ModelDeck · Guides · Usage limits

How to check your Claude Code usage limits

By Tim Harris· Published July 28, 2026· Updated July 28, 2026· 5 min read

The fastest way to check your Claude Code usage is to type /usage inside a Claude Code session. It shows what percentage of your current 5-hour session window and your weekly limit you've used, and when each resets. You can also check from your browser at claude.ai, or keep usage permanently visible in your Mac's menu bar with ModelDeck. This guide covers all three, plus how the limits actually work.

What are Claude Code's usage limits?

Anthropic's Pro and Max subscription plans meter Claude Code on two clocks at once:

• A 5-hour session window. Your first message starts a 5-hour timer; usage inside that window counts against a session cap. When the window ends, the session budget resets in full.
• A weekly limit. A larger cap across all your sessions that resets every 7 days. Heavy daily use can exhaust the weekly limit even if you never hit a session cap.

How much capacity you get depends on your plan. As of July 2026:

Exact allowances vary with the model you use and the size of your requests, so treat the multipliers as ratios rather than fixed message counts. Anthropic publishes current details on its support site.

How do I check usage inside Claude Code?

1. Open any Claude Code session in your terminal.
2. Type /usage and press Enter.
3. Read the report: percentage used for the current session (5-hour window) and for the week, each with its reset time.

Checking is free — /usage reads your account's usage data without sending a model request, so it doesn't consume any of your limit. The related /status command shows which account and model you're signed in with, which matters if you switch between accounts.

How do I check usage from my browser?

Sign in at claude.ai, open Settings, and look for the Usage section. It shows the same session and weekly meters for your subscription, without opening a terminal. This is handy when you're away from your development machine and want to know whether tonight's capacity is already spent.

How do I monitor usage without interrupting my work?

The weakness of both methods above is that you have to remember to check — and most people find out they're near a limit only when Claude Code warns them, or stops. If you'd rather see it at a glance:

ModelDeck is a free macOS menu bar app (built by the author of this guide) that shows your remaining Claude Code capacity at all times — percentage left, reset times, and a notification before you run out. It also tracks multiple accounts side by side (for example a personal Max plan and a work Pro plan) and supports OpenAI's Codex CLI alongside Claude Code. Everything runs locally on your Mac; no credentials or usage data leave your machine.

What happens when I hit a limit?

• Session cap reached: Claude Code pauses until your 5-hour window resets. The reset time is shown in the limit message and in /usage.
• Weekly cap reached: you're paused until the weekly reset — which can be days away, so this is the one worth watching proactively.
• Either way, nothing is lost: your session history and files are untouched; you're just waiting on the clock.

Frequently asked questions

Does checking usage cost anything? No. /usage, the claude.ai settings page, and ModelDeck all read usage data without sending a model request.

Do API keys have the same limits? No — this guide covers Pro/Max subscription plans. Pay-as-you-go API usage is billed per token instead of metered in windows.

Can I see several accounts at once? /usage only shows the currently signed-in account. For multiple accounts in one view, use ModelDeck.