What are Skills?
A Claude Code skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md file —
a markdown document with YAML frontmatter (metadata) followed by a markdown body (instructions).
Claude Code discovers skills at startup, loads their metadata into the system prompt, then reads
the full body only when that skill becomes relevant to the current task.
Skills are the evolution of custom slash commands. A file at .claude/commands/deploy.md
and a skill at .claude/skills/deploy/SKILL.md both create /deploy and work
the same way — but skills add a supporting file directory, invocation control, subagent execution,
and dynamic context injection.
--- name: your-skill-name # kebab-case, max 64 chars description: > # what it does AND when to trigger it Analyzes Excel spreadsheets. Use when analyzing spreadsheets or .xlsx files. allowed-tools: Read, Bash, Glob --- ## Instructions …
.claude/commands/ files keep working.
New ones should go in .claude/skills/ for the additional features.
How Skills Work
Skills use progressive disclosure — Claude loads information in stages as needed, rather than consuming context upfront. Three levels:
name and description from YAML frontmatter. ~100 tokens per skill. How Claude knows the skill exists and when to use it.SKILL.md body: workflows, rules, patterns. Under 5 000 tokens. Claude reads this via bash when the task matches.Where skills live
~/.claude/skills/ ← personal (all your projects) .claude/skills/ ← project-scoped (checked in) ~/.claude/plugins/ ← installed plugins (bundled sets)
Skill Types
Two fundamental categories:
SKILL.md.All Built-in Commands
Commands marked skill are bundled skills (prompt-driven, also auto-triggered by Claude). Commands marked workflow are multi-agent fan-out workflows. All others are built into the CLI binary.
Availability varies by platform, plan, and Claude Code version. Use /help as the authoritative source for your installation.
Session & Navigation
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /clear [name] | Start a new conversation; previous stays in /resume. Aliases: /reset, /new |
| /resume [session] | Reopen a past conversation by ID, name, or picker. Alias: /continue |
| /branch [name] | Fork the current conversation to try a different direction without losing it |
| /fork <directive> | Spawn a background subagent that inherits full context and works on the directive while you continue |
| /background [prompt] | Detach current session to run as a background agent and free the terminal. Alias: /bg |
| /rewind | Roll code and conversation back to a checkpoint. Aliases: /checkpoint, /undo |
| /btw <question> | Quick side question that doesn't add to conversation history |
| /teleport | Pull a Claude Code on the web session into this terminal. Alias: /tp |
| /add-dir <path> | Add a working directory for file access during the current session |
| /stop | Stop an attached background session (keeps transcript and worktree) |
| /exit | Exit the CLI or detach from a background session. Alias: /quit |
Context Management
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /compact [instructions] | Summarize the conversation to free context; pass focus instructions to guide the summary |
| /context [all] | Visualize context window usage as a colored grid; shows optimization suggestions |
| /diff | Interactive diff viewer — uncommitted changes and per-turn diffs; use arrows to navigate |
| /copy [N] | Copy last (or Nth-to-last) response to clipboard; interactive block picker when code blocks are present |
| /export [filename] | Export the current conversation as plain text |
| /recap | Generate a one-line summary of the current session on demand |
Model & Planning
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /model [model] | Switch AI model and save as default; interactive picker shows effort slider where supported |
| /effort [level|auto] | Set reasoning effort: low, medium, high, xhigh, max, ultracode. Interactive slider without argument |
| /fast [on|off] | Toggle fast mode (Opus with faster output) |
| /plan [description] | Enter plan mode directly; pass optional description to start immediately |
Code & Review
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /code-review [level] [--fix] [--comment] [target] | Review diff for correctness bugs + cleanups. Levels: low, medium, high, xhigh, max, ultra (cloud). --fix applies; --comment posts as PR comments skill |
| /simplify [target] | Cleanup-only review (v2.1.154+): 4 parallel agents covering reuse, simplification, efficiency, abstraction. Does not hunt bugs skill |
| /review [PR] | Review a pull request locally in the current session |
| /security-review | Analyze pending branch changes for security vulnerabilities; identifies injection, auth, and exposure risks |
| /diff | Interactive diff viewer showing uncommitted changes and per-turn diffs |
| /autofix-pr [prompt] | Spawn cloud session to watch PR and push fixes when CI fails or reviewers comment |
| /ultrareview [PR] | Alias for /code-review ultra — deep multi-agent cloud review (3 free runs on Pro/Max) workflow |
Parallel Work
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /batch <instruction> | Orchestrate large-scale parallel codebase changes: 5–30 units, one background subagent per unit in isolated worktrees skill |
| /agents | Manage agent configurations and subagent definitions |
| /tasks | View and manage everything running in the background. Alias: /bashes |
| /goal [condition|clear] | Set a goal; Claude keeps working until the condition is met |
Run & Verify
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /run | Launch and drive your project's app to observe changes working in the running app, not just in tests skill |
| /verify | Confirm a code change does what it should by building and running the app, then observing results skill |
| /run-skill-generator | Teach /run and /verify how to launch your specific project by writing a per-project skill skill |
Workflows & Schedules
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /deep-research <question> | Fan out web searches, fetch and cross-check sources, synthesize a cited report workflow |
| /ultraplan <prompt> | Draft a plan in your browser, review it, then execute remotely or return to terminal workflow |
| /workflows | View, pause, resume, or save running and completed workflows |
| /loop [interval] [prompt] | Run a prompt repeatedly; Claude self-paces if no interval given. Alias: /proactive skill |
| /schedule [description] | Create/manage routines on Anthropic cloud infrastructure. Alias: /routines |
Config & Settings
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /config | Open Settings UI: theme, model, output style, editor mode. Alias: /settings |
| /permissions | Manage allow/ask/deny rules for tool permissions. Alias: /allowed-tools |
| /memory | Edit CLAUDE.md memory files, enable/disable auto-memory, view auto-memory entries |
| /mcp | Manage MCP server connections and OAuth authentication |
| /hooks | View hook configurations for tool events |
| /keybindings | Open your keyboard shortcuts file (~/.claude/keybindings.json) |
| /init | Initialize project with a CLAUDE.md guide; set CLAUDE_CODE_NEW_INIT=1 for interactive flow |
| /skills | List available skills; press t to sort by tokens; space to toggle visibility |
| /plugin [subcommand] | Manage Claude Code plugins: list, install, enable, disable |
| /reload-plugins [--force] | Reload all active plugins to apply changes without restarting |
| /reload-skills | Re-scan skill directories so skills added/changed on disk become available (v2.1.152+) |
| /sandbox | Toggle sandbox mode (supported platforms only) |
| /theme | Change color theme; includes auto (matches terminal), colorblind-accessible, ANSI, and custom themes |
| /color [color] | Set the prompt bar color for the current session: red, blue, green, yellow, purple, orange, pink, cyan |
| /tui [default|fullscreen] | Set terminal UI renderer and relaunch with conversation intact |
| /statusline | Configure the Claude Code status line |
| /terminal-setup | Configure terminal keybindings for Shift+Enter and other shortcuts |
| /fewer-permission-prompts | Scan transcripts for common tool calls and add prioritized allowlist to settings.json skill |
Info & Diagnostics
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /help | Show help and all available commands for your current version |
| /status | Version, model, account, and connectivity (works while Claude is responding) |
| /usage | Session cost, plan limits, activity stats, breakdown by skill/agent/plugin. Aliases: /cost, /stats |
| /insights | Generate a report analyzing your sessions: project areas, interaction patterns, friction points |
| /doctor | Diagnose installation and settings; press f to have Claude fix reported issues |
| /debug [description] | Enable debug logging and read session debug log to troubleshoot issues skill |
| /heapdump | Write a JS heap snapshot for diagnosing high memory usage |
| /feedback [report] | Submit feedback or report a bug with session context attached. Aliases: /bug, /share |
| /release-notes | View the changelog in an interactive version picker |
| /team-onboarding | Generate a team onboarding guide from your last 30 days of Claude Code usage |
| /powerup | Discover Claude Code features through quick interactive animated lessons |
Integrations & Account
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
| /install-github-app | Set up the Claude GitHub Actions integration for a repository |
| /install-slack-app | Install the Claude Slack app via OAuth flow |
| /web-setup | Connect GitHub account to Claude Code on the web using local gh CLI credentials |
| /remote-control | Make this session available for remote control from claude.ai. Alias: /rc |
| /remote-env | Choose the default environment for cloud agents |
| /desktop | Continue the current session in the Claude Code Desktop app. Alias: /app |
| /setup-bedrock | Configure Amazon Bedrock authentication, region, and model pins interactively |
| /setup-vertex | Configure Google Vertex AI authentication, project, region, and model pins interactively |
| /chrome | Configure Claude in Chrome settings |
| /ide | Manage IDE integrations (VS Code, JetBrains) and show status |
| /mobile | Show QR code to download the Claude mobile app. Aliases: /ios, /android |
| /login | Sign in to your Anthropic account |
| /logout | Sign out from your Anthropic account |
| /upgrade | Open the upgrade page to switch to a higher plan tier |
| /usage-credits | Configure usage credits to keep working when you hit a plan limit |
| /rename [name] | Rename the current session and show the name on the prompt bar |
| /radio | Open Claude FM lo-fi radio in your browser |
Bundled Skills
These 10 skills ship with Claude Code and follow the same SKILL.md format as custom skills — they are prompts handed to Claude, which Claude can also invoke automatically when relevant. They appear as slash commands but their logic is a skill file, not CLI binary code.
batch Parallel large-scale codebase changes in isolated worktrees
Orchestrates large-scale changes across a codebase in parallel. Researches the codebase, decomposes the work into 5 to 30 independent units, and presents a plan. Once approved, spawns one background subagent per unit in an isolated git worktree. Each subagent implements its unit, runs tests, and opens a pull request.
Usage
/batch migrate src/ from Solid to React /batch add JSDoc to every exported function in lib/
Requirements
- Git repository required (worktrees are how isolation is achieved)
- Review the decomposition plan before approving — each unit should be independently mergeable
- Each subagent runs /verify on its unit before opening a PR
claude-api Claude API reference for 8 languages + model migration
Loads up-to-date Claude API reference material for your project's language (Python, TypeScript, Java, Go, Ruby, C#, PHP, or cURL) and Managed Agents reference. Also activates automatically when your code imports anthropic or @anthropic-ai/sdk.
Sub-commands
/claude-api migrate— scan files for old model IDs and update to new ones; handles thinking config and parameter changes between versions/claude-api managed-agents-onboard— interactive walkthrough to create a new Managed Agent from scratch
Covers
- Tool use, streaming, batches, structured outputs
- Common pitfalls per language SDK
- Model IDs and their parameters
code-review Diff review for correctness bugs and cleanups — local or cloud
Reviews the current diff for correctness bugs and reuse/simplification/efficiency cleanups. Four parallel review agents run locally; ultra fans out to a cloud sandbox for a deeper read.
Effort levels
| Level | Coverage |
|---|---|
| low / medium | Fewer, high-confidence findings only |
| high → max | Broader coverage including uncertain findings |
| ultra | Deep multi-agent cloud review (3 free runs on Pro/Max) |
Flags
--fix— apply all findings to working tree automatically--comment— post findings as inline GitHub PR comments[target]— specific path or PR reference to review
debug Enable debug logging and read session logs to troubleshoot
Enables debug logging for the current session and troubleshoots issues by reading the session debug log. Debug logging is off by default unless you started with claude --debug, so running /debug mid-session starts capturing logs from that point forward.
Usage
/debug # enable logging, run auto-diagnosis /debug high memory usage # focus analysis on a specific issue
fewer-permission-prompts Auto-build tool allowlist from transcript history
Scans your transcripts for common read-only Bash and MCP tool calls, then adds a prioritized allowlist to the project .claude/settings.json to reduce permission prompts on subsequent runs. Only approves patterns Claude already performs in your sessions — nothing new is added.
When to run
- After several sessions in a new project where permission prompts interrupt flow
- When setting up a project for team members who don't want to approve common read operations
loop Run a prompt on a recurring interval
Runs a prompt repeatedly while the session stays open. Omit the interval and Claude self-paces between iterations. Omit the prompt and Claude runs an autonomous maintenance check (or the prompt in .claude/loop.md if present).
Usage
/loop 5m check if the deploy finished
/loop 10m run tests and report failures
/loop # autonomous maintenance mode
run Launch and drive the project app to observe changes live
Launches and drives your project's app to see a change working in the running application, not just in tests or type checks. Claude builds the project, starts the server or binary, exercises the feature, and reports what it observed.
How it knows your project
Run /run-skill-generator once to teach Claude how to build and launch your specific project. The generator writes a per-project skill file that /run and /verify use on every subsequent call.
Requires
Claude Code v2.1.145 or later.
run-skill-generator Write the per-project launch skill for /run and /verify
Teaches /run and /verify how to build, launch, and drive your project's app from a clean environment. Writes a per-project skill file in .claude/skills/. Run this once when you first use /run on a new project.
What it creates
- Detect build system (Go, Node, Python, etc.)
- Build command + start command
- How to verify the app is running and ready
- Project-specific interaction patterns
simplify Cleanup-only code review — no bug hunting, just cleanups applied
Reviews changed code for cleanup opportunities and applies the fixes. Four review agents run in parallel, each covering a different dimension: reuse of existing helpers, simplification of logic, efficiency improvements, and whether the change sits at the right level of abstraction.
Key distinction from /code-review
/simplify does not hunt for correctness bugs — it only improves code structure and clarity. Use /code-review for bug finding.
Requires
Claude Code v2.1.154 or later. On earlier versions, /simplify is equivalent to /code-review --fix.
verify Confirm a change works in the running app, not just tests
Confirms a code change does what it should by building the project's app, running it, and observing the result — rather than relying on tests or type checks alone. Pairs with /run: use /run to explore, /verify to confirm a specific change works.
Difference from running tests
Tests verify code correctness. /verify verifies feature correctness — it actually drives the running application and observes behavior, catching issues tests can't see (CSS regressions, interaction bugs, environment differences).
Bundled Workflows
Workflows are dynamic multi-agent fan-outs that run in the background. Unlike skills (which run in the current session), workflows spawn multiple sub-sessions and return synthesized results.
Pre-built Agent Skills
Anthropic provides pre-built skills for common document workflows. These are available on
claude.ai, the Claude API, AWS Bedrock
(via Claude Platform), and Microsoft Foundry. On the API, specify
skill_id in the container parameter.
code-execution-2025-08-25, skills-2025-10-02, files-api-2025-04-14
Open-Source Anthropic Skills
Anthropic also publishes open-source skills in github.com/anthropics/skills:
Sharing scope
| Surface | Pre-built skills | Custom skills sharing |
|---|---|---|
| claude.ai | ✅ Available | Individual user only (not org-wide) |
| Claude API | ✅ Available | Workspace-wide (all members) |
| Claude Code | ❌ Not available | Personal or project-scoped; shareable via plugins |