commands-creator

Commands Creator

This skill provides guidance for creating and managing slash commands in Claude Code. Slash commands are Markdown files that define frequently used prompts and workflows for Claude to execute.

Quick Start

Create a Project Command

mkdir -p .claude/commands echo "Review this code for security vulnerabilities:" > .claude/commands/security-review.md

Usage: /security-review

Create a Personal Command

mkdir -p ~/.claude/commands echo "Explain this code in simple terms:" > ~/.claude/commands/explain.md

Usage: /explain

Commands vs Skills

Use slash commands for:

Quick, frequently used prompts
Simple prompt snippets you use often
Prompt reminders or templates
Frequently used instructions that fit in one file

Use Skills for:

Complex workflows with multiple steps
Capabilities requiring scripts or utilities
Knowledge organized across multiple files
Team workflows you want to standardize

See skills-vs-commands.md for detailed comparison.

Command Creation Process

Analyze requirements: What do you want the command to do?
Choose scope: Project (.claude/commands/ ) or Personal (~/.claude/commands/ )
Write frontmatter: Add metadata (description, allowed-tools, etc.)
Write prompt content: Define what Claude should execute
Test the command: Invoke it and verify behavior
Iterate: Refine based on usage

Command Types

Project Commands

Stored in .claude/commands/
Shared with your team via git
Shown as (project) in /help

Personal Commands

Stored in ~/.claude/commands/
Available across all projects
Shown as (user) in /help

Priority: Project commands take precedence over personal commands if both have the same name.

Plugin Commands

Provided by plugins
Automatically available when plugin is enabled
Can be namespaced: /plugin-name:command-name

MCP Commands

Dynamically discovered from connected MCP servers
Format: /mcp__<server-name>__<prompt-name>
Managed via /mcp command

See command-types.md for detailed information.

Command Scope: Project vs Personal

Use Project Commands When:

The command is project-specific
You want to share with your team
The workflow should be version-controlled

Use Personal Commands When:

The command is a general-purpose utility
You want it available across all projects
The workflow is personal to your development style

Basic Syntax

/<command-name> [arguments]

Command Name

Derived from the Markdown filename (without .md extension)
Must be unique within scope
Can be namespaced using subdirectories

Arguments

Optional parameters passed to the command
Use placeholders in command content:
$ARGUMENTS : All arguments as a single string
$1 , $2 , $3 : Individual positional arguments

See syntax-and-arguments.md for detailed syntax and argument handling.

Frontmatter

Command files support frontmatter for metadata:

description: Brief description of the command allowed-tools: Bash(git add:), Bash(git status:) argument-hint: [message]

Common Frontmatter Fields

Field Purpose Default

description

Brief description First line of prompt

allowed-tools

Tools command can use Inherits from conversation

argument-hint

Arguments expected None

model

Specific model to use Inherits from conversation

disable-model-invocation

Block Skill tool invocation false

hooks

Command-scoped hooks None

See frontmatter-reference.md for complete frontmatter reference.

Advanced Features

Bash Command Execution

Execute bash commands before the slash command runs:

allowed-tools: Bash(git add:), Bash(git status:), Bash(git commit:*)

Current git status: !git status

Use ! prefix to include bash command output in command context.

File References

Include file contents using @ prefix:

Review the implementation in @src/utils/helpers.js

Hooks

Define hooks scoped to command execution:

description: Deploy to staging hooks: PreToolUse: - matcher: "Bash" hooks: - type: command command: "./scripts/validate-deploy.sh" once: true

Deploy to staging environment.

Thinking Mode

Trigger extended thinking by including extended thinking keywords in the command content.

See advanced-features.md for detailed advanced features.

Namespacing

Organize commands in subdirectories:

.claude/commands/ ├── frontend/ │ ├── review.md # Creates /review (project:frontend) │ └── test.md # Creates /test (project:frontend) └── backend/ ├── review.md # Creates /review (project:backend) └── deploy.md # Creates /deploy (project:backend)

Subdirectories appear in the command description but don't affect the command name.

Command Discovery and Autocomplete

Type / at any position to see available commands
Autocomplete works anywhere in input, not just at the beginning
Commands are discovered from:
Project commands: .claude/commands/
Personal commands: ~/.claude/commands/
Plugin commands (when plugins are enabled)
MCP commands (when MCP servers are connected)

Skill Tool Integration

The Skill tool allows Claude to programmatically invoke commands during conversations. To encourage Claude to use a specific command, reference it in prompts or CLAUDE.md :

Run /review before committing changes.

Commands with disable-model-invocation: true cannot be invoked via the Skill tool.

See best-practices.md for usage patterns and recommendations.

Command Examples

Basic command:

description: Review code for security vulnerabilities

Review this code for security vulnerabilities:

SQL injection risks
XSS vulnerabilities
Authentication/authorization issues
Input validation problems

Command with arguments:

argument-hint: [type] [description] description: Create a git commit

Create a git commit with type "$1" and description "$2".

Commit format: $1: $2

Command with bash execution:

allowed-tools: Bash(git add:), Bash(git status:), Bash(git commit:*) description: Create a commit from staged changes

Current status

!git status

Changes to commit

!git diff --cached

Create a meaningful commit message for these changes.

See examples.md for more examples.

Common Built-in Commands

Claude Code provides 35+ built-in commands. Common ones include:

Command Purpose

/help

Get usage help

/clear

Clear conversation history

/context

Visualize current context usage

/cost

Show token usage statistics

/config

Open Settings interface

/memory

Edit CLAUDE.md memory files

/model

Select or change AI model

/plan

Enter plan mode

/review

Request code review

Built-in commands are not available through the Skill tool.

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution

Command not found Check filename matches command name

Arguments not working Verify placeholder syntax ($1, $2, $ARGUMENTS)

Bash execution failing Add command to allowed-tools

Project command ignored Personal command may have same name (project takes precedence)

Reference Files

command-types.md - Detailed information on command types
syntax-and-arguments.md - Syntax and argument handling
frontmatter-reference.md - Complete frontmatter reference
advanced-features.md - Bash execution, hooks, thinking mode
best-practices.md - Naming, namespacing, permissions
examples.md - Additional command examples