Launch And Session Commands — Claude Code Guide

Two interaction levels

Launch commands are entered in a regular terminal and create a session. Slash commands are entered inside Claude Code and control the active dialog.

This separation helps avoid confusing startup parameters with session commands.

Level	Examples	Purpose
Terminal	`claude`, `-p`, `-c`	Create or continue a session
Terminal	`--permission-mode`, `--worktree`	Set the mode and workspace
Active session	`/help`, `/status`, `/doctor`	Check capabilities and state
Active session	`/context`, `/compact`, `/clear`	Manage history and context
Active session	`/diff`, `/permissions`, `/rewind`	Review changes and work state

Launching from the terminal

First go to the project directory so Claude receives the correct starting point. For a one-off request or an isolated experiment, you can use separate startup options.

cd ~/projects/commerce-os

# Interactive session
claude

# One-off request
claude -p "Give me a concise overview of this project’s structure"

# Continue the previous session
claude -c

# Separate permission mode or worktree
claude --permission-mode plan
claude --worktree ../commerce-os-exp

Active-session commands

/help shows the capabilities of the specific version.
/status helps check the current session and authorization state.
/doctor diagnoses the installation and environment.
/context shows the context in use.
/compact compresses a long history, while /clear clears the dialog.
/diff shows current changes, /permissions manages permissions, and /rewind returns to an earlier state.

/status
/doctor
/context
/compact
/diff

How to choose the right level

To open Claude in a project, run claude in the shell.
For a short one-off analysis, use claude -p "...".
To continue previous work, use claude -c.
For the current session state or diagnostics, enter /status or /doctor.
To reduce history, use /compact; this does not create a new session.