SwiftBar plugin for macOS that monitors Claude API usage in real-time. Tracks rate limits, predicts when you'll hit caps, and helps you pace your usage intelligently.
Claude Code users hit rate limits unexpectedly. The API has two time windows (5-hour and 7-day) with separate limits, making it hard to know when you're burning through your quota too fast.
Claude Pulse sits in your menu bar and shows:
- Real-time usage across both time windows (5h + 7d)
- Smart color coding — green/yellow/orange/red based on consumption rate vs time remaining
- Reset predictions — exactly when your limits refresh
- Recent sessions — one-click resume from menu bar
- macOS alerts — notifications at 70% and 90% thresholds
# 1. Install dependencies
brew install --cask swiftbar
brew install jq
# 2. Copy to SwiftBar plugins folder
cp claude-pulse.1m.sh ~/Library/Application\ Support/SwiftBar/Plugins/
# 3. Make executable
chmod +x ~/Library/Application\ Support/SwiftBar/Plugins/claude-pulse.1m.shRequirements:
- macOS (uses Keychain for OAuth token)
- SwiftBar
- jq
- Active Claude Code OAuth session
The plugin queries Anthropic's OAuth API every minute and calculates a "burn rate" — comparing your usage percentage against time elapsed. If you're using 50% of your quota but only 25% of the time window has passed, you're on track to hit the limit before reset.
| Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | On pace — will have quota remaining at reset |
| 🟡 Yellow | 30% faster than sustainable |
| 🟠 Orange | 60% faster — slow down |
| 🔴 Red | Will exhaust before reset |
Create ~/.claude-usage-config.json:
{
"alerts": {
"threshold_warning": 70,
"threshold_critical": 90,
"cooldown_minutes": 30,
"enabled": true
},
"display": {
"max_sessions": 5,
"show_velocity": true,
"show_streak": true,
"show_predictions": true
}
}MIT
