command-development

name	command-development
description	This skill guides creating slash commands for Claude Code—reusable Markdown-based prompts with YAML configuration. Use when building custom commands, designing command workflows, or extending Claude Code functionality.

Command Development

Overview

Commands are reusable prompts defined as Markdown files with optional YAML frontmatter.

Critical: Commands are instructions FOR Claude, not messages TO users.

Command File Structure

---
description: Brief help text shown in /help
allowed-tools: Bash(git:*), Read
model: sonnet
argument-hint: [file-path] [options]
---

Instructions for Claude here.

Analyze the file at $1 and provide...

File Locations

Location	Scope
.claude/commands/	Project (shared via git)
~/.claude/commands/	Personal (all projects)
plugin/commands/	Plugin distribution

Frontmatter Fields

Field	Purpose
description	Help text for /help command
allowed-tools	Restrict tool access (e.g., Bash(git:*))
model	Specify model: haiku, sonnet, opus
argument-hint	Document expected arguments
disable-model-invocation	Prevent programmatic calls

Dynamic Features

Arguments

# All arguments as single string
Process: $ARGUMENTS

# Positional arguments
File: $1
Options: $2
Mode: $3

File References

# Include file contents
Review this code: @src/main.ts

# Argument-based reference
Analyze: @$1

Inline Bash Execution

# Current context
Current branch: !`git branch --show-current`
Recent commits: !`git log --oneline -5`

Naming Conventions

Use verb-noun format:

• review-pr.md
• generate-tests.md
• fix-issue.md

Organization

.claude/commands/
├── review-pr.md           # Flat for <15 commands
├── git/                   # Namespaced for 15+
│   ├── commit.md          # Becomes /git-commit
│   └── push.md            # Becomes /git-push
└── testing/
    └── run-tests.md       # Becomes /testing-run-tests

Best Practices

1. Single responsibility - One task per command
2. Document arguments - Always use argument-hint
3. Validate inputs - Check before processing
4. Restrict tools - Use allowed-tools appropriately
5. Clear naming - Verb-noun format