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).
🟢 Model references match the current lineup · model notice · Fable subscription
Fable 5 and 5.1 subscription (updated November 1, 2026): Claude Fable 5.1, released September 1, 2026, is the current Fable model and Fable 5 is now legacy. Plan terms are the same for both — Max, Ultra, and Team Premium plans include Fable at up to 50% of the weekly usage limit; Pro and Team Standard use usage credits ($10/M input, $50/M output tokens). The one-time $100 credit applied only to the Fable 5 transition and is not offered for 5.1. Some coding and debugging requests may be answered by an Opus model due to a security classifier (both models). See the Fable 5.1 guide and the Fable 5 availability guide for details.
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 (see the next section).
Ctrl+B and the “Run in background” button
When Claude runs a command, it normally waits for that command to finish. With a long build or download, that means Claude sits idle too. Move the command to the background and it keeps running while Claude moves on; Claude gets a notification when it finishes.
- Terminal — press
Ctrl+Bwhile the command runs. Inside tmux, press it twice, because it clashes with tmux’s prefix key. - VS Code extension — once a command has run for about two seconds, a Run in background button appears below the tool call. It requires Claude Code v2.1.287 or later.
- From the start — you can also just ask Claude to run a command in the background.
Type /tasks in the prompt to see background work and stop it from there. Subagents Claude starts can be moved to the background the same way.
Things to know:
- Background tasks are cleaned up when Claude Code exits. For something that must finish, like a download, check it is done before you close.
- A command that hits its timeout moves to the background instead of being stopped (except commands that start with
sleep). - A task whose output exceeds 5GB is stopped automatically.
- To turn the feature off, set
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_BACKGROUND_TASKS=1;Ctrl+Bthen does nothing.
Based on the official docs (Interactive mode and VS Code) as of November 3, 2026; behavior may change by version.
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 moves to the next mode; keep pressing until the mode you want shows below the prompt. (Updated September 7, 2026 against the official permission-modes docs.)
auto— a classifier (a separate model that judges how risky an action is) approves actions for you. New sessions on Pro, Max, and Team plans start in this mode (Claude Code v2.1.228 or later); Enterprise plans and Console API keys start indefault.default(labeled Manual) — asks for confirmation on each action not already allowed.acceptEdits— auto-accepts file edits.plan— lays out a plan before acting.
The documented cycle is: from auto, the first press goes to default, then default → acceptEdits → plan → back to default. On accounts where auto mode is available, the cycle passes through auto after plan, and bypassPermissions appears only in sessions started with it enabled. The current mode is shown below the prompt. See the permissions guide for details on each mode.
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.
Related articles
- Claude Code Use Cases: Explore, Debug, Refactor, Test, and PR Workflows
- Claude Code GitHub Integration — Automate PRs and Reviews with @claude
- Claude Code Slash Commands — Built-in Commands and Custom Ones
- Claude Code Subagents — Specialized AI to Isolate Side Work
- Claude Code Hooks — Rules That Run Automatically Every Time