summary of what we did today."
- "Show a note above the chat whenever Claude is about to edit a file in my Finance folder."
- "Add a /todo command that lists every TODO in this project."
- "Play a sound when Claude finishes a long task."
- "Add a panel that shows my project's to-do list and lets me check things off."
Here's how I use Claude Code: [WHAT YOU USE IT FOR, E.G. EDITING MY WEBSITE, WRITING NEWSLETTERS, MANAGING MY NOTES]. Suggest 5 mods that would save me the most time, explain each in one sentence, and build the one you think I'll use most.
Common Mistakes and Quick Fixes
| If this happens | Try this |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens when you ask for a mod | Make sure you're in Code in the desktop app, not a regular chat, and that the app is up to date. |
| The buttons don't show up | Click Turn them on when Claude asks. They load when Claude finishes its reply. |
| You clicked Not now | The mod loads next time you open that session, or ask Claude to ask you again. |
| A button sends the wrong thing | Tell Claude exactly what that button should say, and it updates the mod. |
| The mod is gone in a new session | Mods only load in the session that made them until you install them. Use the Step 3 prompt. |
| Something broke after a change | Copy the short error line in the chat and paste it to Claude with "fix this." |
| You want to turn a mod off | Open the /plugin menu in Claude Code and switch it off. |
Quick Reference: Mods
| Step | What you do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Claude desktop app > Code > your project | The place mods work |
| Build | Prompt 1 | Three buttons above the chat |
| Turn on | Click Turn them on | Your mod loads when Claude finishes |
| Review panel | Prompt 2 | A before and after view of every changed file |
| Keep it | Prompt 4 | Your mod in every new session |
DO THIS TODAY
Open Code in the Claude desktop app, paste the button prompt and click Turn them on. Then swap the three buttons for the three things you ask Claude most. That's your own version of Claude, built in five minutes.
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