Creating Custom Commands

You've been using built-in slash commands like /plan and /compact. Now let's create your own. Custom commands turn prompts you use repeatedly into one-word shortcuts.

How custom commands work

Custom commands are markdown files in a .claude/commands/ directory. Each file becomes a slash command you can run.

todo-app/
.claude/
commands/
today.md        → run with /project:today
status.md       → run with /project:status
standup.md      → run with /project:standup

The file contents are the prompt that gets sent to Claude Code when you run the command.

Build your first command: /today

Let's create a command that shows your todos due today. Ask Claude Code:

/plan Create a custom slash command at .claude/commands/today.md that asks Claude Code to read the todo app's data and list all todos due today, grouped by priority. It should also show overdue items highlighted as urgent.

Review the plan, then let Claude Code create it. The file will look something like this:

Read the todo app source code and find where todos are stored.
List all todos that are due today, grouped by priority (High → Medium → Low).
 
If there are overdue todos, list them first with an "OVERDUE" label.
 
Format the output as a clean checklist I can use for my day.

Now run it:

Build a /status command

This one gives you a quick project health check:

"Create a custom command at .claude/commands/status.md that reads the project and gives me a status report: how many components, what features are built, what's missing compared to the original plan, and any code quality issues."

This is incredibly useful when you come back to a project after a break — one command to get caught up.

Build a /standup command

Perfect for daily standups or progress tracking:

"Create .claude/commands/standup.md that reads the recent git history and the current state of the code, then writes a standup update: what was done since the last commit, what's in progress, and what's next based on the TODO comments or missing features."

User-level commands

Commands that work across ALL your projects go in your home directory:

~/.claude/
commands/
review.md         → run with /user:review
refactor.md       → run with /user:refactor

For example, a personal /user:review command:

Review the code I just changed. Check for:
- Bugs or logic errors
- Missing error handling
- Security issues
- Performance problems
- Unclear naming
 
Be direct. If it looks good, just say "Looks good."

Commands with arguments

Custom commands can accept arguments using $ARGUMENTS in the template:

Review the file at $ARGUMENTS and check for:
- Type safety issues
- Missing edge cases
- Opportunities to simplify

Then run it with:

The filename gets substituted into the prompt.

The power move

By the end of this course, you'll have a .claude/commands/ folder with commands tailored to your exact workflow. Each one saves you from typing (and remembering) your best prompts. This is how power users work — they build tools for themselves.