Keyboard Shortcuts & Commands Cheat Sheet

Every slash command, keyboard shortcut, and hidden trick in Claude Code. The stuff power users know and everyone else doesn't.

You're Using 10% of Claude Code

Most people type prompts and hit Enter. That's it. They don't know about slash commands. They don't know you can switch models mid-conversation. They don't know Escape cancels a running operation without killing the session.

Here's everything in one place.

Commands you probably don't know about

Slash Commands

These work by typing them directly into the Claude Code prompt.

Session Management

Command	What it does
`/help`	Show all available commands
`/clear`	Clear conversation history and start fresh
`/compact`	Compress context to free up token space
`/cost`	Show current session token usage and cost
`/quit` or `/exit`	End the session

Configuration

Command	What it does
`/model`	Switch the active model (opus, sonnet, haiku)
`/permissions`	View and manage tool permissions
`/init`	Generate a CLAUDE.md file for your project

Workflow

Command	What it does
`/review`	Review recent changes for issues
`/pr-comments`	Show unresolved PR comments

Keyboard Shortcuts

These work while you're in the Claude Code terminal interface.

The Essentials

Shortcut	What it does
Enter	Send your message
Escape	Cancel current operation (safe — doesn't lose context)
Ctrl+C	Hard cancel / exit if pressed twice
Ctrl+L	Clear the screen (keeps conversation)
Up arrow	Cycle through previous prompts

The Power Moves

Shortcut	What it does
Shift+Tab	Toggle plan mode on/off
Option+T (Mac) / Alt+T	Toggle extended thinking
Tab	Accept autocomplete suggestion
Ctrl+R	Search through prompt history

Keyboard shortcuts in practice

The Commands People Sleep On

/compact is a lifesaver. Long session getting slow? Context window filling up? /compact compresses your conversation while keeping the important context. Use it before Claude Code starts forgetting things, not after.

/model for cost control. Start complex tasks with Opus or Sonnet, then switch to Haiku for simple follow-ups. "Fix the typo I just introduced" doesn't need the most expensive model.

/cost for awareness. Check it every 30 minutes during long sessions. If you're burning through tokens faster than expected, it's usually because the context window is bloated — time for /compact.

Escape is not Ctrl+C. Escape gracefully stops the current operation. Claude Code keeps your conversation and any partial work. Ctrl+C is the hard kill — use it only when things are truly stuck.

CLI Flags Worth Knowing

These go on the claude command itself, before you enter the interactive session:

claude -p "prompt"       # Non-interactive pipe mode (for CI/scripts)
claude --model haiku     # Start with a specific model
claude --resume          # Resume your last conversation
claude --continue        # Continue the most recent session
claude --verbose         # Show tool calls and internal reasoning

The --resume flag is underrated. Closed your terminal by accident? claude --resume picks up exactly where you left off. No lost context.

Quick Reference Card

Session:   /help  /clear  /compact  /cost  /quit
Config:    /init  /model  /permissions
Keys:      Escape (cancel)  Shift+Tab (plan)  Option+T (think)
           Up (history)  Ctrl+R (search)  Tab (complete)
CLI:       -p (pipe)  --resume  --continue  --verbose

Print this. Tape it to your monitor. You'll use it more than you think.

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Keyboard Shortcuts & Commands Cheat Sheet

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