These are the five Claude Code slash commands I reach for every working day. Tip: type / in Claude Code to see the full menu.

/clear

  • What it does: Wipes the current conversation and starts a blank session. Your files aren't touched.
  • Why I use it: Switching to an unrelated task — old context just confuses the answers.
  • How to use it: Type /clear and press enter.

/compact

  • What it does: Shrinks a long conversation into a short summary, keeping the important bits.
  • Why I use it: Same task, but the chat is getting long or repetitive and I don't want to lose the thread.
  • How to use it: Type /compact, or add a hint: /compact focus on the API changes.

/review

  • What it does: Reviews a pull request and flags bugs, risky changes, and unclear code.
  • Why I use it: A second pair of eyes before I ask a teammate to look.
  • How to use it: Type /review and give it a PR number or link when asked.

/init

  • What it does: Scans the project and writes a CLAUDE.md file so Claude remembers how the codebase works.
  • Why I use it: First thing in any new project — answers go from generic to specific.
  • How to use it: Type /init once, then commit the CLAUDE.md it creates.

/resume

  • What it does: Reopens an earlier conversation with all its context intact.
  • Why I use it: Picking up yesterday's task without re-explaining everything.
  • How to use it: Type /resume and pick a conversation from the list.

New to this? Start with /clear and /init. The rest will make sense once you need them.