AI 'Secret Commands' Explained: What /slash Prompts Really Do

The truth about "secret commands"

Lists like "99 ChatGPT secret commands" or "All Claude secret codes" go viral every week. None of them are hidden built-in features. When you type /summarize the AI simply reads it as a word that hints at what you want — so it often works, but inconsistently.

The good news: you can make them reliable in under two minutes.

How to make shortcuts actually work

• ChatGPT: open Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions and paste your shortcut list.
• Claude: add the list to a Project's instructions, or your personal preferences.
• Gemini: create a Gem with the list as its instructions.

Paste something like this:

When my message starts with a shortcut, follow its rule:
/tldr = summarise in 3 bullets
/eli5 = explain like I'm a beginner, with one analogy
/fix = correct grammar and spelling only, keep my voice
/table = put the answer in a table
/critic = list the 5 biggest weaknesses before anything else
/steps = numbered step-by-step instructions
/email = turn my notes into a short professional email

25 shortcuts worth defining

• /tldr – short summary of long text
• /eli5 – beginner explanation with an analogy
• /steps – step-by-step instructions
• /compare – side-by-side pros and cons of options
• /table – reformat the answer as a table
• /fix – grammar and spelling only
• /rewrite – three alternative versions of a sentence
• /shorter – cut length by half, keep key points
• /human – make AI-sounding text natural
• /tone – rewrite in a tone you name (friendly, formal, firm)
• /email – notes into a clean email
• /decline – polite refusal that protects the relationship
• /followup – nudge for an unanswered message
• /hook – five scroll-stopping opening lines
• /caption – social caption plus hashtags
• /critic – find weaknesses and gaps
• /devil – argue the opposite side
• /assumptions – list hidden assumptions in a plan
• /risks – what could go wrong and how to prevent it
• /checklist – a checklist you can run through
• /plan – a dated action plan toward a goal
• /quiz – five questions to test understanding
• /debug – find and fix the error in code
• /explaincode – explain code line by line
• /json – return the result as valid JSON

Tip

Shortcuts save typing, but context still matters most. A shortcut plus one sentence of background ("for a small construction company in Jamaica") beats a bare command every time.