Claude Code cheatsheet

Everything in one place. Cmd+F is your friend. Deep links go to the full reference.

Prompt prefixes

Prefix	Does
/	Run a slash command or skill (type / to list)
@	Mention a file/folder or MCP resource (@src/auth.ts)
!	Run a shell command; output goes into context

Essential keys

Key	Action
Shift+Tab	Cycle permission mode: default → acceptEdits → plan
Esc	Interrupt the current turn
Esc Esc	Rewind menu (when input is empty)
Ctrl+O	Transcript viewer
Ctrl+R	Reverse history search
Ctrl+B	Background the current task
Ctrl+T	Task list
Ctrl+G	Edit the prompt/plan in $EDITOR
Alt+P / Alt+T	Switch model / toggle thinking
Ctrl+C / Ctrl+D	Cancel input / exit

Full list → keyboard shortcuts.

Permission modes

Mode	Behavior
default	Reads freely; asks before edits/commands
acceptEdits	Auto-applies file edits + in-scope fs commands (mkdir/mv/cp/rm)
plan	Research & plan only — no edits
auto	Runs with a server-side safety classifier (preview, v2.1.83+)
dontAsk	Runs only pre-approved tools, asks for nothing else (CI)
bypassPermissions	No checks — only in a sandbox (--dangerously-skip-permissions)

Fine-grained: /permissions → allow/deny patterns like Bash(npm run test:*).

Most-used slash commands

Command	Does
/help	List everything
/init	Generate a CLAUDE.md from the codebase
/clear	New conversation, keep project memory (use between tasks)
/memory	Edit persistent memory (CLAUDE.md)
/compact [focus]	Compress the conversation, keep the essentials
/autocompact [size]	Show/set the auto-compact window (500k, auto) → guide
/context	Show context-window usage
/model · /effort	Switch model · set reasoning effort
/usage	Token use + plan limits (5h + weekly)
/rewind	Restore code/conversation to a checkpoint
/resume	Resume a past session
/code-review	Review the current diff
/doctor	Diagnose & auto-fix

CLI flags

Command	Does
claude	Start interactive session
claude "query"	Start with a first prompt
claude -p "query"	Headless/print mode (exits) — for scripts/CI
claude -c / --continue	Resume the most recent session in this dir
claude -r <id|name>	Resume a specific session
claude --model sonnet	Pick a model
claude --permission-mode plan	Start in a permission mode
claude -w / --worktree	Run in an isolated git worktree
claude doctor	Health check

Full list → CLI reference. Note: claude --help isn't exhaustive.

Models (pick by task)

Alias	Use for
haiku	Trivial / formatting
sonnet	~80% of work (default for most)
opus	Hard multi-file refactors, tricky bugs, architecture
opusplan	Plan with Opus, execute with Sonnet

Details → models & effort · cost.

The core loop

TIP

Give Claude a check it can run — tests, a build, a screenshot. That's the difference between a session you watch and one you walk away from.

Another model

Want	Do
The whole session on another provider	A second config dir + base URL, key, ANTHROPIC_MODEL, the tier aliases and the two context numbers — guide
Know what breaks first	What stops working

Quick wins

Want to…	Do
Start fresh between tasks	/clear
Understand a repo	Ask it questions like you would a senior engineer → guide
Fix a bug	Paste the stack trace → "write a failing test, then fix the root cause" → guide
Stop being asked repeatedly	/permissions allowlist, or Shift+Tab → acceptEdits
Spend less	Sonnet by default; /clear often; lean CLAUDE.md → cost guide
Work in parallel	claude -w (worktrees) → guide
Automate it	claude -p headless → guide

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