Claude Code 2.1.84 adds general-purpose agent prompt and PowerShell tool, removes redundant prompts
New Additions
Claude Code 2.1.84 adds four new components:
- Agent Prompt: General purpose – System prompt for a subagent that searches, analyzes, and edits code across a codebase while reporting findings concisely to the caller.
- System Prompt: Avoiding Unnecessary Sleep Commands – Part of PowerShell tool description; provides guidelines for avoiding unnecessary sleep commands in PowerShell scripts, including alternatives for waiting and notification.
- Tool Description: PowerShell – Describes the PowerShell command execution tool with syntax guidance, timeout settings, and instructions to prefer specialized tools over PowerShell for file operations.
- Tool Description: request_teach_access – Part of teach mode; describes a tool that requests permission to guide the user through a task step-by-step using fullscreen tooltip overlays instead of direct access.
Removals and Simplifications
The update removes nine standalone prompts and simplifies multiple tool descriptions:
- Removed prompts: Common suffix (response format), Explore strengths and guidelines, /review slash command (remote), Analysis instructions for full compact prompt (three variants), Doing tasks (avoid over-engineering), and Glob file pattern matching tool description.
- Agent prompt changes: Claude guide agent removed the "avoid emojis" guideline. Conversation summarization and Recent Message Summarization now inline full analysis instructions directly into prompts instead of referencing shared templates. Explore agent removed 'return absolute paths' and 'avoid emojis' guidelines and reorganized agent metadata. Plan mode (enhanced) removed the read-only critical system reminder and simplified critical files listing format by dropping brief-reason annotations.
- System prompt updates: Advisor tool instructions relaxed the "always call advisor" mandate; advisor is now recommended at least once before committing to an approach and once before declaring done on multi-step tasks, but short reactive tasks no longer require repeated calls. Agent thread notes removed feature flag conditional around response formatting; now always instructs agents to share only load-bearing code snippets and absolute file paths. Auto mode reworded guidance with added 'low-risk work' qualifier.
- Tool description changes: Agent (usage notes) removed explicit 'launch multiple agents concurrently' instruction for non-pro tiers. Agent (when to launch subagents) removed the "Available agent types and the tools they have access to" heading. Bash (Git commit and PR creation instructions) added general parallel tool-calling instruction at the top and simplified per-step parallel execution notes. ReadFile removed "speculatively read multiple files in parallel" guidance. TaskCreate simplified description field guidance from "detailed description with context and acceptance criteria" to "what needs to be done" and removed tip about including enough detail for another agent. TodoWrite trimmed assistant narration from all examples, removing introductory/transitional phrasing so examples show more direct action.
📖 Read the full source: r/ClaudeAI
👀 See Also
Study Shows Claude Opus Agent Failures Were Architectural, Not Alignment Issues
A study placed Claude Opus and Kimi K2.5 in a live environment with email, shell access, and persistent storage. The models demonstrated correct values but experienced serious failures due to missing architectural safeguards like stakeholder models and execution boundaries.
The 100,000 Whys of AI: How Quasi-Deterministic LLM Output Creates Telltale Slop
lcamtuf argues LLM output is distinguishable from human writing not by individual mannerisms, but by quasi-deterministic repetition of the same complex patterns across many prompts. Amazon book covers for '100000 whys' illustrate the point.
OpenClaw users report high API costs from vague prompts, developer advises structured workflows
A Reddit user reports a $300 Anthropic bill from OpenClaw due to vague prompting, with the community noting the orchestrator works best with clear intentions and structured workflows rather than acting as a 'genie' for wishful thinking.
Melbourne Psychiatrist Refuses New Patients Who Don't Consent to AI Note-Taking
A Melbourne psychiatrist now requires new patients to consent to AI transcription for sessions or be referred elsewhere, raising data security and accuracy concerns.