Claude Code Custom Commands

A simple example showing how to create custom slash commands for Claude Code without needing MCP servers.

What are Custom Commands?

Claude Code automatically recognizes any markdown file in your .claude/commands/ directory as a slash command. This provides a simple way to create reusable prompts and workflows without any complex setup.

Directory Structure

On Mac or Linux:

# User-level commands (available in all projects)
~/.claude/commands/
    └── date.md         # Available as /user:date

# Project-specific commands
.claude/commands/
    └── date.md         # Available as /project:date

Creating a Simple Date Command

1. Create the commands directory:

   mkdir -p ~/.claude/commands

2. Add the date.md file (included in this gist)

   cd ~/.claude/commands
   nano date.md

   Then paste the content of date.md Exit. Save.

3. Restart Claude Code

4. Use the command:

   /user:date
   

How It Works

• Claude Code scans for .md files in the commands directories
• Each file becomes a slash command
• The filename (without .md) becomes the command name
• Commands can include $ARGUMENTS to accept parameters

Example with Arguments

# Custom Date Format

Returns date with custom format.

## Instructions

Execute: `date "$ARGUMENTS"`
If no arguments: `date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"`

Usage: /user:date "+%A, %B %d, %Y"

More Command Ideas

• /user:timestamp - Get Unix timestamp
• /user:uuid - Generate a UUID
• /user:ip - Check current IP address
• /user:branch - Create and switch to a new git branch
• /user:serve - Start a local server

Benefits

• ✅ No MCP server setup required
• ✅ No npm packages or dependencies
• ✅ Simple markdown files
• ✅ Instant availability after adding
• ✅ Can be version controlled with your project
• ✅ Easy to share with your team

Resources

• Claude Code Best Practices
• Awesome Claude Code Commands
• Claude Command Suite

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This approach is much simpler than creating MCP servers for basic utilities!