Claude Code Commands

Guide for creating custom slash commands that extend Claude Code functionality.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when:

• Creating new custom slash commands

• Understanding command structure and syntax

• Organizing commands for plugins

• Implementing command workflows

• Debugging command execution

What Are Commands?

Commands are custom slash commands (like /commit , /review ) that users can invoke to trigger specific workflows or expand prompts. They are markdown files that can contain:

• Static prompt text

• Dynamic content based on arguments

• Multi-step workflows

• Integration with tools and scripts

Command File Structure

Location

Commands are defined in markdown files located in:

• Plugin: <plugin-root>/commands/

• User-level: .claude/commands/

File Naming

• Use kebab-case: my-command.md

• File name becomes the command name: my-command.md → /my-command

• Avoid conflicts with built-in commands

Basic Command Format

Simple Static Command

/my-command

This is the prompt that will be expanded when the user types /my-command.

The entire content of this file will replace the slash command in the conversation.

Command with Description

<!-- description: Brief description of what this command does -->

/my-command

Command prompt goes here...

Command Arguments

Commands can accept arguments that users provide when invoking the command.

Single Argument

/greet

Hello, {{arg}}! Welcome to the project.

Usage: /greet Alice → "Hello, Alice! Welcome to the project."

Multiple Arguments

/create-file

Create a new file at {{arg1}} with the following content:

{{arg2}}

Usage: /create-file src/main.rs "fn main() {}"

Named Arguments

/deploy

Deploy {{environment}} environment to {{region}}.

Configuration:

• Environment: {{environment}}
• Region: {{region}}
• Branch: {{branch}}

Usage: /deploy --environment=production --region=us-east-1 --branch=main

Advanced Features

Conditional Content

/analyze

Analyze the {{language}} codebase.

{{#if verbose}} Provide detailed analysis including:

• Code complexity metrics
• Dependency analysis
• Security vulnerabilities {{else}} Provide a summary analysis. {{/if}}

Including Files

Reference other files or command outputs:

/context

Here is the current project structure:

{{file:PROJECT_STRUCTURE.md}}

And the current git status:

{{shell:git status}}

Multi-Step Workflows

/full-review

I'll perform a comprehensive code review:

1. First, let me check the git diff: {{shell:git diff}}

2. Now analyzing code quality...

3. Checking for security issues...

4. Final recommendations:

Best Practices

Clear Command Names

• Use descriptive, action-oriented names

• /analyze-security not /sec

• /create-component not /comp

Provide Context

Always include what the command will do:

/commit

I'll analyze the current git changes and create a conventional commit message.

Current changes: {{shell:git diff --staged}}

Based on these changes, here's my suggested commit message:

Handle Edge Cases

/deploy

{{#if staging}} Deploying to staging environment (safe for testing) {{else if production}} ⚠️ WARNING: Deploying to PRODUCTION Are you sure you want to continue? This will affect live users. {{else}} Error: Unknown environment. Please specify --staging or --production {{/if}}

Document Arguments

<!-- description: Deploy application to specified environment usage: /deploy [--environment=<env>] [--region=<region>] arguments:

• environment: Target environment (staging, production)
• region: AWS region (us-east-1, eu-west-1, etc.) -->

/deploy

Command Organization

Plugin Commands

In plugin.json :

{ "commands": [ "./commands/deploy.md", "./commands/analyze.md", "./commands/review.md" ] }

Directory-Based Commands

{ "commands": ["./commands"] }

This loads all .md files in the commands/ directory.

Namespaced Commands

Organize related commands in subdirectories:

commands/ ├── git/ │ ├── commit.md │ ├── review.md │ └── cleanup.md ├── deploy/ │ ├── staging.md │ └── production.md

Common Command Patterns

Git Commit Message Generator

/gcm

I'll analyze the staged changes and generate a conventional commit message.

{{shell:git diff --staged}}

Based on these changes, here's my commit message:

Code Review Command

/review-pr

I'll review the pull request changes.

PR Number: {{pr_number}}

{{shell:gh pr diff {{pr_number}}}}

Review checklist:

• Code quality and style
• Security considerations
• Test coverage
• Documentation updates

Project Scaffolding

/new-component

Creating a new {{component_type}} component named {{name}}.

I'll create:

1. Component file at src/components/{{name}}.tsx
2. Test file at src/components/{{name}}.test.tsx
3. Storybook file at src/components/{{name}}.stories.tsx

Testing Commands

Manual Testing

• Install the plugin locally

• Reload Claude Code

• Type your command in the chat

• Verify the expansion is correct

Debugging

If a command doesn't work:

• Check file location matches plugin.json

• Verify markdown syntax

• Test argument substitution

• Check for conflicts with existing commands

Command Templates

Analysis Command Template

<!-- description: Analyze {{target}} for {{criteria}} -->

/analyze-{{target}}

I'll analyze the {{target}} codebase for {{criteria}}.

{{shell:find {{target}} -type f -name "*.{{extension}}"}}

Analysis results:

Workflow Command Template

<!-- description: Execute {{workflow}} workflow -->

/{{workflow}}

Starting {{workflow}} workflow...

Step 1: {{step1_description}} {{step1_action}}

Step 2: {{step2_description}} {{step2_action}}

Workflow complete!

Integration with Skills

Commands can reference skills:

/elixir-review

I'll review this Elixir code using my Phoenix and OTP knowledge.

Please provide the code to review, and I'll check for:

• Phoenix best practices
• OTP design patterns
• Elixir anti-patterns
• Performance considerations

Security Considerations

Avoid Sensitive Data

Never hardcode:

• API keys

• Passwords

• Tokens

• Private URLs

Validate Input

/deploy

{{#unless environment}} Error: --environment is required {{/unless}}

{{#if (validate_environment environment)}} Proceeding with deployment... {{else}} Error: Invalid environment. Must be staging or production. {{/if}}

Safe Shell Commands

Be cautious with shell command execution:

/safe-deploy

<!-- Only allow whitelisted commands --> {{shell:./scripts/deploy.sh {{environment}}}}

References

For more information about Claude Code commands:

• Claude Code Documentation: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/commands

• Example Commands: https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/tree/main/examples/commands