name: claude-streaming-spacing-fix description: | Fix for unwanted spaces appearing inside words when streaming Claude API responses. Use when: (1) words appear split like "re deems" instead of "redeems", (2) numbers show spaces like "10. 00" instead of "10.00", (3) spacing fix between sentences causes mid-word spaces. The issue is adding spaces between ALL streaming chunks instead of only between API turns. author: Claude Code version: 1.0.0 date: 2026-01-30

Claude Streaming Spacing Fix

Problem

When streaming Claude API responses, words and numbers appear with unwanted spaces inside them (e.g., "re deems", "10. 00%", "proport ional"). This breaks readability and looks like a bug to users.

Context / Trigger Conditions

• Words split with spaces: "re deems" instead of "redeems"
• Numbers split: "10. 00" instead of "10.00"
• Pattern: spaces appear before the last chunk of split tokens
• Usually appears after implementing a "fix" for missing spaces between sentences
• The original problem was sentences running together ("you.Let me try")

Root Cause

Claude's streaming API returns individual tokens which can split words arbitrarily. A naive fix for missing spaces between sentences:

// WRONG - Too aggressive
if (!fullContent.match(/[\s\n]$/) && !chunk.match(/^[\s\n]/)) {
  yield ' '; // Adds space between ANY chunks without whitespace
}

This inserts spaces between streaming tokens WITHIN the same word, because words can be split across multiple streaming chunks (e.g., "re" + "deems").

Solution

Only add spaces between API turns (after tool use), not between streaming tokens within a single response:

let isFirstTextChunkThisTurn = true;

for await (const event of streamMessage(...)) {
  if (event.type === 'text') {
    const textChunk = event.data as string;

    // Only check spacing at the START of each API turn
    if (isFirstTextChunkThisTurn && fullResponseContent &&
        !fullResponseContent.match(/[\s\n]$/) && !textChunk.match(/^[\s\n]/)) {
      fullResponseContent += ' ';
      yield { type: 'text', data: ' ' };
    }

    isFirstTextChunkThisTurn = false; // Don't check again this turn
    fullResponseContent += textChunk;
    yield event;
  }
}
// Reset isFirstTextChunkThisTurn = true at start of next turn

The key insight: the original "you.Let me try" problem happens between different Claude API calls in an agentic loop (turn 1 ends at "you.", tool use, turn 2 starts with "Let"). It does NOT happen between streaming tokens within a single response.

Verification

1. Test sentences after tool use: "I found it. Let me explain" should have space
2. Test words in normal streaming: "redeems" should NOT become "re deems"
3. Test numbers: "10.00" should NOT become "10. 00"

Example

Before fix (too aggressive):

"10. 00%" - space before "00"
"re deems" - space before "deems"
"proport ional" - space before "ional"

After fix (turn-boundary only):

"10.00%" - correct
"redeems" - correct
"you. Let me try" - space added between turns (correct)

Notes

• The original problem only occurs in agentic loops with tool use
• Streaming tokens can split ANYWHERE - mid-word, mid-number, mid-punctuation
• Don't try to be "smart" about detecting word boundaries in streaming
• Track turn boundaries explicitly with a flag

References

• Claude API streaming documentation
• Agentic loop patterns with tool use