Claude Code Commands - Meta Reference

This skill provides the definitive reference for creating Claude Code slash commands. Use this when building new commands or improving existing command patterns.

2026 note: Custom slash commands have been merged into skills. Prefer .claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md for new work; .claude/commands/<name>.md remains supported for legacy single-file commands.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a new slash command for repeated workflows
• Add $ARGUMENTS handling to commands
• Invoke agents from commands
• Include file context or bash output in commands
• Organize commands for team sharing

Quick Reference

Component	Purpose	Example
Filename	Command name	review.md -> /review
Content	Prompt template	Instructions for Claude
$ARGUMENTS	User input	/review auth.js -> $ARGUMENTS = "auth.js"
$1, $2	Positional args	/compare a.js b.js -> $1 = "a.js"
${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID}	Session tracking	logs/${CLAUDE_SESSION_ID}.log
@file	Include file	@CLAUDE.md includes file contents
!command	Bash output (preprocessing)	!git status includes command output

Command Locations

Claude Code supports both legacy command files and skill-based commands. Skills are the recommended format because they support frontmatter controls and bundled supporting files.

Location	Scope	Creates	Use For
.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md	Project	/name	Recommended: team-shared commands with supporting files
~/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md	Personal	/name	Personal cross-project commands
.claude/commands/<name>.md	Project	/name	Legacy single-file commands (still supported)
~/.claude/commands/<name>.md	Personal	/name	Legacy personal commands
packages/*/.claude/skills/<name>/SKILL.md	Nested	/name	Monorepo subdirectories

Nested discovery: Claude automatically discovers .claude/skills/ and .claude/commands/ in subdirectories when working inside those paths.

Command Structure

Skill-based (recommended):

.claude/skills/
|-- review/SKILL.md           # /review
|-- test/SKILL.md             # /test
`-- deploy/SKILL.md           # /deploy

Legacy commands:

.claude/commands/
|-- review.md                 # /review
|-- test.md                   # /test
`-- deploy.md                 # /deploy

Command Template (Skill-Based)

---
name: command-name
description: Brief description for invocation and auto-loading
argument-hint: [path|#pr] [options]
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Bash(git:*)
disable-model-invocation: false
---

# Command Title

[Clear instructions for what this command does]

User request: $ARGUMENTS

## Steps

1. [First action Claude should take]
2. [Second action]
3. [Third action]

## Output Format

[Specify expected output structure]

Frontmatter Fields (Skills)

Field	Purpose
name	Slash command name (kebab-case)
description	When to use this skill/command
argument-hint	Hint shown during autocomplete for expected arguments
allowed-tools	Tools this skill can run without extra prompts
disable-model-invocation	If true, Claude will not auto-invoke
user-invocable	If false, hidden from the / menu
model	Override the model for this skill
context	Use fork for isolated execution
agent	Subagent used to execute this skill
hooks	Optional lifecycle hooks for the skill

Legacy .claude/commands/*.md works for single-file commands; prefer skills if you need frontmatter controls or bundled resources.

allowed-tools Syntax

allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Bash(git:*)

Pattern	Meaning
Tool	Allow any invocation of that tool
Tool(prefix:*)	Allow with specific prefix only
Bash(git:*)	Only git commands
Bash(npm test:*)	Only npm test commands

$ARGUMENTS Usage

Single Argument

# Code Review

Review the following file or code for quality, security, and best practices:

$ARGUMENTS

Focus on:
- Code quality issues
- Security vulnerabilities
- Performance concerns
- Best practice violations

Usage: /review src/auth.js

Multiple Arguments

# Compare Files

Compare these two files and explain the differences:

$ARGUMENTS

Provide:
- Line-by-line diff
- Semantic changes
- Impact analysis

Usage: /compare old.js new.js

Optional Arguments

# Run Tests

Run tests for the specified scope.

Scope: $ARGUMENTS

If no scope specified, run all tests.
If scope is a file, run tests for that file.
If scope is a directory, run tests in that directory.

Usage: /test or /test auth/ or /test login.test.ts

Positional Arguments

Use $1, $2, etc. for specific arguments (like shell scripts):

# Compare Files

Compare $1 with $2.

Show:
- Line differences
- Semantic changes
- Which version is preferred

Usage: /compare old.js new.js -> $1 = "old.js", $2 = "new.js"

---

File References (@ Prefix)

Include file contents directly in the command with @:

# Review with Context

Review this code following our standards.

Project standards:
@CLAUDE.md

Code to review:
$ARGUMENTS

Usage: /review-context src/auth.js includes CLAUDE.md contents automatically.

---

Bash Execution (! Prefix)

Execute bash commands and include output with !:

# Smart Commit

Current status:
!git status --short

Recent commits:
!git log --oneline -5

Staged changes:
!git diff --cached

Generate a commit message for the staged changes.

Usage: /smart-commit runs git commands and includes their output.

Important: The !command syntax is preprocessing - commands execute before the content is sent to Claude. Claude only sees the rendered output with actual data, not the command itself.

Backtick Syntax

For inline execution, use backticks:

PR diff: !`gh pr diff`
Changed files: !`gh pr diff --name-only`

---

Command Patterns

Agent Invocation

# Security Audit

Perform a comprehensive security audit.

Target: $ARGUMENTS

Use the **security-auditor** agent to:
1. Scan for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities
2. Check authentication patterns
3. Review data validation
4. Analyze dependencies

Provide a severity-rated findings report.

Multi-Agent Orchestration

# Fullstack Feature

Build a complete fullstack feature.

Feature: $ARGUMENTS

Workflow:
1. Use **prd-architect** to clarify requirements
2. Use **system-architect** to design approach
3. Use **backend-engineer** for API implementation
4. Use **frontend-engineer** for UI implementation
5. Use **test-architect** for test coverage

Coordinate between agents and ensure integration.

Validation Command

# Pre-Commit Check

Validate changes before commit.

Files: $ARGUMENTS (or all staged files if not specified)

Checklist:
- [ ] All tests pass
- [ ] No linting errors
- [ ] No type errors
- [ ] No console.log statements
- [ ] No TODO comments
- [ ] No hardcoded secrets

Return READY or BLOCKED with details.

---

Command Categories

Development Commands

Command	Purpose
/review	Code review
/test	Run/write tests
/debug	Debug issues
/refactor	Improve code

Architecture Commands

Command	Purpose
/design	System design
/architecture-review	Review architecture
/tech-spec	Write tech spec

Security Commands

Command	Purpose
/security-scan	Security audit
/secrets-check	Find exposed secrets
/dependency-audit	Check dependencies

Operations Commands

Command	Purpose
/deploy	Deployment workflow
/rollback	Rollback changes
/incident	Incident response

---

Naming Conventions

Pattern	Example	Use For
{action}	/review	Simple actions
{action}-{target}	/security-scan	Specific targets
{domain}-{action}	/pm-strategy	Domain-prefixed
{tool}-{action}	/git-commit	Tool-specific

---

Command vs Agent vs Skill

Feature	Command	Agent	Skill
Trigger	User types /command	Claude decides	Claude loads
Purpose	Quick shortcuts	Complex work	Knowledge
Statefulness	Stateless	Maintains context	Reference only
Length	Short prompt	Full instructions	Detailed docs

Flow: User -> Command -> Agent -> Skill

---

Invocation Control

Control who can invoke commands using frontmatter:

Frontmatter	User Invokes	Claude Invokes	Use Case
(default)	Yes (/name)	Yes (auto)	General commands
disable-model-invocation: true	Yes (/name)	No (never)	Deploy, commit, dangerous ops
user-invocable: false	No (hidden)	Yes (auto)	Background knowledge only

Example: User-Only Command

---
description: Deploy to production
disable-model-invocation: true
allowed-tools: Bash(kubectl:*), Bash(docker:*)
---

# Deploy

Deploy $ARGUMENTS to production cluster.

Claude cannot auto-invoke this - user must explicitly type /deploy.

---

Context Budget

Default skill/command description budget: 15,000 characters.

If many commands are excluded from context:

export SLASH_COMMAND_TOOL_CHAR_BUDGET=20000

Check with /context command for warnings about excluded skills.

---

Best Practices

DO

# Good Command

Clear, specific instructions.

Target: $ARGUMENTS

1. First, analyze the target
2. Then, perform action X
3. Finally, output result Y

Expected output:
- Summary of findings
- Actionable recommendations

DON'T

# Bad Command

Do stuff with $ARGUMENTS.

Make it good.

---

Advanced Patterns

Conditional Logic

# Smart Review

Review target: $ARGUMENTS

If target is a PR number (e.g., #123):
  - Fetch PR details with `gh pr view`
  - Review all changed files

If target is a file path:
  - Review that specific file

If target is a directory:
  - Review all files in directory

Template with Options

# Generate Tests

Generate tests for: $ARGUMENTS

Options (parsed from arguments):
- `--unit` - Unit tests only
- `--e2e` - E2E tests only
- `--coverage` - Include coverage report

Default: Generate both unit and E2E tests.

---

Navigation

Resources

• references/command-patterns.md - Common patterns
• references/command-examples.md - Full examples
• data/sources.json - Documentation links

Related Skills

• ../claude-code-agents/SKILL.md - Agent creation
• ../claude-code-skills/SKILL.md - Skill creation
• ../claude-code-hooks/SKILL.md - Hook automation