Core Commands
The command set every Claude Code session should start from.
Key takeaways
- Covers the everyday command set: session start (
/help,/status,/doctor), continue-or-reset, model and usage controls, and pre-ship review. /usageis the single cost-and-quota command;/costand/statsare aliases, with/statsopening on the Stats tab.- On the Anthropic API
/modelmapsfableto Fable 5,opusto Opus 4.8, andsonnetto Sonnet 4.6;bestprefers Fable when available. In the v2.1.184+ baseline, keep main model choices inside supported Opus/Sonnet/Fable paths and use Haiku for subagents rather than the main session. /rewindrecovers a previous conversation or code state but is not a substitute for git;/branchforks the thread while preserving the original./pr-comments(v2.1.91) and/vim(v2.1.92) were removed; view PR comments by asking Claude, and toggle Vim mode via/config.
Session Start
| Command | Purpose | Team habit |
|---|---|---|
/help | Show help and the commands available in the current session. | Use it as the final source of truth because availability varies by platform, plan, and environment. |
/status | Open the Settings interface on the Status tab, showing version, model, account, and connectivity. Works while Claude is responding. | Capture it when debugging environment drift. |
/config | Open the Settings interface to adjust theme, model, output style, and other preferences. Alias: /settings. | Remember that v2.1.119+ persists settings to ~/.claude/settings.json. |
/doctor | Diagnose and verify your installation and settings, with status icons. Press f to have Claude fix reported issues. | Run it before changing project config when a teammate reports a broken setup. |
Continue or Reset
| Command | Purpose | Use carefully |
|---|---|---|
/resume | Resume a conversation by ID or name, or open the session picker. As of v2.1.144 background sessions appear in the picker marked bg. Alias: /continue. | Large stale sessions may be summarized before reload. |
/clear | Start a new conversation with empty context; project memory is kept. Aliases: /reset, /new. | The previous conversation stays available through /resume. |
/compact | Free up context by summarizing the conversation while continuing the same thread. | Add focus instructions when the task has a clear next step. |
/rewind | Rewind the conversation and/or code to a previous point, or summarize from a selected message. Aliases: /checkpoint, /undo. | Treat it as a recovery tool, not a replacement for git discipline. |
/branch | Create a branch of the current conversation at this point and switch into it. Alias: /fork (unless CLAUDE_CODE_FORK_SUBAGENT is set, in which case /fork spawns a forked subagent instead). | Name branches with /rename if you create more than one. The original is preserved and reachable via /resume. |
/exit | Leave the CLI. Alias: /quit. In an attached background session this detaches and the session keeps running. | Make handoff notes before closing long-running work. |
Model and Usage
| Command | Purpose | Operating note |
|---|---|---|
/model | Switch the model and save it as your default; press s in the picker to switch for the current session only. | On Anthropic API, fable maps to Fable 5, opus to Opus 4.8, and sonnet to Sonnet 4.6. best uses Fable when available and otherwise latest Opus. |
/advisor [model|off] | Consult a second model for the current task. | fable is available as an advisor option when your organization has Fable 5 access. |
/effort | Set the model effort level: low, medium, high, xhigh, max, or ultracode; auto resets to the model default. | Available levels depend on the model; max and ultracode are session-only. Fable 5 and Opus 4.8 default to high effort, so reserve xhigh for the hardest tasks. |
/fast | Toggle fast mode on or off. | Opus 4.8 fast mode trades higher cost for lower latency. |
/usage | Show session cost, plan usage limits, and activity stats. On paid plans it breaks usage down by skill, subagent, plugin, and MCP server. | Standardize on this command; /cost and /stats are aliases (/stats opens on the Stats tab). |
/usage-credits | Configure usage credits to keep working when you hit a plan limit. Previously /extra-usage. | Confirm billing and admin policy before making it a default workflow. |
/goal | Set a completion condition; Claude keeps working across turns until it is met. Clear it with clear, stop, off, reset, none, or cancel. | Use it only when the success condition is concrete. |
Deprecation warnings became more explicit in v2.1.187. If /model, /status, or startup output warns about an older full model ID, update team settings before treating the session as reproducible.
Setup and Review
A few commands are worth knowing before you ship a change or start a new repo.
| Command | Purpose | Operating note |
|---|---|---|
/init | Initialize the project with a CLAUDE.md guide. | When a CLAUDE.md already exists it suggests improvements rather than overwriting it. Set CLAUDE_CODE_NEW_INIT=1 for an interactive flow that also walks through skills, hooks, and personal memory files. |
/plan | Enter plan mode directly from the prompt; pass a description to start immediately. | Use it before a large change to capture the approach and risks before editing. |
/code-review | Review the current diff for correctness bugs and cleanups; pass --fix to apply findings or --comment to post inline GitHub PR comments. | /code-review ultra is now the preferred way to run a deep cloud review; /ultrareview remains as an alias. |
/fewer-permission-prompts | Scan your transcripts for common read-only Bash and MCP calls and add a prioritized allowlist to project .claude/settings.json. | Run it once the project's safe-tool patterns have stabilized. |
Removed commands
/pr-comments was removed in v2.1.91 (ask Claude directly to view PR comments instead), and /vim was removed in v2.1.92 (toggle Vim editing via /config → Editor mode).
Practical Startup Routine
/status
/doctor
/model
/usageFor a long task, add:
/plan describe the change and risks before editing