Claude Code defaults auto mode to a server classifier without overhead charges
Claude Code v2.1.278 defaults auto mode to a server-side classifier for Claude API and Enterprise users, plus named cloud platforms and gateways. The classifier does not charge for classifier overhead, and /status now shows whether it runs on the server.
SessionWatcher editorial · Published · Updated · Source announcement: 2026-09-19
Related guide: How to check your Claude Code usage
Auto mode classifier billing changes
Claude Code v2.1.278, released September 19, changes auto mode for Claude API and Enterprise users, and on Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry and gateways, to default to the server-side classifier. Anthropic says this classifier does not charge for classifier overhead.
On Bedrock, Vertex, Foundry and gateways, CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_MODE_SERVER=0 opts out. The release also says Claude Code warns on billed fallback.
Sources: v2.1.278
Check where the classifier runs
The release adds an Auto mode server row to /status. It shows whether the current session's auto mode classifier runs on the server, making that setting visible inside the session.
Sources: v2.1.278
AI assisted reporting, checked against the linked official sources. Source pages checked 2026-10-03. Editorial process and corrections.