Claude Code Shortcuts, Commands & CLI Reference

Everything Claude Code can do. Bookmark this page.

Most used (memorize these):

Command	What it does
claude	Start Claude Code
claude -c	Continue last session
/compact	Compress context (saves tokens)
/clear	Start fresh conversation
Ctrl+C	Cancel generation

Jump to: Keyboard · Slash Commands · CLI Flags · Environment

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Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+C	Cancel current generation
Ctrl+D	Exit Claude Code
Ctrl+L	Clear screen
Ctrl+R	Search command history
↑ / ↓	Navigate command history
Tab	Autocomplete file paths
Esc	Cancel current input

Slash Commands

Session Management

Command	What it does
/clear	Clear conversation history
/compact	Compress context to save tokens
/cost	Show session token usage & cost
/doctor	Check installation health
/help	Show all commands
/init	Create CLAUDE.md in current directory
/quit	Exit Claude Code

Context & Memory

Command	What it does
/add-dir <path>	Add directory to context
/memory	View/edit persistent memory
/context	Show current context window

Execution

Command	What it does
/run <cmd>	Run shell command
/vim	Edit in Vim mode
/review	Review pending changes

CLI Flags

Starting Claude Code

# Basic start
claude

# Start with a prompt
claude "explain this codebase"

# Continue last conversation
claude --continue

# Resume specific session
claude --resume <session-id>

# Non-interactive mode (for scripts)
claude --print "what does main.py do?"

Output Control

# Output formats
claude --output-format text      # Plain text (default)
claude --output-format json      # JSON output
claude --output-format stream-json  # Streaming JSON

# Verbose/quiet
claude --verbose    # Show all tool calls
claude --quiet      # Minimal output

Model & Context

# Use specific model
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514

# Set max tokens
claude --max-tokens 8192

# Permission modes
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions  # YOLO mode
claude --permission-mode default       # Ask for dangerous ops

Session Management

# List recent sessions
claude --list

# Show session info
claude --info <session-id>

# Export session
claude --export <session-id> > session.json

Environment Variables

# API key (required)
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

# Custom config location
export CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR="~/.claude"

# Disable telemetry
export CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1

# Custom model
export CLAUDE_MODEL="claude-sonnet-4-20250514"

CLAUDE.md Quick Reference

Create a CLAUDE.md in your project root:

# Project Context

## Build Commands
- `npm run dev` - Start dev server
- `npm run build` - Production build
- `npm test` - Run tests

## Architecture
- Framework: Next.js 14
- Database: PostgreSQL
- Auth: Clerk

## Conventions
- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Prefer server components
- Tests required for utils/

Pro Tips

Tip: Use /compact when you hit context limits instead of starting fresh

Tip: claude --print is perfect for CI/CD pipelines

Tip: Keep CLAUDE.md under 500 lines — it loads every session

Tip: Use Ctrl+C twice quickly to force-stop a runaway generation

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🎯 Try Right Now

# If you haven't yet, set up Claude Code
claude /init

# Then start a session
claude "explain what this project does"

# Use /compact when context gets long
/compact

# Check your usage
/cost

Master these 5 commands and you’re 90% of the way there.

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Related

• Claude Code Setup Guide — Full setup walkthrough
• Tool Comparison — Compare all tools
• Tools Directory — All AI coding tools