If you use ChatGPT or Claude, you may have noticed that typing a forward slash sometimes brings up a list of options.
It can feel a bit like discovering a hidden menu. Some of the options are genuinely useful. Others depend on which platform you are using, which version you have access to, and what tools are available in that particular chat.
Slash commands are worth understanding because they are becoming part of how people work with AI tools. They are not complicated, but there is some confusion around them because the same idea can mean a few different things.
Some slash commands are real features built into the application. Some are menu shortcuts. Some are simply informal prompts that the AI understands because the meaning is obvious.
What is a slash command?
A slash command is an instruction that begins with /.
For example:
/help
/compact
/summary
The important thing to understand is that not all slash commands work in the same way.
In some cases, the app itself recognises the command and carries out a specific action. In other cases, the AI model simply reads the text and works out what you probably meant.
That distinction matters.
A real command is a feature of the software. An informal slash prompt is just a shortcut you type into the chat.
Both can be useful, but they are not the same thing.
Three types of slash command
It helps to separate slash commands into three groups.
- Built-in commands
Some slash commands are built into the application.
Claude Code, for example, uses slash commands to control parts of the working session. A command such as:
/compact
can be used to reduce the active conversation context so the session can continue more efficiently.
In this case, /compact is not just a casual instruction. It is a feature built into that specific tool. The application recognises it and performs an action.
This is similar to using a keyboard shortcut or clicking a button.
The important point is that a built-in command only works where the platform supports it. A command that works in Claude Code will not necessarily work in regular Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot or another AI tool.
- Slash menus
In ChatGPT and Claude, typing / may bring up a list of available options.
This is more like a command palette than a traditional command line. It gives you quick access to actions or tools without needing to hunt through menus.
Exactly what appears will depend on the platform, your account, the device you are using and the features available in that chat.
This is why two people can type / into an AI tool and see different options.
The slash is acting as a shortcut to the interface. It is not necessarily something the AI model is interpreting as a message.
- Informal slash prompts
The third type is the most flexible.
You can type something like:
/summary, /eli5, or /stepbystep
These aren’t official commands, the AI is simply reading them as text and interpreting your intent.
For example, if you paste a long email and write:
/summary
ChatGPT or Claude will probably understand that you want the text summarised.
This means you can create your own slash-style shortcuts for tasks you do repeatedly.
A short history of slash commands
Slash commands did not begin with AI.
The idea goes back decades.
Older computer systems needed ways to separate commands from ordinary text. DOS used forward slashes for some command options, such as dir /w.
Early internet chat systems helped make slash commands feel familiar. IRC used commands such as /join, /nick, and /me
Later, workplace and community tools such as Slack and Discord made slash commands part of everyday software. People became used to typing commands like /remind, or using / to trigger apps, actions and workflows.
By the time AI assistants arrived, the pattern was already familiar. A forward slash had become a signal that said:
“Do something specific.”
AI tools adopted the convention because people already understood it.
Why slash commands are useful in AI tools
The main benefit is speed.
Most people who use AI regularly find themselves asking for the same types of help again and again:
- summarise or explain in simple terms
- make this shorter
- turn this into a reply
- check this before I send it
- pull out the actions
And so on. Slash-style prompts give you a quick way to reuse those instructions without typing a full sentence every time.
They are especially useful when paired with pasted content.
For example, instead of typing:
Please summarise the following email thread into five useful bullet points.
you could simply type:
/summary
Then paste the email underneath.
The AI will understand what you want.
Useful slash-style shortcuts to try
These are not official ChatGPT or Claude commands. They are practical shortcuts you can try using in your own chats.
/summary = summarise the text.
/actions = list actions, owners and deadlines.
/reply = draft a concise professional reply.
/check = check clarity, tone and mistakes.
/shorter = reduce length without losing meaning.
You can use them by typing the shortcut and then pasting or adding/attaching the content after it.
You can define your own shortcuts
You can define your own slash shortcuts at the start of a chat or in the personalisation section in natural language.
Conclusion
Slash commands in LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude are shortcuts to describing what kind of help you want.
Used sensibly, they can save time, reduce repetitive typing and make tools like ChatGPT and Claude more practical for everyday work. It might look like some kind of secret advanced AI knowledge, but it isn’t.