Claude Code works with plain natural language, but keyboard shortcuts and slash commands make it much faster. Typing just / in the prompt shows every installed command (60+ built-ins, plus skills, plugins, and MCP commands), but this article is a beginner cheat sheet of the ones you use every day. Note: shortcuts can vary by operating system, terminal, and version (the following is based on the official Claude Code docs).
Shortcuts worth knowing
Starting with the most common. Esc interrupts Claude mid-response or mid-task while keeping the work done so far. Ctrl+C interrupts a running operation; if nothing is running, the first press clears the input and a second press exits Claude Code. When the prompt has text, pressing Esc twice clears it (the draft is saved to history, so ↑ recalls it); when the input is empty, a double Esc opens the rewind menu to restore an earlier point.
If the display gets garbled or partially blank, Ctrl+L redraws it (your conversation is kept), and Ctrl+O toggles the transcript viewer that shows detailed tool usage. Long-running commands can be moved to the background with Ctrl+B so you can keep working.
Shift+Tab — change the permission mode
Whether Claude Code asks before every file edit, auto-accepts them, or just plans first is controlled by the permission mode. Each press of Shift+Tab cycles through the modes.
default asks for confirmation on each action, acceptEdits auto-accepts file edits, and plan mode lays out a plan before acting. Any other modes you have enabled join the cycle too. The current mode is shown below the prompt.
The first character: / ! @
The first character of your input changes what happens.
Starting with / runs a command or skill. Starting with ! enters shell mode, running a terminal command (e.g. ! npm test, ! git status) directly without going through Claude, and adds its output to the conversation context. Typing @ brings up file-path autocomplete so you can point at a specific file.
Handy slash commands
See the full list by typing / in the prompt (keep typing to filter). Here are the ones you will reach for most.
/clear— Clears the conversation and starts a new session. The previous conversation is preserved and can be picked up later with/resume./compact— Compacts a long context. You can specify what to keep (e.g./compact keep only the error handling)./doctor— Checks installation, settings, MCP servers, and context usage in one pass./config— Settings screen: toggle vim editor mode, theme, session recap, and more./resume— Pick a previous session and continue it./mcp— View and manage connected MCP servers./terminal-setup— Installs theShift+Enternewline binding for VS Code, Cursor, and similar./btw— Ask a quick question without adding it to the conversation history (it does not derail your current task)./recap— Summarizes the session so far at a glance.
Entering multiple lines
To write a multi-line prompt, use \ followed by Enter (works in all terminals), or Ctrl+J which works with no configuration. Shift+Enter works natively in some terminals (iTerm2, Windows Terminal, and others); in VS Code, Cursor, and similar, run /terminal-setup once. On macOS, using Alt-style shortcuts (like Alt+P to switch model) requires setting Option as the Meta key in your terminal.
Wrap-up
In short, just learning to stop with Esc, switch modes with Shift+Tab, and type fast with /, !, and @ makes Claude Code much smoother. You can always see every command by typing /, and for the full reference see the official docs (Interactive mode). For what to do when it is slow or freezing, see the performance and stability guide.