Running Claude Code in Batches for Automated Workflows

I had 262 items to process. Claude Code’s context window gets foggy after handling about 25 items. So I needed to run it in batches, automatically resuming where it left off.

The solution? A Python script that launches Claude Code, waits for it to work, then gracefully shuts it down and starts fresh.

The Batch Runner

# run_claude_in_batches.py
import subprocess
import time
import signal

def one_go():
    PROMPT = "resume with a batch size of 5"
    WAIT_MINUTES = 5

    complete_command = """claude --permission-mode bypassPermissions 'resume with a batch size of 5'"""
    print(f"Command: {complete_command}")

    process = subprocess.Popen(complete_command, shell=True, cwd=".", text=True)
    print(f"Claude Code started (PID={process.pid})")

    print(f"Waiting {WAIT_MINUTES} minutes...")
    time.sleep(WAIT_MINUTES * 60)

    print("Sending SIGINT...")
    process.send_signal(signal.SIGINT)

    try:
        process.wait(timeout=5)
    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
        print("Force terminating Claude Code...")
        process.kill()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    count = int(262/25)
    for i in range(count):
        print(f"Run {i+1}/{count}")
        one_go()
    print("Done.")

How It Works

1. Launch Claude Code with bypassPermissions mode so it can run unattended
2. Let it work for a fixed time window (5 minutes in this case)
3. Send SIGINT to gracefully shut down, allowing Claude to save state
4. Force kill if it doesn’t respond within 5 seconds
5. Loop until all batches are processed

The key insight: Claude Code can resume work when you tell it to. The “resume with a batch size of 5” prompt leverages this. You need to have your task structured so Claude knows what “resume” means - typically by having it track progress in a file or database.

When This Pattern Fits

This works well when:

• You have many similar items to process
• Each item is independent
• Claude can track its own progress
• You’re running overnight or unattended

It’s probably overkill for:

• Interactive development sessions
• Tasks requiring human judgment at each step
• One-off operations

The batch size and wait time are tunable. Start with shorter waits and adjust based on how much work Claude typically completes per cycle.