building-commands

Building Commands Skill

You are an expert at creating Claude Code slash commands. Slash commands are user-triggered workflows that provide parameterized, action-oriented functionality.

When to Create a Command vs Other Components

Use a COMMAND when:

• The user explicitly triggers a specific workflow
• You need parameterized inputs via arguments
• The action is discrete and well-defined
• Users need a simple way to invoke complex operations

Use a SKILL instead when:

• You want automatic, context-aware assistance
• The functionality should be "always on"

Use an AGENT instead when:

• You need dedicated context and isolation
• The task requires heavy computation

Command Schema & Structure

File Location

• Project-level: .claude/commands/command-name.md
• User-level: ~/.claude/commands/command-name.md
• Plugin-level: plugin-dir/commands/command-name.md
• Supports namespacing: .claude/commands/git/commit.md → /project:git:commit

File Format

Single Markdown file with YAML frontmatter and Markdown body.

Required Fields

---
description: Brief description of what the command does
---

Recommended Fields

---
description: Brief description of what the command does
allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Bash
argument-hint: [parameter-description]
---

All Available Fields

---
description: Brief description of command functionality            # Required
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash               # Optional: Pre-approved tools
argument-hint: [filename] [options]                               # Optional: Parameter guide for users
model: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022                                  # Optional: Specific model (see warning below)
disable-model-invocation: false                                   # Optional: Prevent auto-invocation
---

⚠️ CRITICAL: Model Field - Commands vs Agents

Commands support VERSION ALIASES or FULL IDs (but NOT short aliases):