Command Reference

Complete reference for all ccmd commands. Learn how to install, manage, and use Claude Code slash commands effectively.

This document provides detailed information about all ccmd commands, their options, and usage examples.

Table of Contents

Overview

ccmd is a command-line tool for managing Claude Code commands. It provides a package manager-like experience for installing, updating, and managing custom commands from Git repositories.

Command Structure

All ccmd commands follow this general pattern:

ccmd <command> [arguments] [flags]

Getting Help

To see available commands:

ccmd --help

To see help for a specific command:

ccmd <command> --help

Global Options

These options are available for all ccmd commands:

  • --version - Display ccmd version information
  • --help - Display help information

ccmd init

Initialize a new Claude Code Command or Plugin project by creating the necessary configuration files and directory structure.

Usage

ccmd init [flags]

Description

This interactive command guides you through setting up a new ccmd project. It prompts for essential metadata and generates the appropriate project structure.

For commands, generates:

  • ccmd.yaml - Command configuration file
  • .claude/commands/ - Directory structure for commands

For plugins (--plugin flag), generates:

  • ccmd.yaml - Plugin configuration file with type: plugin
  • .claude-plugin/plugin.json - Claude Code plugin manifest

Options

  • -p, --plugin - Initialize as a Claude Code plugin instead of a command

Interactive Prompts

  • name: Command/plugin name (defaults to current directory name)
  • version: Semantic version (defaults to “1.0.0”)
  • description: Brief description of what your command/plugin does
  • author: Your name or organization
  • repository: Git repository URL
  • entry: Entry point file (defaults to “index.md”) — not prompted for plugins
  • tags: Comma-separated list of tags

Examples

# Initialize a new command project
cd my-command
ccmd init

# Initialize a new plugin project
cd my-plugin
ccmd init --plugin
# or shorthand
ccmd init -p

Notes

  • If a ccmd.yaml file already exists, it will load existing values as defaults
  • After initializing a command, create your index.md file with command instructions
  • After initializing a plugin, edit .claude-plugin/plugin.json with your plugin manifest

ccmd install

Install a command or plugin from a Git repository, or install all entries from ccmd.yaml.

Usage

ccmd install [repository] [flags]

Description

When no repository is provided, installs all commands and plugins defined in the project’s ccmd.yaml. When a repository is provided, ccmd reads the repository’s ccmd.yaml and automatically determines whether to install it as a command or a plugin based on the type field.

  • type: plugin → installed to .claude/plugins/ and registered in Claude Code settings
  • no type (default) → installed to .claude/commands/ as a slash command

Options

  • -v, --version <version> - Version/tag to install (defaults to latest)
  • -n, --name <name> - Override command/plugin name
  • -f, --force - Force reinstall if already exists
  • --plugin - Force installation as a plugin (optional; only needed when the repository does not declare type: plugin)

Examples

# Install all commands and plugins from ccmd.yaml
ccmd install

# Install a command (auto-detected)
ccmd install github.com/user/my-command

# Install a plugin (auto-detected via type: plugin in the repo's ccmd.yaml)
ccmd install gifflet/review-plugin

# Install specific version
ccmd install github.com/user/repo@v1.0.0
ccmd install github.com/user/repo --version v1.0.0

# Install with custom name
ccmd install github.com/user/repo --name mycommand

# Force reinstall
ccmd install github.com/user/repo --force

Supported Repository Formats

  • github.com/user/repo
  • https://github.com/user/repo
  • git@github.com:user/repo
  • https://github.com/user/repo.git
  • git@github.com:user/repo.git
  • user/repo (assumes GitHub)

ccmd list

List all commands and plugins managed by ccmd with their versions, sources, and metadata.

Usage

ccmd list [flags]

Description

Shows commands and plugins tracked in the ccmd-lock.yaml file. Commands must have entries in .claude/commands/ and plugins in .claude/plugins/.

Options

  • -l, --long - Show detailed output including metadata

Examples

# List all commands and plugins in table format
ccmd list

# Show detailed information
ccmd list --long

Output Format

Simple format shows:

  • NAME - Command or plugin name
  • VERSION - Installed version
  • TYPE - command or plugin
  • DESCRIPTION - Brief description
  • UPDATED - Last update time

Long format includes:

  • All simple format fields
  • Author information
  • Tags
  • License
  • Homepage
  • Installation timestamps
  • Structure verification status

Notes

  • Entries with broken structure are marked with ⚠
  • Use --long flag to see details about structure issues

ccmd update

Update installed commands to their latest versions.

Usage

ccmd update [command] [flags]

Description

Updates a specific command or all commands to their latest versions from their source repositories.

Options

  • -a, --all - Update all installed commands
  • -c, --check - Only check for updates without installing
  • -f, --force - Force update even if version appears current

Examples

# Update a specific command
ccmd update my-command

# Update all commands
ccmd update --all

# Check for updates without installing
ccmd update --check
ccmd update my-command --check

# Force update
ccmd update my-command --force

Notes

  • Without --all flag, you must specify a command name
  • The --check flag shows available updates without making changes
  • Updates preserve any local configuration in ccmd.yaml

ccmd remove

Remove an installed command or plugin and clean up all associated files.

Usage

ccmd remove <name> [flags]

Description

Removes a command from .claude/commands/ or a plugin from .claude/plugins/. For plugins, also removes the entry from .claude/settings.json and updates the marketplace registry. Optionally updates configuration files.

Options

  • -f, --force - Force removal without confirmation
  • -s, --save - Update ccmd.yaml and ccmd-lock.yaml files

Examples

# Remove a command with confirmation prompt
ccmd remove my-command

# Remove a plugin with confirmation prompt
ccmd remove review-plugin

# Force removal without confirmation
ccmd remove my-command --force

# Remove and update config files
ccmd remove my-command --save

Confirmation

Unless --force is used, the command will display:

  • Name and version
  • Description (if available)
  • Confirmation prompt

Search for installed commands by keyword, tags, or author.

Usage

ccmd search [keyword] [flags]

Description

Searches through locally installed commands. This command searches metadata including names, descriptions, tags, and authors.

Options

  • -t, --tags <tags> - Filter by tags (comma-separated)
  • -a, --author <author> - Filter by author
  • --all - Show all commands (ignore keyword)

Examples

# Search by keyword
ccmd search review

# Search by tags
ccmd search --tags code-review,quality

# Search by author
ccmd search --author "John Doe"

# List all installed commands
ccmd search --all

# Combine filters
ccmd search review --tags automation --author "Jane Doe"

Output

Each result shows:

  • Command name and version
  • Description
  • Author (if available)
  • Tags (if available)
  • Repository URL

ccmd info

Display detailed information about an installed command.

Usage

ccmd info <command-name> [flags]

Description

Shows comprehensive information about a specific installed command, including metadata and structure verification.

Options

  • --json - Output in JSON format

Examples

# Show command information
ccmd info my-command

# Output as JSON
ccmd info my-command --json

Information Displayed

Command Information:

  • Name, version, author
  • Description
  • Repository URL
  • Homepage (if available)
  • License (if specified)
  • Tags
  • Entry point file

Installation Details:

  • Source repository
  • Installation timestamp
  • Last update timestamp

Structure Verification:

  • Command directory status
  • Standalone .md file status
  • ccmd.yaml presence
  • index.md presence
  • Any structure issues

Content Preview:

  • First 10 lines of the command’s index.md file

ccmd sync

Synchronize installed commands with ccmd.yaml configuration.

Usage

ccmd sync [flags]

Description

Analyzes the difference between ccmd.yaml and installed commands, then:

  • Installs commands listed in ccmd.yaml but not installed
  • Removes commands installed but not in ccmd.yaml
  • Updates ccmd-lock.yaml to reflect current state

Options

  • -n, --dry-run - Show what would be done without making changes
  • -f, --force - Force sync without confirmation

Examples

# Analyze and sync commands
ccmd sync

# Preview changes without executing
ccmd sync --dry-run

# Force sync without confirmation
ccmd sync --force

Sync Analysis Output

Shows:

  • Commands to install (marked with +)
  • Commands to remove (marked with -)
  • Summary of operations to be performed

Notes

  • Useful after cloning a project with existing ccmd.yaml
  • Helps maintain consistency between configuration and installed commands
  • The --dry-run flag is recommended to preview changes first

Common Workflows

Setting Up a New Project

# 1. Initialize ccmd in your project
cd my-project
ccmd init

# 2. Install some commands
ccmd install github.com/user/command1
ccmd install github.com/user/command2

# 3. Commit the configuration
git add ccmd.yaml ccmd-lock.yaml
git commit -m "Add ccmd commands"

Cloning an Existing Project

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/user/project
cd project

# 2. Install all commands
ccmd install
# or
ccmd sync

Keeping Commands Updated

# Check for updates
ccmd update --all --check

# Update all commands
ccmd update --all

# Update specific command
ccmd update my-command

See Also