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Prompt-shelf is a small utility for terminal-based Claude Code and Codex workflows. Its author, Sourabh Shegane, describes it as a way to park unfinished prompts, capture ideas, and keep reusable prompts close to the agent without switching to a notes app. The workflow centers on Ctrl+F to save and Ctrl+Q to retrieve. These features, along with the implementation and macOS testing claims below, are reported by the author rather than independently verified.
What prompt-shelf is for
Prompt-shelf is intended for moments when typing into an agent’s terminal interface is inconvenient: the agent is busy, a thought needs saving without interrupting the current task, or a prompt is useful enough to reuse later. Shegane says his workaround had been copying text into a notes app and pasting it back when needed. He also says Claude Code’s Ctrl+S can hold one draft but does not preserve it after the session ends; that is his account of the workflow, not an independent comparison.
The utility is described as a shim between the user and the terminal agent. In Shegane’s words, “Neither Claude Code nor Codex gives you an API for the input box, so prompt-shelf sits in between.”
How saving and retrieving prompts works
Park an unfinished draft
Press Ctrl+F to save the text currently in the input box and clear it. The author says you can save multiple drafts and that they remain available after closing the session. To retrieve one, press Ctrl+Q, choose it from the saved items, and restore it to the input box.
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Capture an idea without sending it
Shegane describes pressing Ctrl+F and using the left and right navigation keys to choose a list, such as “Ideas” or “To explore.” This gives a passing thought a place to go without treating it as the current prompt.
Reuse a recurring prompt
Put prompts you expect to use again in a list such as “Common.” The author says Ctrl+Q opens the saved items so you can select a prompt and restore it for use. The utility is not described as sending saved text to the agent automatically; restoration is an ordinary paste into the input.
Manage lists and view skills
In the Ctrl+Q view, the author says you can create, rename, and delete lists. He also describes a Skills tab that displays skills available in the current folder.
Where saved material is kept
The author distinguishes between parked drafts and lists: drafts are associated with the current repository, while lists are shared across repositories. That scope matters if you work across projects: a draft for the active codebase is kept separate, while a reusable prompt list can be available when you switch repositories.
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How the terminal integration works
According to Shegane, prompt-shelf launches the real agent binary in a pseudo-terminal, mirrors its screen with a headless xterm, and uses an agent-specific adapter to read or restore input. He says the integration had to account for redraws, placeholders, long pastes, and line wrapping. This describes the author’s implementation; the repository was not independently inspected, and the behavior has not been independently tested here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Install prompt-shelf
The author provides two installation routes. Choose one, then open a new terminal tab and launch Claude Code or Codex.
Install with npm
npm i -g prompt-shelf && stash enableInstall with Homebrew
brew install sourabhshegane/tap/prompt-shelfAfter Homebrew installation, enable the shim:
stash enableThen open a new terminal tab and run claude or codex. Shegane describes prompt-shelf as free and MIT-licensed and reports testing it on macOS. The available account does not establish support or testing on other operating systems. Code and documentation are linked from the author’s article at the prompt-shelf article.
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What to consider before using it
- It sits in the terminal input path. The described approach wraps the agent in a pseudo-terminal, rather than calling a documented input-box API.
- Saved text is still yours to submit. Selecting a prompt restores it into the input; the utility is not described as sending it automatically.
- Scope differs by item type. Drafts are repository-specific, while lists are shared across repositories, according to the author.
- Platform evidence is limited. The author reports macOS testing; other-platform compatibility is not established by the source.
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