Developer Tools

Claude Code
CLI Cheat Sheet

Complete reference for Claude Code CLI: commands, flags, keyboard shortcuts, permission modes, configuration files, MCP servers.

v4.6
Getting Started

Quick Start

1

Install

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
2

Login

claude auth login
3

Start

claude

or claude "Fix the login bug"

Reference

CLI Commands

Basic Usage

claudeStart interactive session
claude "query"Start with initial prompt
claude -p "query"Non-interactive (print & exit)
claude -cContinue most recent conversation
claude -r "name"Resume specific session
claude updateUpdate to latest version

Authentication

claude auth loginSign in
claude auth login --ssoForce SSO authentication
claude auth login --consoleUse API billing
claude auth logoutSign out
claude auth statusShow auth status

Model & Session

--model opusUse Opus model
--model sonnetUse Sonnet model
--effort highIncrease thinking effort
--effort maxMaximum thinking (Opus only)
-n "name"Name the session
--fork-sessionNew session ID from resume

Permission & Security

--permission-mode planRead-only, plan proposals
--permission-mode acceptEditsAuto-approve edits
--permission-mode autoAuto-approve all
--allowedTools "Read,Edit"Pre-approve tools
--disallowedTools "Bash(rm *)"Block tools

Output & Format

--output-format textPlain text (default)
--output-format jsonJSON with metadata
--output-format stream-jsonStreaming JSON
--json-schema '...'Structured output
--verboseVerbose logging
--debugDebug mode

Advanced

--bareSkip auto-discovery (fast)
--max-turns 10Limit agentic turns
--max-budget-usd 5Budget limit
-w feature-authIsolated git worktree
--add-dir /pathAdd working directory
--remote "task"Create web session
In-Session

Slash Commands

Session Management

/helpShow all commands
/clearClear conversation context
/compactCompress context window
/costShow API usage & costs
/statusSession status
/renameRename session
/resumeResume past session

Configuration

/configOpen settings
/modelSwitch models
/memoryView/edit memory files
/permissionsManage permissions
/mcpManage MCP servers
/initGenerate CLAUDE.md
/doctorDiagnose issues

Skills

/simplifyReview code changes
/reviewReview pull requests
/loop 5m /cmdRun on interval
/scheduleScheduled remote agents
/skillsView available skills

Special Prefixes

!npm testRun bash command directly
#fix bugEnter plan mode
@file.tsReference a file
@file.ts#5-10Reference line range
@src/components/Reference folder
Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Global Actions

Cancel / ExitCtrl+C
Exit Claude CodeCtrl+D
Toggle task listCtrl+T
History searchCtrl+R
Toggle verboseCtrl+O

Chat Input

Submit messageEnter
New lineShift+Enter
Accept autocompleteTab
Cycle permission modesShift+Tab
Clear prompt inputCtrl+L
Stash current promptCtrl+S
Paste imageCtrl+V
Open external editorCtrl+G
Voice dictationHold Space

Model & Mode

Open model pickerCmd+P
Toggle fast modeMeta+O
Toggle thinkingCmd+T
Undo last actionCtrl+_
Kill background agentsCtrl+X Ctrl+K

Permission Prompts

Confirm actionY or Enter
Decline actionN or Escape
Toggle explanationCtrl+E
Toggle debug infoCtrl+D
Security

Permission Modes

defaultSafe

Reads only. Best for getting started and sensitive work.

acceptEditsRecommended

Auto-approve reads + file edits + common FS commands (mkdir, touch, mv, cp, rm).

planRead-only

Reads only, generates plan proposals. Use for exploring before editing.

autoFull access

Auto-approve everything with background safety checks. Best for long tasks.

Switch modes with Shift+Tab or --permission-mode <mode> at startup. Protected paths (.git/, .zshrc, .mcp.json) are never auto-approved.

Setup

Configuration Files

CLAUDE.mdInstructions

Persistent project/user instructions loaded at session start.

./CLAUDE.md project-level
~/.claude/CLAUDE.md user-level
./.claude/rules/*.md path-scoped
settings.jsonSettings

Permissions, hooks, environment variables, model defaults.

~/.claude/settings.json user
.claude/settings.json project
.claude/settings.local.json local
.mcp.jsonMCP

MCP server configuration for external tools integration.

claude mcp add name transport url
claude mcp list
claude mcp remove name
.claude/Directory

Project configuration directory structure.

settings.json shared config
commands/ custom slash commands
agents/ subagent definitions
keybindings.json custom keys
Automation

Hooks

Shell commands that run automatically in response to Claude Code events. Defined in settings.json.

Available Hooks

SessionStartWhen session begins
SessionEndWhen session ends
UserPromptSubmitBefore user message processed
PreToolUseBefore tool execution
PermissionRequestOn permission prompt
InstructionsLoadedWhen CLAUDE.md loaded

Environment Variables

ANTHROPIC_API_KEYAPI key for auth
CLAUDE_CODE_DEBUG_LOGS_DIRDebug log directory
CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_AUTO_MEMORYDisable auto memory
CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLESkip context discovery
Workflows

Common Patterns

Fast CI/CD:

claude --bare -p "task" --allowedTools "Read,Bash"

Security Review:

claude -p "Review for vulnerabilities" --append-system-prompt "You are a security expert"

Continue Session:

session_id=$(claude -p "query" --output-format json | jq -r '.session_id')
claude -p "follow-up" --resume "$session_id"

Structured Output:

claude -p "Extract functions" --json-schema '{"type":"object"...}' --output-format json

Git Worktree:

claude -w feature-auth --tmux

Stream Responses:

claude -p "..." --output-format stream-json | jq -rj '.event.delta.text'
Integrations

IDE Shortcuts

VS Code

Toggle focus editor/ClaudeCmd+Esc
New conversationCmd+Shift+Esc
Insert @-mentionOption+K
Model pickerCmd+P

JetBrains

Open Claude CodeCmd+Esc
Insert file referenceCmd+Option+K
Connect terminalclaude /ide