Why Claude Code's task list is empty, and how to get it back

The fix

Set the variable when you start Claude Code. The docs say this provides the task tools on every model and every provider:

CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1 claude

# or for every session, in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
export CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TODO_TOOLS=1

Naming one of the tools also turns them on for that session, for example claude --allowedTools TaskCreate, or listing them in --tools. Background sessions started from agent view and cloud sessions get the tools on every model without any setting.

Why the default changed

Claude Code's tools reference gives the reason: newer models keep track of multi-step work without a written checklist, and the tools' definitions and reminders take up context on every turn. So the list is off where it adds the least, and you can opt back in when you want to see the plan.

Other reasons the list looks empty

• Claude hasn't made a checklist yet. Ctrl+T toggles the view, and with nothing in the list the toggle has no visible effect.
• The view shows up to five tasks at a time, so a long plan looks shorter than it is.
• You're looking at /tasks. That lists background shells and subagents, not Claude's checklist.
• A model ID Claude Code doesn't recognize, such as a custom name behind an LLM gateway, is treated like a newer model: no tools unless you opt in.
• Sharing a list across sessions with CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID still needs the tools in each session.

When you want the plan outside the terminal

The built-in list is a good checklist for the session in front of you. It lives in ~/.claude/tasks/ on one machine and in one terminal. If you want to see the plan from a browser or your phone, across Claude Code and other agents, the agent has to report it somewhere shared.

Taskhold is built for that: Claude Code plans each task into steps with taskhold_plan and reports progress with taskhold_progress, and you watch it on a live board, on any model, alongside Codex or Cursor. Both can run at once: the built-in list for Claude's own short checklist, Taskhold for the tasks you queue and follow.