claude-code-ultimate-guide/guide/cheatsheet.md

title	description	tags
Claude Code Cheatsheet	One-page printable daily essentials for maximum Claude Code productivity	cheatsheet reference

Claude Code Cheatsheet

1 printable page - Daily essentials for maximum productivity

Author: Florian BRUNIAUX | Founding Engineer @Méthode Aristote

Written with: Claude (Anthropic)

Version: 3.28.1 | Last Updated: February 2026

---

Essential Commands

Command	Action
/help	Contextual help
/clear	Reset conversation
/compact	Free up context
/status	Session state + context usage
/context	Detailed token breakdown
/plan	Enter Plan Mode (no changes)
/execute	Exit Plan Mode (apply changes)
/model	Switch model (sonnet/opus/opusplan)
/insights	Usage analytics + optimization report
/teleport	Teleport session from web
/tasks	Monitor background tasks
/remote-env	Configure cloud environment
/fast	Toggle fast mode (2.5x speed, 6x cost)
/debug	Systematic troubleshooting
/exit	Quit (or Ctrl+D)

---

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Shift+Tab	Cycle permission modes
Esc × 2	Rewind (undo)
Ctrl+C	Interrupt
Ctrl+R	Search command history
Ctrl+L	Clear screen (keeps context)
Tab	Autocomplete
Shift+Enter	New line
Ctrl+B	Background tasks
Alt+T	Toggle thinking
Ctrl+D	Exit

---

File References

@path/to/file.ts    → Reference a file
@agent-name         → Call an agent
!shell-command      → Run shell command

IDE	Shortcut
VS Code	Alt+K
JetBrains	Cmd+Option+K

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Features Méconnues (But Official!)

Feature	Since	What It Does
Tasks API	v2.1.16	Persistent task lists with dependencies
Background Agents	v2.0.60	Sub-agents work while you code
Agent Teams	v2.1.32	Multi-agent coordination (TeamCreate/SendMessage)
Auto-Memories	v2.1.32	Automatic cross-session context capture
Session Forking	v2.1.19	Rewind + create parallel timeline
LSP Tool	v2.0.74	Code intelligence (go-to-def, refs)

Pro tip: These aren't "secrets"—they're in the CHANGELOG. Read it!

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Permission Modes

Mode	Editing	Execution
Default	Asks	Asks
Auto-accept	Auto	Asks
Plan Mode	❌	❌

Shift+Tab to switch modes

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Memory & Settings (2 levels)

Level	macOS/Linux	Windows	Scope	Git
Project	.claude/	.claude\	Team	✅
Personal	~/.claude/	%USERPROFILE%\.claude\	You (all projects)	❌

Priority: Project overrides Personal

File	Where	Usage
CLAUDE.md	Project root	Team memory (instructions)
settings.json	.claude/	Team settings (hooks)
settings.local.json	.claude/	Your setting overrides
CLAUDE.md	~/.claude/ (Win: %USERPROFILE%\.claude\)	Personal memory

---

.claude/ Folder Structure

.claude/
├── CLAUDE.md           # Local memory (gitignored)
├── settings.json       # Hooks (committed)
├── settings.local.json # Permissions (not committed)
├── agents/             # Custom agents
├── commands/           # Slash commands
├── hooks/              # Event scripts
├── rules/              # Auto-loaded rules
└── skills/             # Knowledge modules

---

Typical Workflow

1. Start session      → claude
2. Check context      → /status
3. Plan Mode          → Shift+Tab × 2 (for complex tasks)
4. Describe task      → Clear, specific prompt
5. Review changes     → Always read the diff!
6. Accept/Reject      → y/n
7. Verify             → Run tests
8. Commit             → When task complete
9. /compact           → When context >70%

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Context Management (CRITICAL)

Statusline

Model: Sonnet | Ctx: 89.5k | Cost: $2.11 | Ctx(u): 56.0%

Watch Ctx(u): → >70% = /compact, >85% = /clear

Enhanced statusline (ccstatusline): Add to ~/.claude/settings.json:

{ "statusLine": { "type": "command", "command": "npx -y ccstatusline@latest", "padding": 0 } }

Context Thresholds

Context %	Status	Action
0-50%	Green	Work freely
50-70%	Yellow	Be selective
70-90%	Orange	/compact now
90%+	Red	/clear required

Actions by Symptom

Sign	Action
Short responses	/compact
Frequent forgetting	/clear
>70% context	/compact
Task complete	/clear

Context Recovery Commands

Command	Usage
/compact	Summarize and free context
/clear	Fresh start
/rewind	Undo recent changes
claude -c	Resume last session (CLI flag)
claude -r <id>	Resume specific session (CLI flag)

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Under the Hood (Quick Facts)

Concept	Key Point
Master Loop	Simple while(tool_call) — no DAGs, no classifiers
Tools	8 core: Bash, Read, Edit, Write, Grep, Glob, Task, TodoWrite
Context	~200K tokens, auto-compacts at 75-92%
Sub-agents	Isolated context, max depth=1
Philosophy	"Less scaffolding, more model" — trust Claude's reasoning

Deep dive: Architecture & Internals

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Plan Mode & Thinking

Feature	Activation	Usage
Plan Mode	Shift+Tab × 2 or /plan	Explore without modifying
OpusPlan	/model opusplan	Opus for planning, Sonnet for execution

Opus 4.6: Thinking is ON by default at max budget. Keywords like "think hard" or "ultrathink" are cosmetic only — they don't control depth.

Control	Action	Persistence
Alt+T	Toggle thinking on/off	Session
/config	Enable/disable globally	Permanent
effort param	API only: low|medium|high|max	Per-request

Cost tip: For simple tasks, Alt+T to disable thinking → faster & cheaper.

OpusPlan workflow: /model opusplan → Shift+Tab × 2 (plan with Opus) → Shift+Tab (execute with Sonnet)

Required for: features >3 files, architecture, complex debugging

Quick Model Selection

Task	Model	Effort
Rename, boilerplate, test gen	Haiku	low
Feature dev, debug, refactor	Sonnet	medium–high
Architecture, security audit	Opus	high–max

Full decision table with cost estimates: Section 2.5 Model Selection & Thinking Guide

Dynamic Model Switching (Mid-Session)

Pattern: Start Sonnet (speed) → swap Opus (complexity) → back Sonnet

Workflow:

# Session start (default Sonnet)
claude

# Complex feature encountered
> "Implement OAuth2 flow with PKCE"
/model opus                    # Switch to deep reasoning

# Feature complete, back to routine
/model sonnet                  # Speed + cost optimization

Best Practices:

• ✅ Swap on task boundaries, not mid-task
• ✅ Use Opus for: architecture decisions, complex debugging, security-critical code
• ✅ Use Sonnet for: routine edits, refactoring, test writing
• ✅ Use Haiku for: simple fixes, typos, validation checks
• ❌ Don't swap mid-implementation (context loss)

Cost Impact:

Model	Input	Output	Use Case
Opus	$15/MTok	$75/MTok	Complex reasoning (10-20% of tasks)
Sonnet	$3/MTok	$15/MTok	Most development (70-80% of tasks)
Haiku	$0.25/MTok	$1.25/MTok	Simple validation (5-10% of tasks)

Dynamic switching optimizes cost while maintaining quality on complex tasks.

Source: Gur Sannikov embedded engineering workflow

---

MCP Servers

Server	Purpose
Serena	Indexation + session memory + symbol search
grepai	Semantic search + call graph analysis
Context7	Library documentation
Sequential	Structured reasoning
Playwright	Browser automation
Postgres	Database queries
doobidoo	Semantic memory + multi-client + Knowledge Graph

Serena memory: write_memory() / read_memory() / list_memories()

Serena indexation:

# Initial index
uvx --from git+https://github.com/oraios/serena serena project index

# Force rebuild
serena project index --force-full

# Incremental update (faster)
serena project index --incremental --parallel 4

Check status: /mcp

---

Creating Custom Components

Agent (.claude/agents/my-agent.md)

---
name: my-agent
description: Use when [trigger]
model: sonnet
tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash
---
# Instructions here

Command (.claude/commands/my-command.md)

# Command Name
Instructions for what to do...
$ARGUMENTS[0] $ARGUMENTS[1] (or $0 $1) - user args

Hook (macOS/Linux: .sh | Windows: .ps1)

Bash (macOS/Linux):

#!/bin/bash
INPUT=$(cat)
# Process JSON input
exit 0  # 0=continue, 2=block

PowerShell (Windows):

$input = [Console]::In.ReadToEnd() | ConvertFrom-Json
# Process JSON input
exit 0  # 0=continue, 2=block

---

Anti-patterns

❌ Don't	✅ Do
Vague prompts	Specify file + line with @references
Accept without reading	Read every diff
Ignore warnings	Use /compact at 70%
Skip permissions	Never in production
Negative constraints only	Provide alternatives

---

Quick Prompting Formula

WHAT: [Concrete deliverable]
WHERE: [File paths]
HOW: [Constraints, approach]
VERIFY: [Success criteria]

Example:

Add input validation to the login form.
WHERE: src/components/LoginForm.tsx
HOW: Use Zod schema, show inline errors
VERIFY: Empty email shows error, invalid format shows error

---

CLI Flags Quick Reference

Flag	Usage
-p "query"	Non-interactive mode (CI/CD)
-c / --continue	Continue last session
-r / --resume <id>	Resume specific session
--teleport	Teleport session from web
--model sonnet	Change model
--add-dir ../lib	Allow access outside CWD
--permission-mode plan	Plan mode
--dangerously-skip-permissions	Auto-accept (use carefully)
--debug	Debug output
--mcp-debug	Debug MCP servers
--allowedTools "Edit,Read"	Whitelist tools

---

Debug Commands

claude --version     # Version
claude update        # Check/install updates
claude doctor        # Diagnostic
claude --debug       # Verbose mode
claude --mcp-debug   # Debug MCPs
/mcp                 # MCP status (inside Claude)

---

CI/CD Mode (Headless)

# Non-interactive execution
claude -p "analyze this file" src/api.ts

# JSON output
claude -p "review" --output-format json

# Economic model
claude -p "lint" --model haiku

# With auto-accept
claude -p "fix typos" --dangerously-skip-permissions

---

Task Management (v2.1.16+)

Two systems available:

System	When to Use	Persistence
Tasks API (v2.1.16+)	Multi-session projects, dependencies	✅ Disk (~/.claude/tasks/)
TodoWrite (Legacy)	Simple single-session	❌ Session only

Tasks API Commands

# Enable persistence across sessions
export CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID="project-name"
claude

# Inside Claude: Create task hierarchy
> "Create tasks for auth system with dependencies"

# Resume later (new session)
export CLAUDE_CODE_TASK_LIST_ID="project-name"
claude
> "TaskList to see current state"

Key capabilities:

• 📁 Persistent: Survives session end, context compaction
• 🔗 Dependencies: Task A blocks Task B
• 🔄 Multi-session: Broadcast state to multiple terminals
• 📊 Status: pending → in_progress → completed/failed

⚠️ Limitation: TaskList shows id, subject, status, blockedBy only. For description/metadata → use TaskGet(taskId) per task.

Tip: Store key info in subject for quick scanning.

Migration flag (v2.1.19+):

# Revert to old TodoWrite system
CLAUDE_CODE_ENABLE_TASKS=false claude

→ Full workflow: guide/workflows/task-management.md

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The Golden Rules

1. Always review diffs before accepting
2. Use /compact before context gets critical (>70%)
3. Be specific in requests (WHAT, WHERE, HOW, VERIFY)
4. Plan Mode first for complex/risky tasks
5. Create CLAUDE.md for every project
6. Commit frequently after each completed task
7. Know what's sent — prompts, files, MCP results → Anthropic (opt-out training)

---

Quick Decision Tree

Simple task       → Just ask Claude
Complex task      → Tasks API to plan first
Risky change      → Plan Mode first
Repeating task    → Create agent or command
Context full      → /compact or /clear
Need docs         → Use Context7 MCP
Deep analysis     → Use Opus (thinking on by default)

---

Common Issues Quick Fix

Problem	Solution
"Command not found"	Check PATH, reinstall npm global
Context too high (>70%)	/compact immediately
Slow responses	/compact or /clear
MCP not working	claude mcp list, check config
Permission denied	Check settings.local.json
Hook blocking	Check hook exit code, review logic

Health Check Script (save & run):

# macOS/Linux
which claude && claude doctor && claude mcp list

# Windows PowerShell
where.exe claude; claude doctor; claude mcp list

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Cost Optimization

Model	Use For	Cost
Haiku	Simple fixes, reviews	$
Sonnet	Most development
Opus	Architecture, complex bugs	$
OpusPlan	Plan (Opus) + Execute (Sonnet)

Tip: Use --add-dir to allow tool access to directories outside your current working directory

---

Community Tools

Tool	Purpose	Install
ccusage	Cost tracking & reports	bunx ccusage daily
RTK	Token reduction (60-90%)	brew install rtk-ai/tap/rtk or cargo install rtk · Site
claude-code-viewer	Session history UI	npx @kimuson/claude-code-viewer
Entire CLI	Session checkpoints + governance	entire.io (Feb 2026)

Entire CLI: Agent-native platform by ex-GitHub CEO with rewindable checkpoints, approval gates, audit trails. For compliance (SOC2, HIPAA) or multi-agent workflows.

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Resources

• Official docs: docs.anthropic.com/claude-code
• Advanced guide: Claudelog.com - Tips & patterns
• Full guide: ultimate-guide.md (this repo)
• Whitepapers (FR + EN): florian.bruniaux.com/guides — 9 focused PDFs
• Project memory: Create CLAUDE.md at project root
• DeepSeek (cost-effective): Configure via ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL

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Author: Florian BRUNIAUX | @Méthode Aristote | Written with Claude

Last updated: February 2026 | Version 3.28.1