What is the primary rule for authoring Claude Code commands?

The golden rule is that commands should delegate, not implement. They serve as simple user-invoked shortcuts that point to more complex agents or skills.

Should I use a command or a skill?

Use a command for explicit, user-initiated actions where control over timing is needed. Use a skill for context-aware logic that should trigger automatically during a conversation.

What are the required elements for a new command?

Every command must include a description field in the frontmatter for /help visibility and a clear command name heading within a Markdown file.

How long should a command file be?

Simple delegators are typically 6-10 lines of code. Even complex, fully documented commands should generally stay under 50-80 lines to maintain simplicity.

Command Authoring for Claude Code

Name: Command Authoring for Claude Code
Author: philoserf

byphiloserf

0•

Productivity & Workflow

Guides the design and implementation of custom slash commands that delegate tasks to specialized agents or skills.

Command Authoring is a specialized skill designed to streamline the creation and optimization of custom slash commands within the Claude Code environment. It provides expert guidance on architectural design patterns, delegation strategies, and naming conventions to ensure user shortcuts remain simple, focused, and maintainable. By offering a structured seven-step creation workflow and clear criteria for choosing between commands and skills, this tool helps developers build discoverable and efficient CLI extensions that keep complex logic separated from user-facing triggers.

Key Features

01Pre-defined design patterns for simple and documented delegators

02Best practices for command naming, arguments, and discoverability

030 GitHub stars

04Standardized frontmatter templates for /help output compatibility

05Step-by-step command creation workflow and validation checklists

06Expert logic for deciding between commands, skills, and agents

Use Cases

01Creating a custom shortcut for a repetitive, multi-step prompt workflow

02Refactoring monolithic command files into modular, delegated skill patterns

03Standardizing the command structure across a shared team configuration

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add philoserf/claude-code-setup command-authoring

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill