Auto AI CLI Detection
Your terminal finally knows what AI is running inside it. Other terminals? Blissfully ignorant.
Questions this answers
- Can my terminal detect AI coding agents?
- How do I know which AI CLI tool is running in my terminal?
- Is there a terminal that tracks Claude Code and Copilot sessions?
- How to monitor AI agents running in terminal tabs?
How it works
Chau7 monitors the process tree of every terminal tab in real time. When a known AI agent process spawns, such as claude, codex, gemini, aider, or cursor, the tab is instantly flagged and tagged with the corresponding agent identity. Detection happens at the process level, not by parsing output, so it works regardless of shell or prompt configuration.
The detection engine maintains a built-in registry of known AI CLI process signatures and updates it with each release. It checks both direct child processes and deeper descendants in the process tree, catching agents launched via wrapper scripts, npx, pipx, or other indirection layers.
Once detected, the agent identity propagates to the tab bar UI, the MCP server, and the telemetry system. Downstream features like AI Tab Branding, session tracking, and cost analytics all key off this detection event as their trigger.
Why it matters
Every other terminal on your Mac is blissfully unaware that Claude Code is rewriting your codebase in one tab while Codex refactors another. They see processes. Chau7 sees agents. It identifies Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, ChatGPT, Copilot, Aider, and Cursor the moment they spawn, tags the tab, and tells every downstream system. You get instant awareness of which agents are active, which tabs they occupy, and how long they have been running. No other terminal does this. Not even a little.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI agents does Chau7 detect out of the box?
Chau7 ships with built-in detection for Claude Code, OpenAI Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, ChatGPT CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI, Aider, and Cursor terminal mode. The list grows with each release, and you can add custom patterns for any tool not yet included.
Does detection require any configuration or shell integration?
No. Detection is fully automatic and works with any shell. Chau7 watches the process tree directly, so there are no shell aliases, hooks, or dotfile changes needed.
Does AI detection slow down my terminal?
Not noticeably. Process tree checks are lightweight system calls that complete in microseconds. Chau7 polls on a debounced interval and caches results, so the overhead is negligible even with dozens of open tabs.