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Claude Code Cheat Sheet (Beta)

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Your complete guide to mastering Claude Code - from zero to hero in minutes!

After testing Claude Code extensively, I've developed this comprehensive cheat sheet that will take you from basic to advanced user without wasting time. Whether you're completely new to Claude Code or looking to master advanced features, this guide has you covered.

Quick Start

# Windows users
wsl

# Install Claude Code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Launch interactive REPL
claude

# Check version
claude --version

📚 Table of Contents

  • 🟢 Level 1: Basic Commands
  • 🟡 Level 2: Intermediate Commands
  • 🟠 Level 3: Advanced Commands
  • 🔴 Level 4: Expert Commands
  • 🔵 Level 5: Power User Commands
  • 🟣 Level 6: Master Commands
  • 🤝 Contributing
  • 📄 License

🟢 Level 1: Basic Commands

Essential commands to get started

Installation & Getting Started

# Install Claude Code
curl -sL https://install.anthropic.com | sh

# Start interactive REPL
claude

# Start with initial prompt
claude "summarize this project"

# Check version
claude --version

# Update to latest version
claude update

Basic Navigation

/help                     # Show help and available commands
/exit                     # Exit the REPL
/clear                    # Clear conversation history
/config                   # Open config panel
/doctor                   # Check Claude Code installation health

Basic File Operations

# Print mode (SDK) - execute and exit
claude -p "explain this function"

# Process piped content
cat logs.txt | claude -p "explain"

# Continue most recent conversation
claude -c

# Continue via SDK
claude -c -p "Check for type errors"

Session Management

# Resume session by ID
claude -r "abc123" "Finish this PR"

# Resume with flag
claude --resume abc123 "query"

# Continue session
claude --continue

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+C                    # Cancel current operation
Ctrl+D                    # Exit Claude Code
Tab                       # Auto-complete
Up/Down                   # Navigate command history

🟡 Level 2: Intermediate Commands

Configuration and model management

Model Configuration

# Switch models
claude --model sonnet                    # Use Sonnet model
claude --model opus                      # Use Opus model
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514  # Use specific model version

Directory Management

# Add additional working directories
claude --add-dir ../apps ../lib

# Validate directory paths
claude --add-dir /path/to/project

Output Formatting

# Different output formats
claude -p "query" --output-format json
claude -p "query" --output-format text
claude -p "query" --output-format stream-json

# Input formatting
claude -p --input-format stream-json

Session Control

# Limit conversation turns
claude -p --max-turns 3 "query"

# Verbose logging
claude --verbose

# Session cost and duration
/cos                      # Show total cost and duration

🟠 Level 3: Advanced Commands

Tools and permission management

Tool Management

# Allow specific tools without prompting
claude --allowedTools "Bash(git log:*)" "Bash(git diff:*)" "Write"

# Disallow specific tools
claude --disallowedTools "Bash(rm:*)" "Bash(sudo:*)"

# Prompt for specific tool permission
claude -p --permission-prompt-tool mcp_auth_tool "query"

# Skip all permission prompts (dangerous)
claude --dangerously-skip-permissions

Slash Commands - Session Management

/compact [instructions]   # Summarize conversation with optional instructions
/clear                    # Reset conversation history and context
/exit                     # Exit the REPL
/help                     # Show available commands
/config                   # Open configuration panel

Slash Commands - System

/doctor                   # Check installation health
/cos                      # Show cost and duration of current session
/ide                      # Manage IDE integrations

🔴 Level 4: Expert Commands

MCP and advanced integrations

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

# Configure MCP servers
claude --mcp

# MCP server management (via slash commands)
/mcp                      # Access MCP functionality

Advanced Piping

# Complex piping operations
git log --oneline | claude -p "summarize these commits"
cat error.log | claude -p "find the root cause"
ls -la | claude -p "explain this directory structure"

Programmatic Usage

# JSON output for scripting
claude -p "analyze code" --output-format json

# Stream JSON for real-time processing
claude -p "large task" --output-format stream-json

# Batch processing
claude -p --max-turns 1 "quick query"

🔵 Level 5: Power User Commands

Advanced workflows and automation

Custom Slash Commands

# Create custom commands in .claude/commands/
# Example: .claude/commands/debug.md
/debug                    # Execute custom debug command
/test                     # Execute custom test command
/deploy                   # Execute custom deploy command

Complex Tool Combinations

# Advanced tool permissions
claude --allowedTools "Bash(git:*)" "Write" "Read" \
       --disallowedTools "Bash(rm:*)" "Bash(sudo:*)"

# Multiple directory access
claude --add-dir ../frontend ../backend ../shared

Performance Optimization

# Limit context for performance
claude -p --max-turns 5 "focused query"

# Clear context frequently
/clear                    # Use between tasks for better performance

# Compact conversations
/compact "keep only important parts"

🟣 Level 6: Master Commands

Expert automation and custom workflows

Advanced Configuration

# Complex model and tool configuration
claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514 \
       --add-dir ../apps ../lib ../tools \
       --allowedTools "Bash(git:*)" "Write" "Read" \
       --verbose \
       --output-format json

Automation Scripts

# Scripted Claude interactions
#!/bin/bash
claude -p "analyze codebase" --output-format json > analysis.json
claude -p "generate tests" --max-turns 3 --output-format text > tests.txt

Advanced Session Management

# Session ID management
SESSION_ID=$(claude -p "start analysis" --output-format json | jq -r '.session_id')
claude -r "$SESSION_ID" "continue analysis"

Complex Workflows

# Multi-step automation
claude -p "analyze project structure" | \
claude -p "suggest improvements" | \
claude -p "create implementation plan"

🟤 Level 7: Workflow Automation

Advanced automation patterns and multi-step processes

Automated Code Review Workflows

# Automated PR review process
#!/bin/bash
git diff HEAD~1 | claude -p "review this PR for security issues" > security_review.md
git diff HEAD~1 | claude -p "check for performance issues" > performance_review.md
git diff HEAD~1 | claude -p "suggest improvements" > improvements.md

Continuous Integration Integration

# CI/CD pipeline integration
claude -p "analyze test coverage" --output-format json | jq '.coverage_percentage'
claude -p "generate release notes from commits" --max-turns 2 > RELEASE_NOTES.md

Batch Processing Workflows

# Process multiple files
find . -name "*.js" -exec claude -p "analyze this file for bugs: {}" \; > bug_report.txt

# Automated documentation generation
for file in src/*.py; do
    claude -p "generate docstring for $file" --output-format text >> docs.md
done

⚫ Level 8: Integration & Ecosystem

IDE integrations, Git workflows, and third-party tool connections

IDE Integration Commands

# VS Code integration
/ide vscode                # Configure VS Code integration
/ide configure             # Setup IDE configurations

# Custom IDE commands
claude --ide-mode "explain selected code"
claude --ide-mode "refactor this function"

Git Workflow Integration

# Git hooks integration
claude -p "create pre-commit hook for code quality" > .git/hooks/pre-commit

# Advanced Git operations
git log --oneline -10 | claude -p "create changelog from these commits"
git diff --name-only | claude -p "explain what changed in this commit"

Third-Party Tool Connections

# Database integration
mysql -e "SHOW TABLES" | claude -p "analyze database structure"

# Docker integration
docker ps | claude -p "analyze running containers"
docker logs container_name | claude -p "find errors in logs"

⚪ Level 9: Performance & Optimization

Advanced performance tuning, resource management, and efficiency tips

Memory & Resource Management

# Optimize memory usage
claude -p --max-turns 1 "quick analysis"      # Single turn for efficiency
claude -p --compact-mode "analyze with minimal context"

# Resource monitoring
/cos                       # Check current session costs
/doctor --performance      # Performance diagnostics

Caching & Optimization

# Efficient session reuse
claude -c "continue previous analysis"         # Reuse existing context
claude --cache-results "repetitive task"      # Cache common operations

# Parallel processing
claude -p "task 1" & claude -p "task 2" & wait  # Parallel execution

Large-Scale Processing

# Handle large codebases efficiently
claude --add-dir . --max-context 50000 "analyze entire project"
claude --stream-output "process large dataset" | head -100

🔘 Level 10: Enterprise & Production

Production-ready configurations, team workflows, and enterprise features

Team Collaboration

# Shared team configurations
claude --config-file team-config.json "standardized analysis"

# Team session sharing
claude -r "team-session-id" "continue team discussion"

Production Environment Setup

# Production-ready configuration
claude --production-mode \
       --security-enabled \
       --audit-logging \
       --max-turns 10 \
       "production analysis"

Enterprise Security

# Security-focused operations
claude --disallowedTools "Bash(rm:*)" "Bash(sudo:*)" "Bash(chmod:*)" \
       --audit-mode \
       --no-external-calls \
       "secure code review"

Monitoring & Compliance

# Audit and compliance
claude --audit-log /var/log/claude-audit.log "compliance check"
claude --compliance-mode "analyze for security compliance"

Command Reference Tables

CLI Commands

Command Description Example
claude Start interactive REPL claude
claude "query" Start REPL with prompt claude "explain this project"
claude -p "query" Print mode, execute and exit claude -p "explain function"
claude -c Continue recent conversation claude -c
claude -r "id" "query" Resume session by ID claude -r "abc123" "finish PR"
claude update Update to latest version claude update
claude mcp Configure MCP servers claude mcp

CLI Flags

Flag Description Example
--model Specify model --model sonnet
--add-dir Add working directories --add-dir ../apps ../lib
--allowedTools Allow tools without prompting --allowedTools "Bash(git:*)"
--disallowedTools Disallow specific tools --disallowedTools "Bash(rm:*)"
--output-format Set output format --output-format json
--input-format Set input format --input-format stream-json
--max-turns Limit conversation turns --max-turns 3
--verbose Enable verbose logging --verbose
--continue Continue session --continue
--resume Resume session --resume abc123
--dangerously-skip-permissions Skip all permission prompts --dangerously-skip-permissions

Slash Commands

Command Description
/help Show help and available commands
/exit Exit the REPL
/clear Clear conversation history
/config Open config panel
/doctor Check installation health
/cos Show cost and duration
/ide Manage IDE integrations
/compact [instructions] Summarize conversation
/mcp Access MCP functionality

Keyboard Shortcut

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+C Cancel current operation
Ctrl+D Exit Claude Code
Tab Auto-complete
Up/Down Navigate command history

Best Practices

Performance Tips

  • Use /clear frequently between tasks
  • Limit context with --max-turns
  • Use /compact for long conversations
  • Specify exact tools with --allowedTools

Security Tips

  • Avoid --dangerously-skip-permissions
  • Use --disallowedTools for dangerous commands
  • Review tool permissions regularly
  • Keep Claude Code updated

Workflow Tips

  • Create custom slash commands in .claude/commands/
  • Use --output-format json for automation
  • Pipe commands for complex workflows
  • Use session IDs for long-running tasks

Best Practices by Level

Beginner Best Practices (Levels 1-3)

  • Start with basic commands and gradually progress
  • Use /help frequently to discover new features
  • Practice with simple queries before complex ones
  • Keep sessions focused with /clear between tasks

Intermediate Best Practices (Levels 4-6)

  • Master tool permissions for security
  • Use JSON output for automation scripts
  • Learn MCP for advanced integrations
  • Create custom slash commands for repeated tasks

Advanced Best Practices (Levels 7-10)

  • Implement automated workflows for repetitive tasks
  • Use enterprise features for team collaboration
  • Monitor performance and optimize resource usage
  • Follow security best practices in production

Pro Tips & Tricks

Efficiency Tips

  • Use Ctrl+C to cancel long-running operations
  • Combine multiple flags for complex configurations
  • Use piping for multi-step data processing
  • Cache common operations for better performance

Security Pro Tips

  • Always use --disallowedTools for dangerous commands
  • Enable audit logging in production environments
  • Review tool permissions regularly
  • Use --security-enabled for sensitive operations

Workflow Pro Tips

  • Create templates for common automation patterns
  • Use session IDs for long-running collaborative tasks
  • Implement proper error handling in automation scripts
  • Document custom workflows for team sharing

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Installation Issues

# Check installation
claude --version
claude /doctor

# Reinstall if needed
npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Performance Issues

# Clear context for better performance
/clear

# Limit context size
claude -p --max-turns 3 "focused query"

# Use compact mode
/compact "keep only essentials"

Permission Issues

# Check current permissions
claude --list-permissions

# Reset permissions
claude --reset-permissions

# Configure specific permissions
claude --allowedTools "Bash(git:*)" --disallowedTools "Bash(rm:*)"

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please see the Claude Code documentation for guidelines.

Ways to Contribute

  • 🐛 Report bugs or issues
  • 📝 Improve documentation
  • ✨ Add new command examples
  • 🔧 Test commands and report results

📄 License

This cheat sheet is provided under the MIT License.

⭐ Support

If this cheat sheet helped you, please share it with other developers! If this cheat sheet helped you master Claude Code, please:

  • ⭐ Star our GitHub repository
  • 📢 Share it with other developers
  • 💬 Leave feedback in the comments
  • 🔄 Follow for updates

Resources & Further Learning

For more Claude Code resources, visit the official Anthropic documentation at

Last updated: July 2025

About

Ultimate collection of Claude Code tips, tricks, hacks, and workflows that you can use to master Claude Code in minutes

medium.com/@joe.njenga

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claude claude-ai claude-api claude-3 claude-3-opus claude-desktop claude-code claudecode claudecode-mcp

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