# Claude Code Slash Commands You Should Know (I wasn't either) > Source: > Published: 2026-05-27 23:34:00+00:00 Most people (myself included) mainly use Claude Code like a chatbot — type a request, get some code, repeat. But there's a whole layer of slash commands that make it significantly more powerful. Here's a rundown of the ones worth knowing. `/resume` Closed your terminal last night? This picks up exactly where you left off, letting you reopen and continue a previous coding session without losing your context. `/branch` This forks your current conversation into a new, separate session. Want to try a risky refactor without blowing up your current progress? Branch it. Think of it like `git branch` , but for your conversation. `/clear` Context getting bloated and Claude going in circles? Wipe it and start fresh. Sometimes a clean slate is the fastest fix. `/init` Run this first in any new project. It sets up your `CLAUDE.md` file — the place where Claude learns about your stack, your conventions, and your project structure. Think of it as onboarding Claude to your codebase. `/plan` Don't just say "build this." Ask Claude to plan first. Slowing down to get a written plan before implementation leads to noticeably better output — especially on complex features. `/memory` This is what Claude remembers about your project across sessions. Read it regularly, edit it when things change, and keep it accurate. Garbage in, garbage out. `/diff` Launches an interactive viewer showing all the changes made in the current session. You can toggle between a full git diff, view per-turn changes, and navigate between files. It's a quick sanity check: *what exactly has changed since my last commit?* `/compact` Conversation going back and forth? Session getting slow? This compresses your context while keeping the important parts — faster responses without losing the thread. `/security-review` Self-explanatory. Run this before you ship anything that touches auth, payments, APIs, or user data. Better to catch it here than in production. Did you already know some of these? Drop a comment with how you're using Claude Code — always curious what workflows people have built around it.