Claude Code Tips

context

Use /clear to Start Fresh Without Restarting

Wipe the conversation history and reset context to zero without restarting Claude Code — use this when switching tasks or when Claude starts drifting.

/clear

beginner

Mar 4, 2026

shortcuts

Press Escape to Interrupt Claude Mid-Response

Stop Claude immediately when it's heading in the wrong direction — before it wastes tokens on a bad path that cascades into hundreds of useless lines.

Escape

beginner

Mar 4, 2026

config

Use /init to bootstrap CLAUDE.md

Let Claude Code scan your project and auto-generate a CLAUDE.md file instead of writing one from scratch — then customize to fit your workflow.

/init

intermediate

Mar 4, 2026

shortcuts

Use claude -p for one-shot scripting

Skip interactive mode and send a prompt directly from the command line with -p — pipe files in, chain tools, or embed Claude in shell scripts.

claude -p "explain this error" < error.log

intermediate

Mar 4, 2026

shortcuts

Use /cost to Track Token Spending

Check how many tokens you've used and the estimated cost of the current session — so you know when to compact before hitting the context ceiling.

/cost

beginner

Mar 4, 2026

shortcuts

Pipe output to Claude for analysis

Send command output directly into Claude via stdin — pipe failed tests, build errors, or logs and get a focused diagnosis without copy-pasting anything.

npm test 2>&1 | claude -p "explain failures"

intermediate

Mar 4, 2026

workflow

Use Plan Mode for complex tasks

Ask Claude to plan before coding when a task spans multiple files — catch wrong assumptions early instead of rolling back half-done changes.

plan before you code

intermediate

Mar 4, 2026

config

Use --model Flag to Pick Your Claude Model

Choose your Claude model at startup — default to Sonnet for everyday coding, switch to Opus only for deep architecture problems to cut costs.

claude --model sonnet

beginner

Mar 4, 2026

config

Structure CLAUDE.md with 6 Key Sections

The six-section CLAUDE.md structure that gives Claude Code maximum project understanding — so it stops asking questions you've already answered.

# Project Overview
# Tech Stack
# Architecture
# Conventions
# Common Commands
# Known Issues

intermediate

Feb 10, 2026

context

Use /compact When Responses Get Slow

Free up context window space by compressing history when Claude Code slows down — recovering 40–60% of your context budget without losing key info.

/compact

beginner

Feb 10, 2026

shortcuts

Use ! to Run Shell Commands Directly

Skip AI interpretation and execute shell commands instantly with ! — run tests, check git status, or any command where you don't need Claude's input.

! npm test

beginner

Feb 10, 2026

Use /clear to Start Fresh Without Restarting

Press Escape to Interrupt Claude Mid-Response

Use /init to bootstrap CLAUDE.md

Use claude -p for one-shot scripting

Use /cost to Track Token Spending

Pipe output to Claude for analysis

Use Plan Mode for complex tasks

Use --model Flag to Pick Your Claude Model

Structure CLAUDE.md with 6 Key Sections

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Use /compact When Responses Get Slow

Use ! to Run Shell Commands Directly