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Commands overview

Commands control Claude Code from inside a session. You type / to see the list, or / and some letters to filter it.

How commands work

  • Claude Code recognizes a command only at the start of a message.
  • The text after the command name becomes its arguments.
  • You can chain up to six skills in one message, for example /skill-a /skill-b do XYZ.
  • If you send a command while Claude is responding, Claude Code queues it until the turn finishes.
  • Some commands run at once without a wait, for example /status, /tasks and /usage.

In the tables, <arg> is a required argument and [arg] is an optional argument.

Some entries are bundled skills (a prompt that Claude Code gives to Claude). Some entries are bundled workflows (a background job that sends work to many subagents). The tables mark them as Skill or Workflow.

Not all commands show for all users. Availability depends on your platform, plan and environment.

Sections

Section Content
See the status Status, usage, context, costs and plan limits
Configure the client Model, effort, theme, terminal and editor behavior
Set up the project Memory, permissions, hooks, directories and login
Integrations MCP, IDE, GitHub, Slack, Chrome, cloud and plugins
Manage the conversation Clear, compact, resume, branch, rewind and export
Interact with running tasks Background sessions, subagents, loops and workflows
Review and ship changes Diff, code review, security review and app checks
Troubleshoot Doctor, debug logs, bug reports and memory dumps
Content skills and other commands Artifacts, slides, design, API help, removed commands

Commands across a typical workflow

Moment Commands
First session in a repo /init, /memory, /mcp, /permissions
During a task /plan, /model, /effort, /context, /compact, /btw
Run work in parallel /tasks, /background, /batch
Before you ship /diff, /code-review, /security-review
Between sessions /clear, /resume, /branch, /fork, /teleport, /remote-control
When something is wrong /rewind, /doctor, /debug, /feedback

Command menu behavior

  • If the letters match a name or an alias, Claude Code highlights the top suggestion. For example, /new highlights /clear.
  • If you make a typo, Enter sends the text as typed and you get Unknown command.
  • Claude Code removes from the menu the commands that are not available to you.
  • Some commands, such as /heapdump, are hidden. Type the full name to run them.

MCP prompts

MCP servers can expose prompts. These prompts show as commands in the / menu.

  • Commands reference

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands

  • Create your own commands with skills

https://code.claude.com/docs/en/skills