MCP Tasks and Elicitations in Claude Code
Connected tools can now run long jobs in the background and stop to ask you a question partway through, for Claude Code terminal users.
Details
- With Tasks, a tool accepts the job and hands control straight back, so Claude keeps working. When the job finishes, the result goes to Claude, and if Claude is idle it picks the result up without a new prompt
- Running jobs show as a count in the footer and in /tasks, where you can check the latest progress or cancel one
- A job running on a remote server keeps going after you close Claude Code, and Claude follows it again when you resume that session
- With Elicitations, a tool can pop up a question in a dialog mid-task. Declining also counts as an answer, and the tool decides whether to carry on
- Public beta in the Claude Code terminal app (version 2.1.304 or later) and the Agent SDK. Not yet in the VS Code extension or desktop app, with more Claude products coming
- Whoever builds the plugin has to add support on their server. Existing tools don't get it automatically
Best for
Connected tools that take minutes to finish, like a deep research run, a report export, or a build, without stalling the conversation.
When to use it
Your Claude Code plugin or connector does slow work, or needs a decision from you midway, such as confirming a refund or filling in a missing detail.
Who benefits
Teams building their own Claude plugins and connectors, plus the people who run those tools from the terminal.
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