Useful Caude Code commands

Claude Code can be used both from inside an interactive Claude Code session and directly from the Linux shell. In this article we show you the most useful commands when working with Claude Code.

Start or continue a session

Start Claude Code in the current directory:

claude

Start Claude Code with an initial prompt:

claude "explain this project"

Continue the most recent conversation in the current directory:

claude -c

Resume a specific named session:

claude -r "auth-refactor"

Run Claude Code non-interactively

Use -p if you want Claude Code to answer once and then exit. This is useful for checking logs, explaining files, or using Claude Code in scripts:

claude -p "summarize the current git diff"

You can also pipe content into Claude Code:

cat logs.txt | claude -p "explain the error and suggest a fix"

Useful commands inside Claude Code

The following commands are entered inside an active Claude Code session:

/help

Shows the available commands.

/init

Creates a starter CLAUDE.md file for the current project. This file can describe the project, commands, coding style, test instructions, and anything else Claude Code should remember for this repository.

/permissions

Opens the permissions overview, where you can review or change which actions Claude Code may perform without asking.

/plan fix the login bug

Starts plan mode for a larger change. This is useful when you want Claude Code to first propose an approach before editing files.

/diff

Shows the changes Claude Code has made so you can review them before committing.

/compact

Summarizes the current conversation to free up context while keeping the important details.

/clear

Starts a fresh conversation. Use this when you switch to an unrelated task.

/resume

Opens the session picker so you can continue an earlier conversation.

/rewind

Rewinds the conversation and, when possible, related code changes to an earlier checkpoint.

/review

Reviews a pull request or the current branch.

/security-review

Reviews pending changes for security risks such as injection issues, authentication problems, or accidental data exposure.

/usage

Shows usage, costs, and plan-limit information for the current session.

/status

Shows the current Claude Code version, selected model, account status, and connectivity details.

Install Claude Code plugins and skills

Claude Code uses plugins to add extra functionality such as skills, agents, hooks, MCP servers, and language-server integrations. This is the Claude Code equivalent of installing extra agent capabilities.

Open the plugin manager:

/plugin

Install a plugin from a configured marketplace:

/plugin install plugin-name@marketplace-name

For example, install Anthropic's GitHub plugin from the official marketplace:

/plugin install github@claude-plugins-official

Add a marketplace from GitHub:

/plugin marketplace add owner/repository

List configured marketplaces:

/plugin marketplace list

Update a marketplace:

/plugin marketplace update marketplace-name

Disable, enable, or remove an installed plugin:

/plugin disable plugin-name@marketplace-name
/plugin enable plugin-name@marketplace-name
/plugin uninstall plugin-name@marketplace-name

Reload plugins after installing, enabling, or disabling them:

/reload-plugins

View the skills available to Claude Code:

/skills

Update, authenticate, and troubleshoot

Check the installed version:

claude --version

Update Claude Code:

claude update

Check login status:

claude auth status --text

Log in again:

claude auth login

Log out:

claude auth logout

Diagnose installation or runtime issues from inside Claude Code:

/doctor

Enable debug logging when starting Claude Code:

claude --debug

Write debug logs to a specific file:

claude --debug-file /tmp/claude-debug.log