- Built-in slash commands
- Custom slash commands
- Syntax
- Parameters
- Command types
- Project commands
- Personal commands
- Features
- Namespacing
- Arguments
- Bash command execution
- File references
- Thinking mode
- Frontmatter
- Plugin commands
- How plugin commands work
- Plugin command structure
- Invocation patterns
- MCP slash commands
- Command format
- Features
- Dynamic discovery
- Arguments
- Naming conventions
- Managing MCP connections
- MCP permissions and wildcards
- SlashCommand tool
- SlashCommand tool supported commands
- Disable SlashCommand tool
- Disable specific commands only
- SlashCommand permission rules
- Character budget limit
- Skills vs slash commands
- Use slash commands for
- Use Skills for
- Key differences
- Example comparison
- When to use each
- See also
Reference
Slash commands
Control Claude’s behavior during an interactive session with slash commands.
Built-in slash commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/add-dir | Add additional working directories |
/agents | Manage custom AI subagents for specialized tasks |
/bashes | List and manage background tasks |
/bug | Report bugs (sends conversation to Anthropic) |
/clear | Clear conversation history |
/compact [instructions] | Compact conversation with optional focus instructions |
/config | Open the Settings interface (Config tab) |
/context | Visualize current context usage as a colored grid |
/cost | Show token usage statistics. Seecost tracking guide for subscription-specific details. |
/doctor | Checks the health of your Claude Code installation |
/exit | Exit the REPL |
/export [filename] | Export the current conversation to a file or clipboard |
/help | Get usage help |
/hooks | Manage hook configurations for tool events |
/ide | Manage IDE integrations and show status |
/init | Initialize project withCLAUDE.md guide |
/install-github-app | Set up Claude GitHub Actions for a repository |
/login | Switch Anthropic accounts |
/logout | Sign out from your Anthropic account |
/mcp | Manage MCP server connections and OAuth authentication |
/memory | EditCLAUDE.md memory files |
/model | Select or change the AI model |
/output-style [style] | Set the output style directly or from a selection menu |
/permissions | View or updatepermissions |
/plugin | Manage Claude Code plugins |
/pr-comments | View pull request comments |
/privacy-settings | View and update your privacy settings |
/release-notes | View release notes |
/resume | Resume a conversation |
/review | Request code review |
/rewind | Rewind the conversation and/or code |
/sandbox | Enable sandboxed bash tool with filesystem and network isolation for safer, more autonomous execution |
/security-review | Complete a security review of pending changes on the current branch |
/stats | Visualize daily usage, session history, streaks, and model preferences |
/status | Open the Settings interface (Status tab) showing version, model, account, and connectivity |
/statusline | Set up Claude Code’s status line UI |
/terminal-setup | Install Shift+Enter key binding for newlines (iTerm2 and VSCode only) |
/todos | List current TODO items |
/usage | For subscription plans only: show plan usage limits and rate limit status |
/vim | Enter vim mode for alternating insert and command modes |
Custom slash commands
Custom slash commands allow you to define frequently used prompts as Markdown files that Claude Code can execute. Commands are organized by scope (project-specific or personal) and support namespacing through directory structures.Syntax
/<command-name> [arguments]Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
<command-name> | Name derived from the Markdown filename (without.md extension) |
[arguments] | Optional arguments passed to the command |
Command types
Project commands
Commands stored in your repository and shared with your team. When listed in/help, these commands show “(project)” after their description.Location:.claude/commands/The following example creates the/optimize command:# Create a project commandmkdir -p .claude/commandsecho "Analyze this code for performance issues and suggest optimizations:" > .claude/commands/optimize.mdPersonal commands
Commands available across all your projects. When listed in/help, these commands show “(user)” after their description.Location:~/.claude/commands/The following example creates the/security-review command:# Create a personal commandmkdir -p ~/.claude/commandsecho "Review this code for security vulnerabilities:" > ~/.claude/commands/security-review.mdFeatures
Namespacing
Use subdirectories to group related commands. Subdirectories appear in the command description but don’t affect the command name.For example:.claude/commands/frontend/component.mdcreates/componentwith description “(project:frontend)”~/.claude/commands/component.mdcreates/componentwith description “(user)”
.claude/commands/deploy.md and~/.claude/commands/deploy.md exist,/deploy runs the project version.Commands in different subdirectories can share names since the subdirectory appears in the description to distinguish them. For example,.claude/commands/frontend/test.md and.claude/commands/backend/test.md both create/test, but show as “(project:frontend)” and “(project:backend)” respectively.Arguments
Pass dynamic values to commands using argument placeholders:All arguments with$ARGUMENTS
The$ARGUMENTS placeholder captures all arguments passed to the command:# Command definitionecho 'Fix issue #$ARGUMENTS following our coding standards' > .claude/commands/fix-issue.md# Usage> /fix-issue 123 high-priority# $ARGUMENTS becomes: "123 high-priority"Individual arguments with$1,$2, etc.
Access specific arguments individually using positional parameters (similar to shell scripts):# Command definitionecho 'Review PR #$1 with priority $2 and assign to $3' > .claude/commands/review-pr.md# Usage> /review-pr 456 high alice# $1 becomes "456", $2 becomes "high", $3 becomes "alice"- Access arguments individually in different parts of your command
- Provide defaults for missing arguments
- Build more structured commands with specific parameter roles
Bash command execution
Execute bash commands before the slash command runs using the! prefix. The output is included in the command context. Youmust includeallowed-tools with theBash tool, but you can choose the specific bash commands to allow.For example:---allowed-tools:Bash(git add:*), Bash(git status:*), Bash(git commit:*)description:Create a git commit---## Context- Current git status: !`git status`- Current git diff (staged and unstaged changes): !`git diff HEAD`- Current branch: !`git branch --show-current`- Recent commits: !`git log --oneline -10`## Your taskBased on the above changes, create a single git commit.File references
Include file contents in commands using the@ prefix toreference files.For example:# Reference a specific fileReview the implementation in @src/utils/helpers.js# Reference multiple filesCompare @src/old-version.js with @src/new-version.jsThinking mode
Slash commands can trigger extended thinking by includingextended thinking keywords.Frontmatter
Command files support frontmatter, useful for specifying metadata about the command:| Frontmatter | Purpose | Default |
|---|---|---|
allowed-tools | List of tools the command can use | Inherits from the conversation |
argument-hint | The arguments expected for the slash command. Example:argument-hint: add [tagId] | remove [tagId] | list. This hint is shown to the user when auto-completing the slash command. | None |
description | Brief description of the command | Uses the first line from the prompt |
model | Specific model string (seeModels overview) | Inherits from the conversation |
disable-model-invocation | Whether to preventSlashCommand tool from calling this command | false |
---allowed-tools:Bash(git add:*), Bash(git status:*), Bash(git commit:*)argument-hint: [message]description:Create a git commitmodel:claude-3-5-haiku-20241022---Create a git commit with message: $ARGUMENTS---argument-hint: [pr-number] [priority] [assignee]description:Review pull request---Review PR #$1 with priority $2 and assign to $3.Focus on security, performance, and code style.Plugin commands
Plugins can provide custom slash commands that integrate seamlessly with Claude Code. Plugin commands work exactly like user-defined commands but are distributed throughplugin marketplaces.How plugin commands work
Plugin commands are:- Namespaced: Commands can use the format
/plugin-name:command-nameto avoid conflicts (plugin prefix is optional unless there are name collisions) - Automatically available: Once a plugin is installed and enabled, its commands appear in
/help - Fully integrated: Support all command features (arguments, frontmatter, bash execution, file references)
Plugin command structure
Location:commands/ directory in plugin rootFile format: Markdown files with frontmatterBasic command structure:---description:Brief description of what the command does---# Command NameDetailed instructions for Claude on how to execute this command.Include specific guidance on parameters, expected outcomes, and any special considerations.- Arguments: Use placeholders like
{arg1}in command descriptions - Subdirectories: Organize commands in subdirectories for namespacing
- Bash integration: Commands can execute shell scripts and programs
- File references: Commands can reference and modify project files
Invocation patterns
Direct command (when no conflicts)
/command-namePlugin-prefixed (when needed for disambiguation)
/plugin-name:command-nameWith arguments (if command supports them)
/command-name arg1 arg2MCP slash commands
MCP servers can expose prompts as slash commands that become available in Claude Code. These commands are dynamically discovered from connected MCP servers.Command format
MCP commands follow the pattern:/mcp__<server-name>__<prompt-name> [arguments]Features
Dynamic discovery
MCP commands are automatically available when:- An MCP server is connected and active
- The server exposes prompts through the MCP protocol
- The prompts are successfully retrieved during connection
Arguments
MCP prompts can accept arguments defined by the server:# Without arguments> /mcp__github__list_prs# With arguments> /mcp__github__pr_review 456> /mcp__jira__create_issue "Bug title" highNaming conventions
Server and prompt names are normalized:- Spaces and special characters become underscores
- Names are lowercase for consistency
Managing MCP connections
Use the/mcp command to:- View all configured MCP servers
- Check connection status
- Authenticate with OAuth-enabled servers
- Clear authentication tokens
- View available tools and prompts from each server
MCP permissions and wildcards
Wildcards aren’t supported inpermissions for MCP tools.To approve all tools from an MCP server, use the server name alone, without wildcards:mcp__github(approves all GitHub tools)
mcp__github__get_issuemcp__github__list_issues
SlashCommand tool
TheSlashCommand tool allows Claude to executecustom slash commands programmaticallyduring a conversation. This gives Claude the ability to invoke custom commandson your behalf when appropriate.To encourage Claude to use theSlashCommand tool, reference the command by name, including the slash, in your prompts orCLAUDE.md file. For example:> Run /write-unit-test when you are about to start writing tests./context to monitor token usage and follow the operations below to manage context.SlashCommand tool supported commands
SlashCommand tool only supports custom slash commands that:- Are user-defined. Built-in commands like
/compactand/initarenot supported. - Have the
descriptionfrontmatter field populated. The description is used in the context.
SlashCommand tool can invoke by runningclaude --debug and triggering a query.DisableSlashCommand tool
To prevent Claude from executing any slash commands via the tool:/permissions# Add to deny rules: SlashCommandDisable specific commands only
To prevent a specific slash command from becoming available, adddisable-model-invocation: true to the slash command’s frontmatter.This also removes the command’s metadata from context.SlashCommand permission rules
The permission rules support:- Exact match:
SlashCommand:/commit(allows only/commitwith no arguments) - Prefix match:
SlashCommand:/review-pr:*(allows/review-prwith any arguments)
Character budget limit
TheSlashCommand tool includes a character budget to limit the size of commanddescriptions shown to Claude. This prevents token overflow when many commandsare available.The budget includes each custom slash command’s name, arguments, and description.- Default limit: 15,000 characters
- Custom limit: Set via
SLASH_COMMAND_TOOL_CHAR_BUDGETenvironment variable
/context, a warning shows “M of N commands”.Skills vs slash commands
Slash commands andAgent Skills serve different purposes in Claude Code:Use slash commands for
Quick, frequently used prompts:- Simple prompt snippets you use often
- Quick reminders or templates
- Frequently used instructions that fit in one file
/review→ “Review this code for bugs and suggest improvements”/explain→ “Explain this code in simple terms”/optimize→ “Analyze this code for performance issues”
Use Skills for
Comprehensive capabilities with structure:- Complex workflows with multiple steps
- Capabilities requiring scripts or utilities
- Knowledge organized across multiple files
- Team workflows you want to standardize
- PDF processing Skill with form-filling scripts and validation
- Data analysis Skill with reference docs for different data types
- Documentation Skill with style guides and templates
Key differences
| Aspect | Slash Commands | Agent Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Complexity | Simple prompts | Complex capabilities |
| Structure | Single .md file | Directory with SKILL.md + resources |
| Discovery | Explicit invocation (/command) | Automatic (based on context) |
| Files | One file only | Multiple files, scripts, templates |
| Scope | Project or personal | Project or personal |
| Sharing | Via git | Via git |
Example comparison
As a slash command:# .claude/commands/review.mdReview this code for:- Security vulnerabilities- Performance issues- Code style violations/review (manual invocation)As a Skill:.claude/skills/code-review/├── SKILL.md (overview and workflows)├── SECURITY.md (security checklist)├── PERFORMANCE.md (performance patterns)├── STYLE.md (style guide reference)└── scripts/ └── run-linters.shWhen to use each
Use slash commands:- You invoke the same prompt repeatedly
- The prompt fits in a single file
- You want explicit control over when it runs
- Claude should discover the capability automatically
- Multiple files or scripts are needed
- Complex workflows with validation steps
- Team needs standardized, detailed guidance
See also
- Plugins - Extend Claude Code with custom commands through plugins
- Identity and Access Management - Complete guide to permissions, including MCP tool permissions
- Interactive mode - Shortcuts, input modes, and interactive features
- CLI reference - Command-line flags and options
- Settings - Configuration options
- Memory management - Managing Claude’s memory across sessions
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