description: Use when building or improving a Claude Code slash command: $ARGUMENTS handling, file/bash injection, agent invocation, multi-agent orchestration, or command naming.
name: create-claude-command
Claude Code Commands
Quick Reference
| Component | Purpose | Example |
|---|
| Filename | Command name | review.md → /review |
$ARGUMENTS | Full user input | /review auth.js → $ARGUMENTS = "auth.js" |
$1, $2 | Positional args | /compare a.js b.js → $1 = "a.js", $2 = "b.js" |
@file | Include file contents | @CLAUDE.md |
!command | Include bash output | !git status |
Command Locations
| Location | Scope |
|---|
.claude/commands/ | Project (version-controlled, team-shared) |
~/.claude/commands/ | Personal (cross-project, not shared) |
The Scaffold
Every command is a scaffold — a markdown prompt template the user fills at invocation time:
---
description: Brief description for SlashCommand tool integration
---
# Command Title
[Instructions for what this command does]
User request: $ARGUMENTS
## Steps
1. [First action]
2. [Second action]
## Output Format
[Expected output structure]
The description: frontmatter is required for the SlashCommand tool to reference the command. Always include ## Output Format — without it the agent decides its own output shape, which varies run to run.
Naming Conventions
| Pattern | Example | Use For |
|---|
{action} | /review | Simple actions |
{action}-{target} | /security-scan | Specific targets |
{domain}-{action} | /pm-strategy | Domain-prefixed |
{tool}-{action} | /git-commit | Tool-specific |
Command vs Agent vs Skill
| Command | Agent | Skill |
|---|
| Trigger | User types /command | Claude decides | Claude loads |
| Purpose | Quick shortcuts | Complex work | Knowledge |
| Statefulness | Stateless | Maintains context | Reference only |
Flow: User → Command → Agent → Skill
For full $ARGUMENTS examples, command patterns (agent invocation, multi-agent orchestration, validation checklist), and advanced patterns (conditional logic, flag parsing), see REFERENCE.md.
