Configuration Overview

ccusage provides multiple ways to configure its behavior, allowing you to customize it for your specific needs. Configuration can be done through command-line options, environment variables, configuration files, or a combination of all three.

Configuration Methods

ccusage supports four configuration methods, each with its own use case:

1. Command-Line Options - Direct control for individual commands
2. Environment Variables - System-wide or session settings
3. Configuration Files - Persistent, shareable settings
4. Directory Detection - Automatic Claude data discovery

Configuration Priority

Settings are applied in this priority order (highest to lowest):

1. Command-line arguments (e.g., --json, --offline)
2. Custom config file (via --config flag)
3. Environment variables (e.g., CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR, LOG_LEVEL)
4. Local project config (.ccusage/ccusage.json)
5. User config (~/.config/claude/ccusage.json)
6. Legacy config (~/.claude/ccusage.json)
7. Built-in defaults

Priority Example

# Configuration file sets mode to "calculate"
# .ccusage/ccusage.json
{
  "defaults": {
    "mode": "calculate"
  }
}

# Environment variable sets timezone
export CCUSAGE_TIMEZONE="Asia/Tokyo"

# Command-line argument takes highest priority
ccusage daily --mode display --timezone UTC
# Result: mode=display (CLI), timezone=UTC (CLI)

Quick Start

Basic Setup

1. Set your Claude directory (if not using defaults):

export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR="$HOME/.config/claude"

2. Create a configuration file for your preferences:

{
  "$schema": "https://ccusage.com/config-schema.json",
  "defaults": {
    "timezone": "America/New_York",
    "locale": "en-US",
    "breakdown": true
  }
}

3. Use command-line options for one-off changes:

ccusage daily --since 20250101 --json

Common Configuration Scenarios

Personal Development

For individual developers working on multiple projects:

// ~/.config/claude/ccusage.json
{
  "$schema": "https://ccusage.com/config-schema.json",
  "defaults": {
    "breakdown": true,
    "timezone": "local"
  },
  "commands": {
    "daily": {
      "instances": true
    }
  }
}

Team Collaboration

For teams sharing configuration:

// .ccusage/ccusage.json (committed to repo)
{
  "$schema": "https://ccusage.com/config-schema.json",
  "defaults": {
    "timezone": "UTC",
    "locale": "en-CA",
    "mode": "auto"
  }
}

CI/CD Pipeline

For automated environments:

# Environment variables
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR="/ci/claude-data"
export LOG_LEVEL=1  # Warnings only

# Run with specific options
ccusage daily --offline --json > report.json

Multiple Claude Installations

For users with multiple Claude Code versions:

# Aggregate from multiple directories
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR="$HOME/.claude,$HOME/.config/claude"
ccusage daily

Configuration by Feature

Cost Calculation

Control how costs are calculated:

• Mode: auto (default), calculate, or display
• Offline: Use cached pricing data
• Breakdown: Show per-model costs

ccusage daily --mode calculate --breakdown --offline

Date and Time

Customize date/time handling:

• Timezone: Any valid timezone (e.g., UTC, America/New_York)
• Locale: Format preferences (e.g., en-US, ja-JP)
• Date Range: Filter with --since and --until

ccusage daily --timezone UTC --locale en-CA --since 20250101

Output Format

Control output presentation:

• JSON: Machine-readable output with --json
• JQ Filtering: Process JSON with --jq
• Debug: Show detailed information with --debug

ccusage daily --json --jq ".data[] | select(.cost > 10)"

Project Analysis

Analyze usage by project:

• Instances: Group by project with --instances
• Project Filter: Focus on specific project with --project
• Aliases: Set custom names via configuration file

// .ccusage/ccusage.json
{
  "commands": {
    "daily": {
      "projectAliases": "uuid-123=My App,long-name=Backend"
    }
  }
}

ccusage daily --instances --project "My App"

Debugging Configuration

Use debug mode to understand configuration loading:

# See which config files are loaded
ccusage daily --debug

# Check environment variables
env | grep -E "CLAUDE|CCUSAGE|LOG_LEVEL"

# Verbose logging
LOG_LEVEL=5 ccusage daily

Debug Output

Debug mode shows:

• Config file discovery and loading
• Option merging from different sources
• Final configuration values
• Pricing calculation details

Best Practices

1. Layer Your Configuration

Use different configuration methods for different scopes:

• Environment variables: Machine-specific settings (paths)
• User config: Personal preferences (timezone, locale)
• Project config: Team standards (mode, formatting)
• CLI arguments: One-off overrides

2. Use Configuration Files for Teams

Share consistent settings across team members:

# Commit to version control
git add .ccusage/ccusage.json
git commit -m "Add team ccusage configuration"

3. Document Your Configuration

Add comments or README files explaining configuration choices:

# ccusage Configuration

Our team uses:
- UTC timezone for consistency
- JSON output for automated processing
- Calculate mode for accurate cost tracking

4. Validate Configuration

Use the schema for validation:

{
  "$schema": "https://ccusage.com/config-schema.json"
}

5. Keep Secrets Secure

Never put sensitive information in configuration files:

• ❌ API keys or tokens
• ❌ Personal identifiers
• ✅ Timezone preferences
• ✅ Output formats

Migration Guide

From v1 to v2

If upgrading from older versions:

1. Update directory paths (now supports ~/.config/claude)
2. Migrate environment variables to config files
3. Update any scripts using old CLI options

From Manual Commands

Convert repeated commands to configuration:

# Before: Repeated commands
ccusage daily --breakdown --instances --timezone UTC

# After: Configuration file
{
  "defaults": {
    "breakdown": true,
    "timezone": "UTC"
  },
  "commands": {
    "daily": {
      "instances": true
    }
  }
}

# Simplified command
ccusage daily

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Configuration not applied: Check priority order
2. Invalid JSON: Validate syntax with jq
3. Directory not found: Verify CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR
4. No data: Check directory permissions

Getting Help

If configuration issues persist:

1. Run with debug mode: ccusage daily --debug
2. Check verbose logs: LOG_LEVEL=5 ccusage daily
3. Validate JSON config: jq . < ccusage.json
4. Report issues on GitHub

Next Steps

Explore specific configuration topics:

• Command-Line Options - All available CLI arguments
• Environment Variables - System configuration
• Configuration Files - Persistent settings
• Directory Detection - Claude data discovery
• Cost Modes - Understanding calculation modes
• Custom Paths - Advanced path management