Claude Code Cheat Sheet

1. Session Management

Command	What it does	When to use
`/clear`	Wipe the entire conversation	Switching to a completely different task
`/compact`	Compress context, keep what matters	When context > 60% — e.g. `/compact focus on API changes`
`/resume`	Continue a previous session	Pick from the session list
`/rename`	Name the session so you can find it later	Use before exiting — e.g. `/rename oauth-migration`
`/rewind`	Roll back to the last checkpoint	Undo button — `Esc+Esc` or `/rewind`

Optimal workflow: /rename 'task-name' → work → /clear → new task Fixed the same issue twice? → /clear and rewrite the prompt.

2. Model & Mode

Picking the right model saves 40–80% on cost.

Command	What it does	When to use
`/model`	Switch model mid-conversation	Context stays intact — e.g. `/model claude-sonnet-4-6`
`/effort`	Set thinking level: low / medium / high	Persistent for the session — `/effort high` → `/effort medium` to reset
`/fast`	Faster replies, fewer tokens	Brainstorming, simple questions
`/plan`	Plan before coding	Approve the plan, then execute — `Shift+Tab` toggle in VS Code

Model	Best for	Cost
Haiku 4.5	Brainstorm, sub-agents	Cheapest
Sonnet 4.6	Daily coding, 90% of tasks	$3/MTok
Opus 4.6	Architecture, complex problems	$5/MTok

Thinking depth:

think       →   4K tokens   →   design patterns
think hard  →   10K tokens  →   DB migration
ultrathink  →   31K tokens  →   architecture

⚠ CLI only — does not work on the web

3. Context & Cost

Command	What it does	Notes
`/cost`	View cost for current session	Total, duration, tokens — e.g. `Total cost: $0.55`
`/stats`	Detailed usage stats	Cache hits, model used
`/context`	See how much context window is used	Like a fuel gauge — `/compact` when > 60%
`@file.ts`	Reference a specific file in your prompt	Autocompletes with `@`
`@file#5-20`	Reference specific lines	Saves context — e.g. `@utils.py#47-55 fix this function`

Real token savings:

CLAUDE.md under 200 lines → -62% startup tokens
node_modules/ in .gitignore → -30–40% context
/clear between tasks → -50–80% tokens
Skills cache → -95–98% on repeated workflows

4. Keyboard Shortcuts (VS Code)

Shortcut	What it does	Tip
`Ctrl+I`	Inline edit selected code	Select code → `Ctrl+I` → describe the change
`Ctrl+Shift+C`	Toggle sidebar chat	Most used shortcut daily
`Ctrl+Enter`	Send message	Instead of clicking Send
`Ctrl+Shift+N`	Open new chat	Clean context for a new task
`Ctrl+R`	Search prompt history	Fuzzy search — type a few keywords
`Ctrl+G`	Open plan in text editor	Plan Mode → `Ctrl+G` → edit → save

Plan Mode workflow: Shift+Tab → Plan Mode → Claude generates plan → Ctrl+G to edit → Shift+Tab → Implement

5. Quick Prefixes

Prefix	What it does	Example
`!`	Run bash without Claude’s approval	`!git status` · `!npm install`
`#`	Save directly to CLAUDE.md memory	`# Always use snake_case for DB columns`
`@`	Autocomplete file path	`Look at @src/auth/middleware.ts`
`/btw`	Ask a side question without polluting context	`/btw what's the diff between access_token and refresh_token?`
`ultrathink`	31K tokens for complex problems	`ultrathink about this architecture`

When to use what:

! → quick bash, safe operations
@ → reference files in your project
# → conventions and rules to remember long-term
/btw → side questions unrelated to current task
ultrathink → architecture, complex debugging

6. CLI Pipes & Flags

# Run a single prompt and exit (no interactive session)
claude -p "Explain this project" --output-format json

# Continue a named session
claude --resume

# Specify a model on startup
claude --model claude-opus-4-6

# Pipe git log for analysis
git log --oneline -20 | claude -p "summarize for standup"

# Pipe a file for review
cat error.log | claude -p "find the root cause"

In CI/CD:

claude -p "Review PR for security" --output-format json
git diff | claude -p "flag issues"        # Pre-commit hook
claude -p "check for regressions"         # Nightly review

7. Workflow Combos

Plan → Code

Shift+Tab (Plan Mode) → Claude generates plan → Ctrl+G to edit → Shift+Tab (implement)

Save & resume a complex task

/rename 'oauth-migration' → work → exit terminal → claude --resume → pick 'oauth-migration'

Optimize cost per task

/fast → brainstorm → /model sonnet → implement → /model opus → architecture → /clear between tasks

Free up context in a long session

/context → check % used → over 60%? → /compact focus on X → continue without losing important context

Debug loop (when Claude goes off track)

Claude does something wrong → /rewind → same issue twice? → /clear → rewrite with a more detailed prompt

Pro Tips

Two-Correction Rule — Fix the same issue max 2 times. On the 3rd attempt → /clear and rewrite the prompt with more detail.

CLAUDE.md — Claude reads this every session. Keep it under 200 lines. Structure: ## Tech Stack ## Commands ## Rules ## Avoid.

Hooks > Memory — Use hooks for mandatory rules. They run every time without reminders. Example: PostToolUse → eslint --fix {{file}}.

Turn good prompts into Skills — Write once, trigger automatically. Type publish blog → skill runs automatically.

Search old sessions — grep -r "ultrathink" ~/.claude/projects/