ChatGPT Command Reference

Slash Commands, Keyboard Shortcuts, Skills, Plugins, and Practical Combinations

2026 Edition
Author: Lucio A. Da Silva
Reference verified: September 2, 2026

About this guide

This guide documents the command systems currently associated with ChatGPT:

1. Official slash commands in the ChatGPT desktop app.
2. Conditional and dynamically generated slash commands.
3. ChatGPT web's account-dependent composer command menu.
4. Skills invoked with $.
5. Plugins invoked with @.
6. Desktop keyboard shortcuts.
7. Community-created prompt prefixes such as /xray and /magazinecover.
8. Recommended command combinations and reusable workflows.

The distinction between these systems matters. An official slash command controls the application or an agent session. A skill loads a reusable workflow. A plugin connects ChatGPT to tools or information. A community prompt prefix is merely concise natural-language prompting; it does not unlock a hidden feature.

Availability note: OpenAI states that commands vary by environment, feature rollout, plan, workspace policy, current mode, and connected capabilities. Type / in your own composer to see the authoritative list for that chat.

Primary official references

• ChatGPT desktop slash commands
• ChatGPT desktop commands and keyboard shortcuts
• Using ChatGPT
• ChatGPT on the web
• Skills and plugins
• Plugins
• Scheduled tasks
• OpenAI documentation changelog

Table of contents

1. Command-system map
2. How to open and use slash commands
3. Models, reasoning, and response behavior
4. Planning and long-running work
5. Chats, projects, and execution locations
6. Developer context, review, and integrations
7. Session control, diagnostics, and feedback
8. Conditional and dynamic slash commands
9. ChatGPT web slash menu
10. Skills, plugins, files, and other prefixes
11. Recommended combinations
12. Desktop keyboard shortcuts
13. Community slash-style prompt shortcuts
14. Create your own reusable shortcuts
15. Troubleshooting
16. Quick-reference cheat sheet
17. Official URL directory

1. Command-system map

OpenAI recommends describing the result you want directly. Use explicit commands when you need to control the session, select a capability, or standardize a repeated workflow.

2. How to open and use slash commands

1. Click or focus the chat composer.
2. Type /.
3. Continue typing to filter, such as /sta for /status.
4. Select the command and provide arguments if the command accepts them.
5. Press Enter.

Commands can also appear in the middle of a draft where the current app version supports composer autocomplete.

Basic examples

/status

/plan Design a migration plan from Vue 2 to Nuxt 4.

/goal Produce a tested migration guide with risks, milestones, and rollback steps.

Learn more: Official slash-command reference

3. Models, reasoning, and response behavior

These commands adjust how ChatGPT or Codex approaches the current chat.

Recommended sequence

/model
/reasoning
/fast

Choose the model first, then its reasoning level, then decide whether Fast mode is worth the additional credit consumption. Higher reasoning is most useful for architecture, difficult debugging, research synthesis, or decisions with many constraints.

4. Planning and long-running work

Recommended plan-to-execution workflow

/plan Interview me about requirements, constraints, audience, and success criteria.

After approving the plan:

/goal Implement the approved plan, verify the deliverables, and stop when all success criteria pass.

During execution:

/status
/side Summarize progress and list unresolved risks.

This is one of the strongest command combinations because it separates definition from execution and preserves the main work while you ask side questions.

5. Chats, projects, and execution locations

Chat and project organization

Execution location

Choosing an execution target

6. Developer context, review, and integrations

Recommended repository workflow

/project
/local
/init

Edit AGENTS.md so it contains the repository's build commands, tests, conventions, boundaries, and definition of done. Then:

/plan Add the requested feature and identify affected tests.
/worktree
/goal Implement the approved feature, run relevant checks, and document the result.
/review

The worktree isolates the implementation; review mode provides a separate quality pass.

7. Session control, diagnostics, and feedback

Long-chat maintenance

/status
/compact

Before compacting, ask ChatGPT to summarize critical decisions, constraints, unresolved questions, and filenames. This creates a human-readable checkpoint even though the command handles context automatically.

Approval safety

/approve is not a blanket permission command. It is a one-retry control for a recent automatically denied action. Review the target action first, especially if it writes files, runs shell commands, accesses a network, or affects external systems.

8. Conditional and dynamic slash commands

These commands or menu entries are documented by OpenAI but are not part of the fixed 24-command desktop index in every environment.

/share

/prompts:<name> — deprecated custom prompts

Custom prompt files can appear as commands such as:

/prompts:draftpr FILES="src/app.ts src/app.test.ts" PR_TITLE="Improve validation"

OpenAI now marks custom prompts as deprecated and recommends Skills for reusable workflows. Existing prompt files can still support positional placeholders ($1 through $9), $ARGUMENTS, named placeholders, and $$ for a literal dollar sign.

Learn more: Custom prompts

Skill entries in the slash menu

Enabled skills can appear in slash-command autocomplete. The canonical explicit syntax is:

$skill-name your request

Because installed skills vary by account, project, plugin, and administrator policy, there cannot be one universal list of skill-generated menu entries.

Learn more: Skills and plugins

9. ChatGPT web slash menu

ChatGPT web has its own composer command menu. OpenAI explicitly states that it does not expose the desktop or Codex CLI command set. Type / in the current web chat to see the actions available for your plan, workspace, mode, and feature rollout.

The visible menu can change when you:

• Switch between Chat and ChatGPT Work.
• Enter or leave a Project.
• Install or remove plugins and skills.
• Change workspace or administrator policy.
• Gain access to a staged product rollout.
• Use web, desktop, or mobile.

For that reason, a static document should not claim undocumented web entries such as /image, /search, or /canvas are permanent universal commands. If one appears in your composer, select it there; otherwise request the capability in natural language.

Examples:

Search the web for the latest official release notes and cite every claim.

Create a 9:16 photorealistic sunrise image with readable Portuguese text.

Open a canvas and help me revise this article.

Learn more: ChatGPT on the web and Developer commands

10. Skills, plugins, files, and other prefixes

Skills: $skill-name

A skill is a reusable workflow containing instructions and, optionally, scripts and references.

$pdf Create a polished PDF from this report and verify every rendered page.

$spreadsheets Analyze this workbook, add formulas, and create an executive chart.

Use a skill when the task needs a repeatable method or a specialized artifact workflow. Skills may also activate automatically when their description closely matches the request.

Learn more: Build skills

Plugins: @plugin

A plugin can bundle skills, connectors, tools, and other capabilities.

@Google Drive find the current project charter and summarize unresolved decisions.

@Canva create a presentation from the approved outline.

Use @ when you want to force a particular installed plugin. Otherwise, describe the outcome and let ChatGPT select an appropriate capability.

Learn more: Plugins

Files and context: @file or attachment controls

Where file mentions are supported, select a file through @ autocomplete or the attachment control:

@AssessmentSummary.vue explain the current data flow and identify dead code.

Do not rely on a filename alone when several files have the same name. Select the actual file from the menu or provide its project-relative path.

Learn more: Work with files

Suggested skill and plugin pairings

Availability and exact names depend on installed plugins, enabled skills, and workspace policy.

11. Recommended combinations

A. Shape a large task, then execute it

/plan Interview me and define deliverables, constraints, risks, and acceptance criteria.
/goal Execute the approved plan and verify every deliverable.
/status

Best for reports, applications, migrations, research, and multi-file deliverables.

B. Run a safe isolated code change

/project
/worktree
/plan Implement the feature with tests and no unrelated changes.
/goal Complete the approved implementation and run relevant checks.
/review

Best for protecting an active checkout while allowing substantial changes.

C. Configure quality versus speed

/model
/reasoning
/fast

Best for choosing an appropriate model and effort before an expensive task.

D. Use an external source deliberately

/mcp
@Google Drive find the latest approved policy and summarize it with source links.

Best for confirming connectivity before relying on a plugin or MCP-backed tool.

E. Preserve the main task while asking a question

/side Explain why the current approach was selected and list credible alternatives.

Best during long goals or complex implementations.

F. Compare alternative approaches safely

/fork

In the fork:

/plan Explore an alternative architecture using a BFF and compare tradeoffs.

Best when you want a genuine branch in reasoning or implementation.

G. Start a repository correctly

/local
/init

Then edit AGENTS.md, and continue with:

/plan Inspect the repository instructions and propose the smallest safe implementation.

H. Recover a long conversation

/status
/compact

Follow with a short reminder of the current objective if needed.

I. Schedule a repeatable workflow with a skill

Use natural language because scheduling is primarily an outcome-driven feature:

Create a scheduled task that runs $weekly-status every Friday at 4:00 PM and posts the result to this chat.

Learn more: Scheduled tasks

12. Desktop keyboard shortcuts

OpenAI allows shortcuts to be searched, changed, or reset under Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts. Some shortcuts only appear when the corresponding mode or feature is available.

General navigation

Chats

Input and modes

Workspace and built-in browser

Learn more: Official commands and keyboard shortcuts

13. Community slash-style prompt shortcuts

Community shortcuts are not official commands. They are prompt prefixes that ChatGPT interprets as ordinary words. There is no finite or authoritative master list because anyone can invent one.

Technical and explanatory

Photography and cinema

Illustration, 3D, and publishing

Image editing shorthand

Correct combination formula

Use two or three complementary prefixes, then state the real requirements:

/xray /infographic /blueprint
A modern electric vehicle showing the battery pack, motors, inverter,
cooling system, and control electronics. Clearly labeled, clean technical
layout, readable English text, aspect ratio 16:9.

Think in layers:

1. Subject: what the image contains.
2. Structure: infographic, cutaway, comparison, timeline.
3. Style: photographic, watercolor, blueprint, 3D.
4. Camera/composition: close-up, aerial, low angle, centered.
5. Lighting/material: golden hour, studio light, glass, chrome.
6. Constraints: aspect ratio, exact text, brand colors, exclusions.

Do not stack many conflicting prefixes. /minimalist /maximalist /watercolor /photorealistic /pixelart gives the model incompatible directions.

14. Create your own reusable shortcuts

Conversation-local macro

Define a shortcut in plain language:

For this conversation, /mybrand means:
- use #00B3F0, #A6CE39, #006998, and #595A5C;
- use clean modern typography and generous whitespace;
- use 16:9 unless I specify another aspect ratio;
- preserve accessibility and high contrast;
- never use gradients.

Then invoke it:

/mybrand /infographic Explain the AI development lifecycle.

This remains a prompting convention, not an application command.

Durable reusable workflow: create a skill

Use a skill when a shortcut needs stable steps, references, templates, scripts, or team sharing. Invoke it with:

$mybrand-infographic Explain the AI development lifecycle.

Skills are preferred over deprecated /prompts:<name> custom prompts.

Learn more: Build skills

15. Troubleshooting

A command does not appear

Possible reasons:

• You are using ChatGPT web rather than the desktop app.
• You are in Chat instead of Work or Codex, or vice versa.
• The feature is unavailable on your plan, platform, region, or current rollout.
• Your workspace administrator disabled the capability.
• The command requires a Git project, cloud environment, IDE integration, MCP server, Memories, pet, or another prerequisite.

Action: type / and trust the live menu for the current chat.

A social-media slash shortcut does nothing special

It is probably community shorthand. Rewrite it as a complete natural-language instruction. For example:

/xray a camera

becomes:

Create a technically plausible cutaway illustration of a mirrorless camera.
Make the outer shell partially transparent and label the lens elements,
sensor, shutter, processor, battery, display, and control board.

A skill or plugin is missing

• Confirm it is installed and enabled.
• Type $ to look for skills.
• Type @ to look for plugins.
• Check workspace policy and connection status.
• Use /mcp for MCP-backed local integrations.

A keyboard shortcut conflicts with the operating system

Open Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts, search for the action, and assign a different binding. Linux Wayland and global operating-system shortcuts can affect availability.

Context is nearly full

Use:

/status
/compact

If the task has critical constraints, also ask for a concise checkpoint summary before continuing.

A protected action was denied

Read the denial and the exact requested action. Use /approve only when automatic review denied a recent action and you intentionally want one retry. Do not treat it as a general bypass.

16. Quick-reference cheat sheet

Official desktop slash commands

Conditional and dynamic

Best combinations

Most useful keyboard shortcuts

17. Official URL directory

Final accuracy note

This guide is complete for the fixed slash commands listed in OpenAI's ChatGPT desktop reference as of September 2, 2026, and it includes the additional documented /share, /goal controls, deprecated custom-prompt namespace, skill syntax, and plugin syntax.

It cannot provide a permanent universal list of:

• ChatGPT web menu actions, because OpenAI makes them context- and account-dependent.
• Installed skill or plugin commands, because each user's environment differs.
• Community slash-style prompt prefixes, because they are unlimited natural-language conventions.

When this document and the live interface differ, the command menu displayed after typing / in the current chat is the operational source of truth. Check the official slash-command reference and changelog for updates.

ChatGPT Command Reference — 2026 Edition
Author: Lucio A. Da Silva