Slash Commands

Slash commands are shortcuts that trigger specific behaviors. Some are built-in; you can create your own.

Built-in Commands

Command	Description
`/help`	Show all available commands
`/compact`	Summarize context to save tokens
`/clear`	Clear conversation history
`/model`	Switch to a different model
`/config`	View or modify settings
`/context`	Show context window usage
`/mcp`	Manage MCP server connections

Using Built-in Commands

Plan Mode

For complex tasks, use plan mode by pressing Alt+M to cycle through modes:

> add a user notification system

Claude will:

Ask clarifying questions using the AskUserQuestion tool
Present options for you to choose
Create a detailed implementation plan
Wait for your approval before executing

/compact - Save Tokens

When your conversation gets long:

> /compact

Claude summarizes the conversation, keeping important context while reducing token usage. Use this proactively—don’t wait until you hit limits.

/model - Switch Models

Change models without restarting:

> /model haiku     # Quick, cheap queries
> /model sonnet    # Default, balanced
> /model opus      # Complex reasoning

Custom Slash Commands

Create your own commands for repetitive workflows.

Creating a Custom Command

Create the commands directory
Terminal window
```
mkdir -p .claude/commands
```
Create a command file

Each .md file becomes a command:
Terminal window
```
touch .claude/commands/review.md
```

Write the command prompt

Review my staged changes for:

1. Code quality issues
2. Potential bugs
3. Security concerns
4. Missing tests
5. Documentation needs

Be thorough but concise. Prioritize by severity.

Use your command
```
> /review
```

Command File Structure

Directory.claude/
- Directorycommands/
  - review.md
  - deploy.md
  - test.md
  - doc.md

Example Commands

/review - Code Review

Review the code changes I'm about to commit.

Check for:
1. **Bugs**: Logic errors, edge cases, null handling
2. **Security**: Input validation, SQL injection, XSS
3. **Performance**: N+1 queries, unnecessary loops, memory leaks
4. **Style**: Naming, formatting, consistency with codebase
5. **Tests**: Are changes tested? Should new tests be added?

Provide feedback in order of severity. Be specific about file
and line numbers.

/deploy - Deployment Checklist

Run through the deployment checklist:

1. [ ] All tests pass
2. [ ] No linting errors
3. [ ] Database migrations are ready
4. [ ] Environment variables documented
5. [ ] CHANGELOG updated
6. [ ] Version number bumped

For each item, check and report status. Flag any blockers.

/test - Test Generation

Generate comprehensive tests for the current file or function.

Include:
- Happy path tests
- Edge cases (empty input, large input, null)
- Error conditions
- Boundary conditions

Use pytest with fixtures where appropriate.
Follow existing test patterns in the codebase.

/doc - Documentation

Generate documentation for the specified code:

1. Module-level docstring explaining purpose
2. Function/method docstrings with:
   - Description
   - Args with types
   - Returns with type
   - Raises (if applicable)
   - Example usage
3. Type hints if missing

Use Google-style docstrings. Be concise but complete.

/pr - Pull Request Description

Generate a pull request description based on my changes.

Include:
## Summary
Brief description of what changed and why.

## Changes
- Bullet list of specific changes

## Testing
How the changes were tested.

## Screenshots
(Note if UI changes need screenshots)

## Checklist
- [ ] Tests added/updated
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented if yes)

Commands with Variables

Commands can use $ARGUMENTS to accept input:

Explain the following code in detail:

$ARGUMENTS

Focus on:
1. What it does
2. How it works
3. Why it's implemented this way
4. Any potential issues

Usage:

> /explain the authentication middleware in app/middleware.py

Commands with Selection

Commands can reference selected code:

Optimize this code for performance:

$SELECTION

Consider:
- Time complexity
- Space complexity
- Database queries
- Memory allocations

Show before/after with benchmarks if possible.

Commands in .claude/commands/ are part of your repo. Share them with your team:

git add .claude/commands/
git commit -m "Add team slash commands"

For personal commands that shouldn’t be shared:

# Add to .gitignore
echo ".claude/commands/personal-*.md" >> .gitignore

Best Practices

1. Be Specific

# Good
Review code for SQL injection vulnerabilities.
Check all database queries for parameterized inputs.

# Bad
Review code for security.

2. Include Context

# Good
Generate tests using pytest.
Follow patterns in tests/conftest.py.
Use fixtures from tests/fixtures/.

# Bad
Generate tests.

3. Set Expectations

# Good
Provide 3-5 specific suggestions.
Prioritize by impact.
Include code examples.

# Bad
Give me feedback.