| name | switching-accounts |
| description | Use when the user asks to switch Claude accounts, check how much of their rate limit or session window is left, warm up a session, or work out which of their accounts to use next. Covers the `cca` account manager, the 5-hour session window, and why a switch only takes effect on the next launch. |
Switching Claude accounts
The cca CLI keeps several Claude.ai logins side by side and points Claude Code at
one of them. Prefer running cca over inspecting credential storage by hand.
Read the situation first
cca list
cca status
cca list --json is the machine-readable form; each profile carries fiveHour and
sevenDay objects with utilization (percent) and resets_at (ISO timestamp).
Switching
cca use <name>
cca run <name> -- <args>
cca run --best
A switch never affects the running session. Claude Code reads credentials once at
startup, so cca use changes the next launch. Say this plainly rather than implying
the current conversation moved accounts.
The 5-hour window
A subscription's session window opens at the first request and runs for five hours;
resets_at is when it lapses. Warming sends one minimal request so the window opens
at a chosen time — it shifts when the window runs, it does not add quota.
cca warm <name>
cca warm --all
cca warmup smart
cca warmup schedule --at 08:00,13:00
Choosing an account
Recommend by 5-hour utilization first — lower is better — and fall back to the
weekly figure when two accounts are close. If an account shows not logged in, the
fix is cca login <name>, not a switch.
When something looks wrong
cca doctor --deep verifies the whole chain, including asking Claude Code itself which
account it resolves under each profile. Run it before theorising about causes.
