AgentNotch vs iTerm notifications
iTerm triggers and badges alert you when a command finishes. AgentNotch shows live, agent-aware status across sessions.
❯ claude
● Wiring the license claim endpoint
⎿ Edited lib/license/store.ts (+38 −6)
⎿ Edited app/api/license/claim/route.ts (+21 −3)
⎿ Ran npm test (42 passed)
● Run npm run db:migrate?
❯ 1. Yes 2. No, tell Claude what to do
waiting for your approval
iTerm has real tools for this, worth knowing. Triggers watch your output and fire an action when it matches a pattern you set. Badges stamp a label on a tab so you spot state without reading every line. Wire these up and they answer a lot of the did-it-finish question for free.
But what they match is text, not the agent. A trigger fires because output looked a certain way, not because the agent stalled or paused for approval. Neither tracks how much context a session has left or which of several agents wants you next, and both stop at iTerm's own windows.
Reading the agent, not the scrollback
AgentNotch watches your Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex sessions and keeps their status in the menu bar the whole time they run. It flags the one that needs you, shows a context gauge and plan usage per session, and clicks straight to it. It reads the agents themselves, so it works in whatever terminal they run. Keep your triggers; AgentNotch adds the layer they were never meant to give.
Side by side
| iTerm notifications | AgentNotch | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Fires an alert or sets a badge when output matches a trigger you define. | Watches your agents and keeps their live status in the menu bar as they run. |
| Where it lives | Inside iTerm, tied to the tabs and panes you set up. | In the notch and menu bar, visible while you work in any other app. |
| Understands the agent? | No. It matches text patterns; it doesn't know an agent stalled or is waiting. | Yes. It flags the one session waiting on approval, stalled, or done. |
| Shows context and plan usage? | No. A trigger or badge is a signal, not a live gauge. | Yes. A context gauge and plan usage, per session, at a glance. |
| Works in any terminal? | No. Triggers and badges are iTerm's own features. | Yes. It is terminal-agnostic and reads Cursor and Codex too. |
| Price | Free. | One-time $9.99. 14-day free trial, no card. |
Questions
- Can iTerm notify me when a command finishes?
- Yes. iTerm supports triggers that fire an alert on matching output and badges that label a tab, so you can flag when a command finishes or a prompt appears once you define the patterns you care about.
- Why isn't an iTerm trigger enough for coding agents?
- A trigger matches text; it doesn't understand the agent behind it, so it can't tell you a session stalled, how much context is left, or which agent needs you. AgentNotch reads that state directly instead of pattern-matching output.
- Does AgentNotch replace iTerm's triggers and badges?
- No, iTerm's triggers and badges are good in-terminal signals and AgentNotch is the agent-aware layer above them. Keep your triggers and add the status they don't track.
- Does AgentNotch only work with iTerm?
- No, AgentNotch is terminal-agnostic and reads your Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex sessions wherever they run. It stays 100% local and never reads your code or API keys.
Keep reading
See which agent needs you.
Try AgentNotchfree for 14 days, no card. Watch Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex from your Mac's menu bar.
Updated 2026-07-17