Slash commands are the fastest way to control Claude Code’s behavior during an interactive session. Type / at any prompt to see the full list, or type a few letters to filter. This module covers the built-in commands you’ll use every day.
Discovering Commands
Type / at the prompt and a menu appears with all available commands. Start typing to filter — /co narrows to /compact, /config, /context, /cost, /copy. Arrow keys navigate, Enter selects. Commands that aren’t available for your current setup are hidden automatically, so you only see what works.
Some commands accept arguments directly: /compact focus on the API layer, /model opus, /effort high, /rename auth-refactor. Others like /context, /cost, and /status run immediately with no arguments.
/compact focus on the payment serviceCommand Categories
Built-in commands group into a few categories. Knowing the categories helps you find the right command without memorizing all of them.
Context management controls how much of the conversation Claude can see. /context shows a visual grid of your context usage. /compact compresses the conversation — pass instructions to control what’s preserved: /compact keep the migration plan, drop the debugging. /clear starts completely fresh.
Session tools let you manage and revisit work. /rename my-feature gives the session a readable name. /resume picks up a previous session. /branch creates a parallel conversation to explore an alternative without losing your current state. /rewind rolls back to an earlier point. /export saves the session to a file or clipboard.
Configuration commands adjust Claude’s behavior mid-session. /model switches between Sonnet, Opus, and Haiku. /effort sets reasoning depth — low, medium, or high. /permissions and /allowed-tools manage what Claude can do without asking. /config opens the settings menu.
Diagnostics help when something isn’t working. /cost shows token usage. /status shows version, model, and account info. /doctor checks installation health. /diff opens an interactive viewer for uncommitted changes — useful for reviewing what Claude has done before committing.
/context
/compact keep the auth refactor plan
/model opus
/effort high
/cost