# Opt-in vs Always-On Mode in i-have-ADHD: Complete Activation Guide > Understand opt-in vs always-on mode in i-have-ADHD. Learn about activation differences, persistence, and automation to optimize your ADHD workflow. Get the complete guide. - Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-06 --- **The i-have-ADHD skill supports opt-in activation via session-specific commands and always-on mode through flag files or extensions, differing primarily in persistence, automation, and the underlying trigger mechanisms.** The `ayghri/i-have-adhd` repository implements a specialized AI interaction style designed for ADHD workflows through two distinct activation methods. Understanding the difference between opt-in and always-on mode in i-have-adhd allows users to choose between temporary, manually-triggered assistance and persistent, automatic rule application across every AI session. ## What Are the Two Activation Modes? The skill operates through fundamentally different pathways: - **Opt-in (command) invocation**: Manual activation per session using slash commands that load the skill from `skills/i-have-adhd/` - **Always-on (extension) mode**: Automatic injection at session start via the [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) script when it detects the flag file `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` Both methods ultimately source their behavior from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), but differ significantly in timing, persistence, and setup requirements. ## How Opt-In Mode Works Opt-in mode treats the ADHD ruleset as a temporary skill that users explicitly request when needed. ### Activating Opt-In Mode To trigger the skill manually in Claude Code, type the command: ```bash /i-have-adhd ``` For Codex users, the trigger uses a dollar prefix: ```bash $i-have-adhd ``` Once activated, the rules remain active only for the current session. ### Technical Implementation The opt-in mechanism resides in `skills/i-have-adhd/` and relies on front-matter configuration to prevent automatic loading. According to the source code, the skill declares `disable-model-invocation: true` in its front-matter, ensuring nothing executes until the user types the explicit trigger command. ### Deactivating Opt-In Mode To end the skill in an active session, type: ```bash stop adhd mode ``` Alternatively, `normal mode` also terminates the ADHD-specific formatting for that session. ## How Always-On Mode Works Always-on mode automatically prepends the ADHD ruleset to every conversation without manual intervention. ### Setting Up Always-On Mode Users can enable automatic activation through two methods. The first involves creating a flag file in your Claude configuration directory: ```bash touch ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always ``` The second method installs the skill as a Gemini extension: ```bash gemini extensions install https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd ``` ### The Session-Start Hook Mechanism Under the hood, always-on mode relies on [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh), a session-start hook registered in [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json). At the start of every Claude Code session, this script checks for the presence of `$CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR/.i-have-adhd-always` (defaulting to `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always`). If the flag file exists, the hook reads [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), strips its YAML front-matter, and prints the full ruleset before every assistant reply. This ensures the ADHD formatting guidelines are automatically active without user intervention. ### Disabling Always-On Mode To disable the automatic behavior, remove the flag file: ```bash rm ~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always ``` For extension-based installations, uninstall via: ```bash gemini extensions uninstall i-have-adhd ``` Alternatively, editing [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) to remove the `"command": "sh \"${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/always-on.sh\""` entry prevents automatic injection while preserving the skill files for opt-in use. ## Key Differences at a Glance **Activation Method**: Opt-in requires typing `/i-have-adhd` or `$i-have-adhd`, while always-on checks for `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` or uses a Gemini extension. **Session Persistence**: Opt-in lasts only for the current conversation, whereas always-on applies to every new session automatically via [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh). **Deactivation**: Type `stop adhd mode` to end opt-in sessions; remove the flag file or uninstall the extension to disable always-on. **Implementation Detail**: Opt-in uses `disable-model-invocation: true` in the skill front-matter to prevent auto-loading; always-on relies on [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) to execute [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) at session start. ## Summary - **Opt-in mode** requires explicit command invocation per session and uses `disable-model-invocation: true` to remain dormant until triggered, storing the skill in `skills/i-have-adhd/`. - **Always-on mode** leverages [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) and [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json) to automatically inject rules from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) when `~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always` exists. - Both modes access the identical ruleset defined in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), differing only in automation level and session persistence. - Users can switch between modes by creating or deleting the flag file, or by toggling the hook registration in the configuration. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I use the opt-in command while always-on mode is enabled? If you trigger `/i-have-adhd` while the flag file exists, the ruleset remains active as expected, but you will have redundant rule injection since [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) already prepends the guidelines automatically. To avoid confusion, choose one activation method based on your workflow needs. ### Can I use always-on mode with Codex? The flag file mechanism (`~/.claude/.i-have-adhd-always`) specifically targets Claude Code's hook system via [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh). Codex users should rely on the opt-in command `$i-have-adhd` for session-specific activation, as the automatic injection relies on Claude-specific hook infrastructure defined in [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json). ### Why does the always-on hook strip YAML front-matter? The [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) script removes the YAML front-matter from [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) before injection because the front-matter contains metadata flags like `disable-model-invocation: true` that control skill loading behavior. Stripping these headers ensures only the actual formatting rules are injected into the conversation context, not the configuration metadata. ### Where can I find detailed installation instructions? Comprehensive setup guides for both activation modes are documented in [`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md) at the repository root, while [`README.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/README.md) provides quick-start examples. The core logic resides in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), with automation handled by [`hooks/always-on.sh`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/always-on.sh) and configured through [`hooks/hooks.json`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/hooks/hooks.json).