How to Enable or Disable Specific Features in the i-have-adhd Plugin

The i-have-adhd plugin manages feature flags through a persistent runtime state entry (STATE_ENTRY_TYPE), allowing you to toggle the main ADHD mode via the /i-have-adhd slash command or programmatically control individual sub-features using the pi.appendEntry API.

The ayghri/i-have-adhd repository provides a Claude Code plugin that reformats AI responses to follow ADHD-friendly cognitive rules. Understanding how to enable or disable specific features in the i-have-adhd plugin gives you granular control over which behavioral modifications—such as numbered steps, stop-phrases, or action-first formatting—are active during your sessions.

How the Plugin Stores Feature State

The plugin initializes its operational state by reading a persisted boolean from the host environment. In extensions/i-have-adhd.ts, the startup logic determines whether ADHD-friendly mode should be active by checking a saved state against a default value:

// extensions/i-have-adhd.ts
const enabledByDefault = …;
enabled = savedState ?? enabledByDefault;

This state is stored under a specific runtime entry type (STATE_ENTRY_TYPE) that persists across sessions. When the plugin loads, it retrieves this entry to restore your previous configuration, ensuring that features remain enabled or disabled exactly as you left them.

Toggling the Main ADHD Mode with Slash Commands

The primary user interface for feature control is the /i-have-adhd slash command registered in extensions/i-have-adhd.ts. The command description indicates that the feature starts enabled by default, and when invoked, the handler flips the current boolean state:

setEnabled(!enabled, ctx);   // toggles the mode [source line 175]

Upon execution, the plugin immediately provides UI feedback through a notification:

ctx.ui.notify(`ADHD mode ${enabled ? "enabled" : "disabled"}`, "info");

To toggle the entire plugin from the command line:

/i-have-adhd            # flips the current state (enabled ⇆ disabled)

Controlling Individual Sub-Features

Beyond the global toggle, the plugin supports granular control over specific ADHD-friendly formatting rules. Each sub-feature—such as numbered steps, stop-phrases, or action-first formatting—maintains its own boolean flag within the state object.

The source code checks these individual flags in conditional blocks (around lines 121-133 in extensions/i-have-adhd.ts):

if (enabled && config.numberedSteps) {
  // Apply numbered step formatting
}
if (enabled && config.stopPhrases) {
  // Insert stop-phrase markers
}

To enable a specific sub-feature programmatically without affecting the global state:

import { pi } from "pi";               // host API
import { STATE_ENTRY_TYPE } from "./extensions/i-have-adhd";

const current = await pi.getEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE);
await pi.appendEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, {
  ...current,
  numberedSteps: true,                 // enable only this specific feature
  stopPhrases: false,                  // explicitly disable others
});

Persisting State Across Sessions

The plugin ensures your preferences survive between restarts through the pi.appendEntry method. When you modify any feature flag—whether through the slash command or direct API calls—the updated state object is appended to the persistent storage:

await pi.appendEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, newState);

On the next initialization, the plugin retrieves this entry via pi.getEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE) and restores your custom configuration. This persistence mechanism allows you to permanently disable features you do not need or keep specific optimizations always enabled.

Practical Implementation Examples

Check Current Plugin Status

To verify whether ADHD mode is active and inspect individual feature states:

const state = await pi.getEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE);
console.log(`ADHD mode is ${state.enabled ? "ON" : "OFF"}`);
console.log(`Numbered steps: ${state.numberedSteps}`);

Disable All Features Temporarily

To turn off all ADHD-friendly formatting without losing your configuration:

const current = await pi.getEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE);
await pi.appendEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, {
  ...current,
  enabled: false,
});

Enable Only Action-First Formatting

To activate a single specific feature while keeping others disabled:

await pi.appendEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, {
  enabled: true,
  actionFirst: true,
  numberedSteps: false,
  stopPhrases: false,
});

Summary

• The i-have-adhd plugin stores all feature flags in STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, retrieved on load via pi.getEntry.
• Use the /i-have-adhd slash command to toggle the global mode, which calls setEnabled(!enabled, ctx) and persists immediately.
• Individual sub-features (numbered steps, stop-phrases, action-first) are controlled by separate booleans in the state object, checked in if (enabled && ...) blocks throughout extensions/i-have-adhd.ts.
• All changes persist across sessions through pi.appendEntry, ensuring your preferences are restored on the next plugin initialization.
• Programmatic control is available through the host API (pi.getEntry and pi.appendEntry) for custom scripts and advanced configurations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if ADHD mode is currently enabled?

Query the persistent state entry directly using the host API. The current status is stored in the enabled property of the STATE_ENTRY_TYPE object:

const state = await pi.getEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE);
const isActive = state.enabled;  // true or false

Can I enable specific features without turning on the main ADHD mode?

No, individual sub-features are only processed when the global enabled flag is true. The plugin logic wraps feature-specific code in if (enabled && featureFlag) conditions. You must set enabled: true in the state object for any sub-feature formatting to apply.

Where is the plugin state stored?

The state is stored in the host environment's persistent entry system under the STATE_ENTRY_TYPE identifier. This is not a local file but rather a runtime entry managed by the Claude Code host through the pi API, accessed via pi.getEntry and updated via pi.appendEntry in extensions/i-have-adhd.ts.

How do I reset the plugin to default settings?

Reset the state by appending a new entry with undefined or default values. The plugin will fall back to enabledByDefault when savedState is null:

await pi.appendEntry(STATE_ENTRY_TYPE, {
  enabled: undefined,  // triggers fallback to enabledByDefault
  numberedSteps: undefined,
  stopPhrases: undefined,
});

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}