Create Slash Command

Guide the user through creating a new slash command for Claude Code.

What You're Building

A slash command is a .md file in .claude/commands/ that acts as a shortcut. When the user types /command-name in Claude Code, the file contents are injected as the prompt.

Commands are simpler than skills — they're one-liners or short instructions, not multi-step workflows.

Step 1: Understand the Command

Ask the user:

1. What should this command do? (e.g., "check deploy status", "run linting", "summarize this file")
2. What name? Short, memorable. The file will be {name}.md and invoked as /{name}
3. Does it take arguments? If yes, use $ARGUMENTS placeholder
4. Should it invoke an agent? If it's domain-specific, point to the right agent

Step 2: Generate the Command File

Create .claude/commands/{name}.md:

Simple command (no agent)

{Instruction for what Claude should do}: $ARGUMENTS

If no arguments were provided, {fallback behavior}.

Agent command

Use the @{agent-name} agent to help the user with the following: $ARGUMENTS

If no arguments were provided, ask the user how you can help ({list of things this command handles}).

Command with specific steps

---
description: "{short description}"
---

Run these steps:

1. {step 1}
2. {step 2}
3. {step 3}

Context: $ARGUMENTS

Step 3: Verify

ls -la .claude/commands/{name}.md

Tell the user:

• Command created: /{name}
• Invoke in Claude Code: /{name} or /{name} some arguments
• To edit: .claude/commands/{name}.md
• To delete: remove the file

Examples

Quick status check

.claude/commands/deploy.md:

Check the deployment status of the current branch. Run `gh run list --limit 5` and summarize: which workflows passed, which failed, and if there are any in progress.

Agent shortcut

.claude/commands/tickets.md:

Use the @atlas-project agent to review open tickets: $ARGUMENTS

If no arguments were provided, show a summary of open issues by priority.

Multi-step workflow

.claude/commands/pr-check.md:

---
description: "Pre-PR checklist"
---

Run these steps before opening a PR:

1. Run `git diff --stat main` to see what changed
2. Check for any TODO or FIXME comments in changed files
3. Run the test suite
4. Summarize: files changed, tests passing, any concerns

Custom prefix (gitignored)

For personal commands that shouldn't be committed: .claude/commands/custom-{name}.md

Commands with custom- prefix are gitignored — personal to your workspace.

Naming Convention

Rules:

• Lowercase, hyphen-separated
• Keep names short (1-2 words)
• Avoid names that conflict with existing commands
• Use custom- prefix for personal commands (gitignored)

Existing Commands

Command vs Skill

If what the user wants is a multi-step workflow with detailed instructions, suggest creating a skill instead (use the create-routine or just create a skill manually in .claude/skills/).