claude-code-sandbox/docs/claude-code-docs/CLI usage and controls.md

title	source	author	published	created	description	tags
CLI usage and controls	https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/cli-usage	Anthropic		2025-05-25	Learn how to use Claude Code from the command line, including CLI commands, flags, and slash commands.	clippings

Getting started

Claude Code provides two main ways to interact:

• Interactive mode: Run claude to start a REPL session
• One-shot mode: Use claude -p "query" for quick commands

CLI commands

Command	Description	Example
claude	Start interactive REPL	claude
claude "query"	Start REPL with initial prompt	claude "explain this project"
claude -p "query"	Run one-off query, then exit	claude -p "explain this function"
cat file | claude -p "query"	Process piped content	cat logs.txt | claude -p "explain"
claude -c	Continue most recent conversation	claude -c
claude -c -p "query"	Continue in print mode	claude -c -p "Check for type errors"
claude -r "<session-id>" "query"	Resume session by ID	claude -r "abc123" "Finish this PR"
claude config	Configure settings	claude config set --global theme dark
claude update	Update to latest version	claude update
claude mcp	Configure Model Context Protocol servers	See MCP section in tutorials

CLI flags

Customize Claude Code’s behavior with these command-line flags:

Flag	Description	Example
--print, -p	Print response without interactive mode (see SDK documentation for programmatic usage details)	claude -p "query"
--output-format	Specify output format for print mode (options: text, json, stream-json)	claude -p "query" --output-format json
--verbose	Enable verbose logging, shows full turn-by-turn output (helpful for debugging in both print and interactive modes)	claude --verbose
--max-turns	Limit the number of agentic turns in non-interactive mode	claude -p --max-turns 3 "query"
--model	Sets the model for the current session with an alias for the latest model (sonnet or opus) or a model’s full name	claude --model claude-sonnet-4-20250514
--permission-prompt-tool	Specify an MCP tool to handle permission prompts in non-interactive mode	claude -p --permission-prompt-tool mcp_auth_tool "query"
--resume	Resume a specific session by ID, or by choosing in interactive mode	claude --resume abc123 "query"
--continue	Load the most recent conversation in the current directory	claude --continue
--dangerously-skip-permissions	Skip permission prompts (use with caution)	claude --dangerously-skip-permissions

For detailed information about print mode (-p) including output formats, streaming, verbose logging, and programmatic usage, see the SDK documentation.

Slash commands

Control Claude’s behavior during an interactive session:

Command	Purpose
/bug	Report bugs (sends conversation to Anthropic)
/clear	Clear conversation history
/compact [instructions]	Compact conversation with optional focus instructions
/config	View/modify configuration
/cost	Show token usage statistics
/doctor	Checks the health of your Claude Code installation
/help	Get usage help
/init	Initialize project with CLAUDE.md guide
/login	Switch Anthropic accounts
/logout	Sign out from your Anthropic account
/memory	Edit CLAUDE.md memory files
/model	Select or change the AI model
/pr_comments	View pull request comments
/review	Request code review
/status	View account and system statuses
/terminal-setup	Install Shift+Enter key binding for newlines (iTerm2 and VSCode only)
/vim	Enter vim mode for alternating insert and command modes

Special shortcuts

Quick memory with

Add memories instantly by starting your input with #:

You’ll be prompted to select which memory file to store this in.

Line breaks in terminal

Enter multiline commands using:

• Quick escape: Type \ followed by Enter
• Keyboard shortcut: Option+Enter (or Shift+Enter if configured)

To set up Option+Enter in your terminal:

For Mac Terminal.app:

1. Open Settings → Profiles → Keyboard
2. Check “Use Option as Meta Key”

For iTerm2 and VSCode terminal:

1. Open Settings → Profiles → Keys
2. Under General, set Left/Right Option key to “Esc+”

Tip for iTerm2 and VSCode users: Run /terminal-setup within Claude Code to automatically configure Shift+Enter as a more intuitive alternative.

See terminal setup in settings for configuration details.

Vim Mode

Claude Code supports a subset of Vim keybindings that can be enabled with /vim or configured via /config.

The supported subset includes:

• Mode switching: Esc (to NORMAL), i / I, a / A, o / O (to INSERT)
• Navigation: h / j / k / l, w / e / b, 0 / $ / ^, gg / G
• Editing: x, dw / de / db / dd / D, cw / ce / cb / cc / C, . (repeat)