Master Claude Code commands

Teach Claude reusable workflows so you don’t have to repeat yourself.

Disclaimer: This guide has been created with Claude Code + NotebookLM.

New to Claude Code? Check out this guide first.

So what exactly are commands?

You know how you sometimes ask Claude to do the same thing over and over?

“Proofread this draft and fix any typos.”
“Summarize what we talked about today.”
“Review my essay against my style guide.”

Every time, you type out the full request. Every time, you hope you remembered to include all the details. And every time, Claude starts fresh — no memory of how you like things done.

Commands fix that.

A command is a saved set of instructions that you can run with a single word. Instead of typing out “proofread my draft and fix any typos, but don’t change my voice, and show me the changes before applying them” every time, you create a command called /proofread — and from then on, you just type /proofread my-draft.md.

Think of commands like recipes. You write down the steps once. Then you can follow the recipe anytime without having to remember every ingredient and instruction.

“This sounds like programming.”

It’s not, I promise.

Here’s what a command actually is: a text file with instructions written in plain English. That’s it. No code. No special syntax. Just “here’s what I want you to do when I say /proofread.”

The “technical” part is just:

• Knowing where to save the file

• Giving it the right name

If you’ve ever written a checklist or a how-to note for yourself, you can write a command.

Using commands that already exist

Before you create your own, let’s see how to use commands.

See all available commands:

Open Claude Code in your terminal, type / and pause. You’ll see a list of everything available — both built-in commands and any custom ones you’ve created.

Run a command:

Just type the command name with a / in front:

/help

Some commands take extra information (called “arguments”). For example, if you had a /proofread command, you’d tell it which file to proofread:

/proofread my-draft.md

Built-in commands you already have:

Claude Code comes with useful commands out of the box:

• /help — shows all available commands

• /memory — opens your CLAUDE.md file for editing

• /compact — compresses the conversation to save space

• /clear — starts a fresh conversation

• /model — lets you switch which Claude model you’re using

Type / to explore what’s available.

Where commands live

Commands are just text files saved in specific folders. Here’s where Claude Code looks for them:

Personal commands (works in all your projects):

~/.claude/commands/your-command-name.md

Project commands (only available in that project folder):

.claude/commands/your-command-name.md

The pattern: personal commands follow you everywhere, project commands stay with the project.

Creating the folders (if they don’t exist)

These folders might not exist yet — here’s how to create them:

On Mac:

1. Open Finder

2. Press Cmd + Shift + G (Go to Folder)

3. Type ~/.claude and press Enter

4. If the .claude folder doesn’t exist, go to your home folder and create a folder called .claude

5. Inside .claude, create a folder called commands

Note: Folders starting with a dot are hidden by default. Press Cmd + Shift + . in Finder to show hidden files.

On Windows:

1. Open File Explorer

2. Type %USERPROFILE%\.claude in the address bar and press Enter

3. If the .claude folder doesn’t exist, navigate to your user folder (C:\Users\YourName) and create a folder called .claude

4. Inside .claude, create a folder called commands

Note: Folders starting with a dot may be hidden. In File Explorer, go to View → Show → Hidden items.

Or just ask Claude:

Hey Claude, can you please check if the folders already exist for my custom commands, and create them if they don't yet exist?

Creating a command: Two ways

The quick way (ask Claude Code to build it)

Just describe what you want in plain English:

Hey Claude, create a custom Claude Code command called "proofread" that proofreads whatever file I give it, fixes typos and grammar, keeps my voice intact, and shows me the changes before applying them. Save it to my personal commands folder so I can use it everywhere.

Claude will:

1. Create the command file with the right structure

2. Save it in the right place

3. Show you what it created

You can then run /proofread my-draft.md immediately.

Want to refine it? Just tell Claude:

Hey Claude, update the proofread command to also check for run-on sentences

The manual way

Step 1: Create your command file

On Mac:

1. Open TextEdit

2. Go to Format → Make Plain Text (important!)

3. Write your instructions

On Windows:

1. Open Notepad

2. Write your instructions

Here’s an example of what to write:

# Proofread

When I give you a file to proofread:

1. Fix spelling and grammar errors
2. Keep my original voice and style — don't make it sound "professional"
3. Show me the changes before applying them
4. If something is intentionally informal, leave it alone

Step 2: Save with the right name

On Mac:

Save as proofread.md in ~/.claude/commands/

On Windows:

Save as proofread.md in C:\Users\YourName\.claude\commands\

(Make sure “Save as type” is “All Files”, not “Text Documents”)

Step 3: Use it

/proofread my-draft.md

Claude reads your command file and follows those instructions on my-draft.md.

Why commands matter

Commands let you:

• Be consistent — The same instructions, every time

• Save mental energy — No remembering “how did I phrase that last time?”

• Build on what works — When you figure out the perfect way to do something, capture it

• Reduce friction — One word instead of a paragraph of instructions

And here’s the real power: commands can work with your CLAUDE.md file, reference your projects, and combine multiple steps into one action. A single /wrap-up command could summarize your session, suggest updates to your memory file, and remind you of loose ends.

Discovering what commands you might want

Not sure what commands would be useful for you? Here are some ways to explore:

Ask Claude to help you brainstorm:

Based on the kinds of work I do (check my CLAUDE.md), what are some commands that might save me time? Think about repetitive tasks, things I might forget steps for, or workflows that have multiple parts.

Reflect on your patterns:

I want to create some custom commands. Ask me questions about how I work — what I do repeatedly, what I tend to forget, what feels tedious — and then suggest some commands that might help.

Start from friction:

Think about the last few times you felt annoyed typing something out to Claude. That’s usually a command waiting to happen.

Common candidates:

• How you like things proofread or edited

• How you want sessions wrapped up

• How you review or organize your notes

• How you prepare something for publishing

• Your personal checklist before finishing work

See it in action

Try this:

1. Ask Claude to create a simple command for something you do often

2. Run it with /your-command-name

3. Refine it: “Update the command to also do X”

You just automated a piece of your workflow.

There’s more to explore

There’s a lot more you can do with commands — passing in multiple arguments, having Claude automatically suggest when to use them, creating multi-step workflows. But that’s for later.

For now, start with one command. Something you do repeatedly. See how it changes things.

The main idea is this:

If you’re typing the same instructions more than twice, it should probably be a command.

Now how about you go and build one?

Quick reference

See all commands:

/

Run a command:

/command-name

Run a command with extra info:

/command-name filename.md

Create a command (the easy way):

Hey Claude, create a Claude Code command called "command-name" that [describe what it should do]. Save it to my personal commands folder.

Create a command (manually):

1. Create file: ~/.claude/commands/command-name.md

2. Write your instructions in plain English

3. Save and use with /command-name

Update an existing command:

Update the command-name command to also [new instruction]

Useful built-in commands:

• /help — See all commands

• /memory — Edit your CLAUDE.md

• /compact — Compress conversation

• /clear — Start fresh

• /model — Switch Claude models

Where commands live:

• Personal: ~/.claude/commands/command-name.md

• Project: .claude/commands/command-name.md

Discover command ideas:

Based on the kinds of work I do (check my CLAUDE.md), what are some commands that might save me time?

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Found a discrepancy or stumbled upon an unexpected issue? Please me know in the comments so I can update this guide for future readers. Thank you!

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This guide is a part of my “Get started with Claude Code for creatives” master guide — check it out here.