TopolearnCommands are the fastest way to manage context, models and configuration without leaving the conversation.
Text you type normally is a prompt for Claude. Text that starts with / at the beginning of a message is a command for Claude Code itself. Type / alone to see a filterable menu of everything available, including custom commands you or your plugins add.
Commands you will use constantly:
/help: list commands./init: generate a starterCLAUDE.mdinstruction file for the project./model: switch the model (for example a faster one for simple work, a stronger one for hard problems);/effortadjusts how much the model thinks./clear: start a fresh conversation with empty context./compact [focus]: summarize the conversation so far to free space, optionally saying what to keep./context: show what is filling the context window./usage(alias/cost): token usage, session cost estimate and plan limits./rewind: restore code and/or conversation to an earlier checkpoint./resume: reopen an earlier conversation./permissions,/memory,/mcp,/hooks,/plugin,/skills: open the manager for each feature covered later./diff: review changes in your working tree./doctor: diagnose installation and configuration problems.
Text after the command name becomes its argument: /compact keep the API decisions or /model sonnet. If you send a command while Claude is busy, it usually waits until the current turn ends, though some, like /usage, run right away.
You can also ask Claude about itself in plain language: "how do I add an MCP server?" It knows its own documentation.
Example
> /init # draft CLAUDE.md from the codebase
> /model # open the model picker
> /context # see what's using the context window
> /compact focus on the API changes and open TODOs
> /usage # tokens, cost estimate, plan limits
> /clear # fresh context for an unrelated task
> /resume # pick an earlier conversationRemember
- A
/at the start of a message is a command for Claude Code, not a prompt - /clear, /compact and /context manage the context window
- /model, /usage, /rewind and /resume cover models, cost and history
Watch out for
- Typing a command in the middle of a sentence; it is only recognized at the start of the message.